Valley Yarns Watered Steel Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Watered Steel Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Watered Steel Cardigan is a knitted cardigan designed by Elizabeth Vindedahl, available in five finished sizes ranging from 33.5 inches to 47.5 inches. This garment is constructed using a bottom-up, seamless approach worked flat on circular needles, making it an excellent project for advanced-beginner knitters seeking to develop their skills with more complex stitch patterns and garment shaping.

Construction Technique

This cardigan is worked bottom-up and seamless, beginning with the lower body. The construction method involves working the lower body as a single piece, then dividing the fronts from the back at the underarm to create three separate sections that are worked simultaneously using multiple balls of yarn. This technique eliminates the need for seaming while allowing the knitter to work in a flat, back-and-forth manner rather than in the round, making it more accessible for those transitioning to seamless garment construction.

The lower body begins with a cast-on of 166 to 242 stitches depending on size. After knitting three rows, the knitter works through a lace pattern section eight times, followed by the introduction of the texture pattern with strategic increases distributed evenly across the first row of the texture section. The piece continues in pattern until reaching the specified length before the underarms are bound off and the fronts are separated from the back.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns Used

The Watered Steel Cardigan features two distinct stitch patterns that create visual interest and texture:

• Lace Pattern: Worked in the lower section of the garment, this pattern is repeated five times and creates an openwork design that contrasts with the denser texture pattern above it.
• Texture Pattern: A 32-row repeat pattern worked over a multiple of 6 stitches plus 2. This pattern combines knit and purl stitches in a carefully orchestrated sequence to create the "watered steel" effect that gives the cardigan its name. The texture pattern uses basic knit and purl stitches arranged in alternating rows to produce subtle dimensional changes across the fabric surface.

Throughout construction, the first and last stitch of every row are worked as knit stitches to create clean, finished edges. The pattern also incorporates strategic decreases at the underarm areas during the simultaneous three-piece construction phase to shape the garment appropriately at the armholes.

Materials and Tools Required

The Valley Yarns Watered Steel Cardigan is designed to be worked in Valley Yarns Williamstown, a blend yarn composed of 65% wool, 25% acrylic, and 10% viscose. Each skein contains 126 yards and weighs 50 grams. The pattern calls for 9 to 17 skeins depending on the finished size selected, with the sample shown in color 02 Charcoal.

Two sizes of US circular needles are required: US size 5 (3.75mm) needles for ribbing or edging sections, and US size 7 (4.5mm) needles for the main body of the garment. The use of circular needles—even though the work is done flat rather than in the round—provides the necessary length to accommodate the cast-on stitches and allows for comfortable handling of the garment as it grows.

Skill Development

This advanced-beginner project provides excellent opportunities to develop intermediate knitting skills. Knitters will gain experience with complex stitch patterns, seamless garment construction, working with multiple balls of yarn simultaneously, and managing shaping decreases within pattern repeats. The combination of lace and texture patterns requires careful attention to stitch counts and pattern placement, making it an ideal stepping stone toward more advanced garment design projects.