Valley Yarns October Mountain Cardigan Crochet Pattern

Valley Yarns October Mountain Cardigan

What is Being Made

The October Mountain Cardigan is a crocheted cardigan designed by Sara Delaney, worked in a bottom-up construction method. This garment features a seamless, flat construction that creates a polished, wearable piece. The cardigan is available in three finished sizes: 32 inches, 40 inches, and 48 inches, making it suitable for a range of body types and fit preferences.

Construction Method and Techniques

This cardigan employs a bottom-up, worked-flat construction, meaning the crocheter begins at the lower body and works upward to completion without seaming. The garment features lace patterning throughout, which creates an elegant, breathable fabric ideal for layering or wearing as a standalone piece.

The lower body begins with a foundation chain of 123, 153, or 183 stitches depending on size, establishing 120, 150, or 180 double crochets in the set-up row. The pattern incorporates strategic waist decreases worked at specific intervals to create shaping at the waist. Two sets of decrease rows are worked into the pattern, with markers placed to indicate decrease points at the 16th and 45th chain-space intervals (adjusted for larger sizes), followed by a second decrease sequence at the 15th and 43rd intervals. These decreases reduce stitch counts from 120 to 112 to 104 double crochets (with proportional reductions in larger sizes), creating a fitted silhouette.

Stitches Used

The October Mountain Cardigan utilizes fundamental crochet stitches executed with precision:

• Double crochet (dc) — forms the primary fabric structure and creates density in the main body sections
• Single crochet (sc) — used in lace rows to create the openwork pattern and establish spacing
• Chain stitches (ch) — essential for creating the lace gaps and establishing row heights; chain-2 spaces (ch2 sp) form the foundation of the lace pattern, while chain-1 spaces (ch1 sp) appear in the waistband section

The lace pattern alternates between rows of chain-2 spaces separated by single crochets and rows of double crochets worked into those spaces, creating a repeating openwork design. The waistband transitions to a chain-4 and chain-1 space pattern, offering a refined finish to the lower edge.

Materials

The October Mountain Cardigan is designed to be worked with Valley Yarns 2/14 Alpaca Silk, a luxury blend yarn composed of 80% Alpaca and 20% Silk. One cone of this yarn, weighing 8.8 ounces and containing 1,736 yards, provides sufficient yardage to complete the cardigan. The recommended colorway is Sienna, a warm, earthy tone that complements the lace construction. The alpaca-silk blend offers softness, breathability, and a subtle sheen, making it an excellent choice for a garment intended to be worn close to the skin.

While the pattern does not specify hook size in the provided excerpt, crocheters should refer to the complete pattern instructions and yarn label recommendations to select an appropriate hook size that achieves the desired fabric drape and gauge.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate difficulty, the October Mountain Cardigan is suitable for crocheters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle shaping techniques and lace patterns. The combination of waist decreases, marker placement, and lace patterning requires attention to detail and pattern-reading ability, though the stitches themselves remain accessible to intermediate-level crafters.