Valley Yarns MoCA Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns MoCA Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Valley Yarns MoCA Cardigan is a seamed knit cardigan designed by Kirsten Hipsky, featuring a modern dolman sleeve shape with an unshaped, naturally draping neckline. This garment is worked flat using the cuff-to-cuff construction method, creating a unique silhouette that combines structured sleeve shaping with relaxed draping at the neckline. The cardigan is available in six finished sizes ranging from 32 inches to 52 inches, making it suitable for a variety of body types.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several key knitting techniques that contribute to its advanced beginner difficulty level. The garment is worked flat on circular needles rather than in the round, allowing for straightforward construction. Seaming is used to join the side and sleeve seams after all pieces are completed. The design features strategic increases and decreases to create the dolman sleeve shape: the right sleeve begins with increases of one stitch at the beginning and end of every fourth row, repeated 32 times to build width. The left sleeve mirrors this process in reverse, using decreases at the same interval to taper back down to cuff width. Ribbed cuffs frame both sleeves, providing elasticity and a finished edge. Button bands are incorporated with buttonholes worked into the pattern, requiring careful stitch binding off and casting on to create functional closures.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch: The primary stitch throughout the cardigan body and sleeves, created by knitting every row. Garter stitch is reversible and provides excellent drape, making it ideal for this design's flowing aesthetic.
• Ribbing (K2, P2): Used for both the right and left cuffs, alternating knit and purl stitches in a two-by-two pattern to create elasticity and a neat finished edge.
• Stockinette Stitch (implied in finishing): Referenced in button band construction where stitches are bound off to create buttonholes.

Materials and Specifications

The Valley Yarns MoCA Cardigan is constructed using Valley Yarns Amherst, a 100% merino wool yarn available in Black. Yardage requirements vary by size: the smallest size (32 inches) requires 11 skeins, while the largest size (52 inches) requires 20 skeins. Each skein contains 50 grams and 109 yards of yarn, providing approximately 1,199 yards for the smallest size up to 2,180 yards for the largest.

Two sizes of circular needles are required: US size 7 (4.5 mm) needles for the ribbed cuffs, and US size 9 (5.5 mm) needles for the body and sleeves. Both needle sizes should be 40 inches in length to accommodate the flat working method and the width of the garment pieces. The gauge is 16 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches when working garter stitch with the larger needles, making accurate gauge swatching essential for proper fit across all size options.

Additional materials include 7 buttons for the front closure, which should be selected to complement the Black Amherst yarn and the cardigan's modern aesthetic.

Construction Overview

The cardigan is constructed in a cuff-to-cuff method, beginning with the right cuff and progressing through the right sleeve, shoulder, and neckline, then continuing through the left shoulder and left sleeve to the left cuff. This innovative approach eliminates the need for multiple pattern pieces and allows the knitter to work continuously from one end to the other. The soft merino fiber of the Amherst yarn provides comfort and a naturally draping quality that enhances the cardigan's modern silhouette, making it an excellent choice for a cozy, wearable garment.