Valley Yarns Blue Mist Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Blue Mist Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Blue Mist Cardigan is a long, fitted cardigan with elbow-length set-in sleeves, designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This garment features a sophisticated wide, unfastened shawl collar with a textured eyelet stitch that is reversible and looks attractive on either side. The cardigan is available in six sizes, ranging from 32" to 52" in finished bust measurements, making it suitable for a variety of body types.

Techniques Used

This cardigan is constructed using several key knitting techniques that contribute to its polished appearance and structure:

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is knit from the bottom edge upward, allowing knitters to try on the piece as it progresses and easily adjust length as needed.
• Worked flat: All pieces are knit flat on straight needles rather than in the round, then seamed together for stability and a professional finish.
• Seaming: The individual pieces (back, fronts, sleeves, and collar) are carefully seamed together, which provides structure and helps the fitted silhouette hold its shape.
• Lace stitch work: The shawl collar incorporates an eyelet stitch pattern, adding visual interest and a delicate texture to the neckline.
• Shaping techniques: The cardigan uses strategic increases and decreases to create a fitted waist and proper armhole depth, with bind-offs used for shoulder and armhole shaping.

Stitches Used

The Blue Mist Cardigan employs fundamental knitting stitches combined with decorative stitch work:

• Stockinette stitch: The primary stitch used throughout the back, fronts, and sleeves, creating a smooth, classic fabric with a knit side and purl side.
• Eyelet stitch: Featured in the shawl collar, this textured pattern incorporates yarn overs (yo) to create decorative holes that form the eyelet design.
• Decreases: The pattern uses k2tog (knit 2 together) and ssk (slip, slip, knit) decreases for shaping the waist and armholes.
• Yarn overs: Used in the eyelet stitch of the collar to create the characteristic openwork texture.

Materials

The Valley Yarns Blue Mist Cardigan calls for specific materials chosen for comfort and drape:

• Yarn: Valley Yarns Southwick in color 21 Blue Mist. This yarn is composed of 52% Pima Cotton and 48% Bamboo, offering a breathable, soft blend ideal for a cardigan. Each skein contains 50 grams and 105 yards. The yardage required ranges from 10 skeins for the smallest size (32") to 18 skeins for the largest size (52"), totaling between 1,050 and 1,890 yards depending on size.
• Needles: US size 5 (3.75 mm) needles are recommended, though knitters should verify their needle size by checking gauge before beginning the project.
• Gauge: The pattern specifies a gauge of 5.5 stitches and 7 rows per 1 inch when worked in stockinette stitch, which is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate, making it suitable for knitters with some experience. The combination of fitted shaping, lace stitch work in the collar, and seaming techniques requires intermediate skills, though the majority of the garment uses the straightforward stockinette stitch.