Valley Yarns Papyrus Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Papyrus Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Papyrus Cardigan is a classic V-neck cardigan designed by Kirsten Hipsky, constructed using a bottom-up knitting method. This intermediate-level garment features a sophisticated silhouette with waist shaping and raglan sleeves. The cardigan is available in six finished sizes ranging from 32 inches to 52 inches, with the pattern photographed in size 36 inches. The design incorporates decorative textured stitch motifs throughout the raglan sleeves, creating visual interest and depth in the finished piece.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several key knitting techniques that define its construction and aesthetic appeal:

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is knitted from the lower body upward, beginning with a cast-on at the hem and progressing toward the neckline. This method allows for easy length adjustments and straightforward fit modifications.
• Waist shaping: Strategic increases and decreases are worked at marked intervals every 8 rows, with 5 decrease rounds followed by 5 increase rounds. This creates a fitted waist that enhances the cardigan's classic silhouette.
• Buttonhole placement: The pattern includes buttonhole construction, allowing for functional button closures along the front opening.
• Seaming: Finished pieces are seamed together, creating clean, professional-looking seams that join the body and sleeves.
• Raglan sleeve shaping: The sleeves are shaped using raglan construction, which creates diagonal lines from the underarm to the neckline for a refined fit.

Stitches Used

The Papyrus Cardigan employs fundamental knitting stitches combined with a signature textured stitch pattern:

• Stockinette stitch: The primary stitch throughout most of the garment, created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side. This produces the smooth, classic fabric base.
• Garter stitch: Used for the initial cast-on rows and edge stitches, providing a stable, textured border that prevents curling.
• Special textured stitch (p3tog-yo-p3tog): A decorative motif worked as follows: purl 3 stitches together while keeping them on the left needle, create a yarn over for an eyelet, then purl the same 3 stitches together again before removing them. This creates the reedy, textured stitch patterns that are built into the raglan sleeves, adding visual complexity and interest to the design.
• Yarn overs (yo): Used within the special stitch pattern to create decorative eyelets and openwork details.
• Decreases: Knit 2 together (k2tog) and slip, slip, knit (ssk) techniques are employed for shaping at waist and sleeve cap areas, ensuring smooth, directional decreases.
• Increases: Knit in the front and back of a stitch (kfb) is used to add stitches during waist shaping.

Materials

The Papyrus Cardigan is worked in Valley Yarns BFL Worsted Hand-Dyed yarn, a premium fiber choice that brings both quality and visual appeal to the finished garment. The yarn is composed of 100% Blue Faced Leicester wool, known for its softness, luster, and excellent stitch definition. Each skein contains 100 grams and yields 216 yards, with yardage requirements varying by size: 4 skeins for size 32 inches, 5 skeins for size 36 inches, 6 skeins for size 40 inches, 7 skeins for size 44 inches, 8 skeins for size 48 inches, and 9 skeins for size 52 inches. The pattern specifies the colorway Mr. Toad, a hand-dyed option that adds character to the finished piece. US size 7 (4.50mm) needles are required to achieve the specified gauge of 20 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches in Stockinette stitch. The pattern also calls for buttons and markers to complete the construction.