Valley Yarns Nakota Cardigan Crochet Pattern

Valley Yarns Nakota Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Nakota Cardigan is a colorful, striped crochet cardigan designed by Sara Delaney. This garment features a striking wave pattern created through strategic stitch increases and decreases, resulting in a textured, dimensional fabric. The cardigan is available in five finished sizes ranging from 34" to 50" and is designed as a versatile layering piece suitable for pairing with both casual and dressy outfits.

Techniques Used

This cardigan is worked flat, meaning each piece is constructed in rows rather than in the round. The construction method involves creating individual sleeves and a lower body section separately before assembly. The design employs color changes at regular intervals, with the pattern specifying that colors are fastened off at the end of each row and new colors are joined at the beginning of the next row. This technique creates clean, intentional color transitions throughout the garment.

The wave pattern is achieved through a repeating stitch sequence that combines decreases and increases to form peaks and valleys across the fabric. The pattern uses a set-up row to establish the foundational wave structure, followed by patterned rows that maintain and refine this texture.

Stitches Used

The Nakota Cardigan employs a variety of fundamental crochet stitches to create its textured appearance:

• Single crochet (sc) – used at the edges of wave peaks for definition
• Half double crochet (hdc) – provides medium height stitches in the wave pattern
• Double crochet (dc) – forms the primary structure of the wave repeats
• Treble crochet (tr) – creates the tallest stitches at the peak of each wave
• Double crochet two together (dc2tog) – a decrease stitch that shapes the valleys between waves
• Chain stitches (ch) – used for turning chains and to create decorative spaces within the pattern

The repeating wave unit consists of a specific sequence: single crochet, half double crochets, double crochets, a treble crochet at the peak, double crochets, half double crochets, and single crochet, with decreases worked between peaks to create the valley effect.

Materials

The Nakota Cardigan is constructed using Valley Yarns Southwick, a blend of 52% Pima Cotton and 48% Bamboo. Each skein contains 50 grams and provides 105 yards of yarn. The yardage requirements vary by size: the smallest size (34") requires 6 skeins of the main color plus 2 skeins each of six accent colors, while the largest size (50") requires 8 skeins of main color and 3 skeins each of the accent colors.

The main color used in the pattern sample is color 19 Toffee. Six additional colors are used for the striped sections: color 16 Mineral Green, color 18 Persimmon, color 01 Natural, color 14 African Violet, color 13 Iguana, and color 11 Ginger.

Construction is worked with a US G/6/4.00mm crochet hook (or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge). Additional materials include stitch markers to help track pattern repeats and size increases.

Gauge and Construction Details

The pattern is worked to a gauge of 2 waves (10 stitches per wave) and 11 rows equaling 5 inches. This gauge is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements.

The cardigan consists of two main sections: sleeves (made as two identical pieces) and a lower body. The sleeves begin with a chain of 61 to 81 stitches depending on size, establishing 6 to 8 wave peaks. The lower body is larger, with a foundation chain of 141 to 201 stitches creating 14 to 20 peaks. Both sections follow the same wave-pattern structure but are worked to different lengths to create the proper proportions for sleeves versus body.

Color changes occur in a systematic pattern, with colors rotating through the sequence of Mineral Green, Persimmon, Natural, African Violet, Iguana, and Ginger multiple times throughout the piece, creating the distinctive striped effect that makes this cardigan visually striking and suitable for versatile styling.