Valley Yarns Whistler Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Whistler Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Whistler Cardigan is a cropped, button-front cardigan designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This intermediate-level knitting project features a gentle eyelet chevron stitch pattern adorning the lower body and cute, set-in cap sleeves. The cardigan is available in six finished sizes ranging from 32 inches to 52 inches, providing options for a variety of body measurements. The design showcases a classic construction with a modern, delicate aesthetic suitable for layering.

Techniques Used

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

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is worked from the lower body upward, beginning with a cast-on at the hem and progressing toward the neckline and sleeves.
• Worked flat: The body and sleeves are knitted on straight needles in flat pieces rather than in the round, allowing for traditional row-by-row shaping.
• Seamless cap sleeves: The set-in cap sleeves are picked up directly from the armhole and worked downward, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a clean, finished appearance.
• Lace stitch patterning: An eyelet chevron stitch pattern is featured throughout the lower body, created using yarn-overs and decreases to produce an openwork design.
• Garter stitch edging: The first and last stitches of rows are worked in garter stitch to create neat, finished selvage edges.
• Strategic decreasing: Shaping at the underarm and neck areas uses decreases such as ssk (slip, slip, knit) to create fitted armholes and neckline shaping.

Stitches Used

The Whistler Cardigan incorporates a focused selection of fundamental and decorative stitches:

• Stockinette stitch (St st): The primary stitch used for the main body after the patterned lower section, creating a smooth, classic fabric.
• Garter stitch: Used for selvage edges and structural elements to provide definition and prevent curling.
• Eyelet chevron stitch pattern: A 12-stitch repeat that combines yarn-overs (yo), knit two together decreases (k2tog), and make-one increases (m1R and m1L) to create the distinctive chevron motif with openwork eyelets across the lower body.
• Decreases: Slip-slip-knit (ssk) and knit two together (k2tog) decreases are used for armhole and neckline shaping.
• Increases: Make-one right (m1R) and make-one left (m1L) increases are incorporated into the stitch pattern to maintain stitch count while creating the chevron design.

Materials

The Whistler Cardigan requires specific materials to complete the project successfully:

• Yarn: Valley Yarns Northampton Sport in Light Gray (100% wool, 50 grams per 164 yards). Yardage requirements vary by size: 4 skeins for size 32 inches, 5 skeins for sizes 36 and 40 inches, 6 skeins for sizes 44 and 48 inches, and 7 skeins for size 52 inches.
• Needles: US size 5 (3.75mm) and US size 4 (3.50mm) straight needles or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge. The larger needles are used for the patterned lower body section, while the smaller needles are used for the stockinette stitch sections.
• Notions: 2 stitch markers for tracking shaping points and 9 buttons measuring 0.5 inches in diameter for the button band closure.

Gauge and Construction Details

Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper fit. The pattern specifies a gauge of 6 stitches and 8 rows per 1 inch in stockinette stitch using the smaller needles, and the same gauge applies to the pattern stitch when worked with the larger needles. The lower body begins with a cast-on of 193 to 313 stitches depending on size, with the eyelet chevron stitch pattern worked for 5 complete repeats plus 5 additional rows before switching to