Valley Yarns Reflection Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Reflection Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Reflection Cardigan is a flowing and elegant shawl-like cardigan knit in a single piece on edge, featuring a sophisticated two-color design. This intermediate-level knitting project is worked from the bottom up and requires only two short side seams to complete. The finished cardigan measures 56 (60) inches wide and 40 inches long, making it a generously sized, comfortable layering piece.

Techniques Used

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

• Bottom-up construction: The piece is cast on and worked upward from the lower edge, allowing knitters to try on and adjust length as needed.
• Worked flat: Rather than working in the round, this cardigan is knit back and forth on straight needles, creating seamed edges that are finished during the final assembly.
• Seamed construction: Two side seams are sewn closed during finishing, with the inner 8 inches left open to create armholes for wearing comfort.
• Color blocking: The design features a striking two-color transition, with the piece knit in one color for the first 20 inches, then switched to a contrasting color for the remainder, creating a visual midpoint when the cardigan is folded and worn.
• Shaping through decreases and increases: The first half of the cardigan uses paired decreases (k2tog and ssk) to create a tapered silhouette, while the second half uses paired increases (M1R and M1L) to expand back to the original stitch count, forming the characteristic flowing shape.

Stitches Used

The Reflection Cardigan is primarily worked in stockinette stitch (St st), which creates a smooth, classic fabric with a defined right side and purl bumps on the wrong side. This fundamental stitch is combined with strategic shaping stitches:

• Knit (k): The basic knit stitch forms the foundation of stockinette stitch.
• Purl (p): Used on wrong-side rows to create stockinette stitch texture.
• Knit 2 together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used on the right-side rows during the first half to gradually reduce stitches.
• Slip, slip, knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease paired with k2tog to create balanced shaping on each side of the piece.
• Make 1 right (M1R): An increase worked by picking up the strand between stitches from back to front and knitting into the front, used during the second half of the cardigan.
• Make 1 left (M1L): An increase worked by picking up the strand between stitches from front to back and knitting into the back, paired with M1R for balanced shaping.

Materials

The Reflection Cardigan is designed to showcase the exceptional qualities of Valley Yarns Southwick, a premium blend yarn composed of 52% Pima Cotton and 48% Bamboo. This fiber content creates a cool, smooth fabric that feels fantastic even on warm days, making it an ideal choice for a layering cardigan. The yarn is worked at a gauge of 5 stitches and 5 rows per inch in stockinette stitch after blocking.

Pattern requirements call for 7 (8) skeins each of two colorways: color 23 Purple (color A) and color 26 Classic Navy (color B). Each skein contains 50 grams and 105 yards of yarn. Knitters will need US size 7 (4.50mm) needles or the size required to achieve proper gauge. The pattern notes that a large 6 to 8 inch swatch should be wet-blocked and hung to dry for accurate gauge measurement, as the garment will stretch lengthwise during knitting and should be measured while hanging rather than laid flat.

Design Details

Designed by Kirsten Hipsky, the Reflection Cardigan comes in two sizes: S/M and L/XL, with the photographed sample shown in size S/M. The two-color construction creates a visual and structural midpoint when the piece is folded in half along the line between colors A and B during finishing. The generous width and length provide a comfortable, relaxed fit suitable for layering over various garments, while the