Valley Yarns Hearts of Oak Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Hearts of Oak Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Hearts of Oak Cardigan is a set-in sleeve cardigan designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This garment features a bold and beautiful aesthetic with a distinctive wide shawl collar that can be overlapped and pinned closed or folded over to display the lovely wrong side of the pattern stitch. The cardigan is available in five finished sizes: 36, 40, 44, 48, and 52 inches, making it suitable for a range of body measurements.

Knitting Techniques

This intermediate-level cardigan is constructed using several key knitting techniques:

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is worked from the lower body upward, beginning with a cast-on for the lower body pieces
• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted flat on circular needles rather than in the round, allowing for easier manipulation of the lace pattern
• Seamed construction: Pieces are sewn together after completion, creating structured seams for the set-in sleeves and body
• Lace patterning: The signature Hearts of Oak stitch creates an openwork design throughout the garment
• Garter stitch edging: Single stitches in garter stitch are worked at the beginning and end of rows to create finished edges

Stitches Used

The Hearts of Oak Cardigan employs two primary stitch patterns:

• Hearts of Oak Stitch: A 16-row repeat pattern worked over a multiple of 10 stitches. This lace stitch creates the distinctive openwork design and features a combination of knit and purl stitches with decreases (p3tog) and cable decreases (CDI) that form the heart-like motifs. The stitch pattern is reversible, with the wrong side displaying an equally lovely appearance
• Stockinette stitch: Used as the base stitch for gauge measurement and structural areas
• Garter stitch: Applied as single-stitch edging on the right and left sides of pattern rows to create finished borders

Pattern Details and Gauge

Proper gauge is essential for this project. The pattern specifies two different gauges depending on the stitch being measured: 18 stitches and 26 rows equal 4 inches in stockinette stitch, while the Hearts of Oak stitch pattern measures 24 stitches and 28 rows to 4 inches when blocked. Achieving correct gauge ensures the finished cardigan will be the proper size and drape appropriately.

Materials and Tools

The Hearts of Oak Cardigan is designed to be knitted with Valley Yarns Northampton, a 100% wool yarn with 247 yards per 100-gram skein. Depending on the finished size chosen, the project requires 6, 6, 7, 8, or 9 skeins of yarn in the Red colorway. Knitting is worked on US size 7 (4.5mm) circular needles measuring 40 inches in length, or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge. Two stitch markers are also required to help track pattern repeats and construction points throughout the project.

Construction Overview

The lower body begins with a cast-on of 252 (272, 302, 322, 342) stitches and is worked with the Hearts of Oak Stitch pattern, maintaining garter stitch selvage stitches at the edges. The pattern includes shaping for the armholes and sleeves through strategic bind-offs and decreases. The wide shawl collar is worked on the remaining front stitches after the body and sleeves are completed, offering versatility in how it is worn and styled.