Valley Yarns Tink Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Tink Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Tink Cardigan is a short-sleeved, open cardigan knit all in one piece from the bottom up. Designed by Kirsten Hipsky, this garment features an innovative construction method using "nalgar" sleeves—a playful reversal of "raglan" sleeves originally developed by Elizabeth Zimmerman. The sleeves grow outward as the yoke expands upward, allowing the entire sweater to be completed simultaneously rather than assembling separate pieces. The cardigan is available in six finished sizes ranging from 36 inches to 60 inches, making it suitable for a variety of body types.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several key knitting techniques that make it an engaging project:

• Bottom-up construction: The garment begins at the lower body and progresses upward to the yoke, providing clear visual progress throughout the knitting process.
• Seamless, worked flat: The entire cardigan is knit as one continuous piece without seams, using flat knitting on circular needles rather than in-the-round. This eliminates the need for finishing seams and creates a clean, professional appearance.
• Nalgar sleeve shaping: The distinctive sleeve construction uses paired yarn overs and decreases at marked intervals to create the characteristic raglan increases while simultaneously shaping the neckline with decreases at the front edges.
• Stitch markers: Four stitch markers are used to delineate the sleeve sections and guide the increases throughout the yoke shaping.
• Three-needle bind off: This joining technique is used to bind off the back stitches to the right front stitches, creating a secure and flexible edge.

Stitches Used

The Tink Cardigan is constructed using fundamental knitting stitches that are accessible to advanced beginners:

• Garter stitch: The primary stitch throughout the entire garment, created by knitting every row. This creates a textured, reversible fabric with excellent drape and elasticity, particularly suitable for a cardigan that will be worn open.
• Yarn overs (yo): Used strategically at each marker during yoke shaping to create the increases that allow the sleeves and yoke to expand.
• Knit two together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used at the front neck edges to shape the neckline symmetrically.
• Slip, slip, knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease used at the opposite front neck edge to create a balanced decrease pair with the k2tog.
• Slip stitch (SM): Used to pass stitch markers without working them, maintaining their position to guide increases.

Materials and Specifications

The Tink Cardigan pattern calls for specific materials to achieve the intended finished garment:

• Yarn: Valley Yarns Sunderland, a 100% baby alpaca yarn in the color Caribbean. Yardage requirements vary by size: 10 skeins (1,090 yards) for size 36 inches, 12 skeins (1,308 yards) for size 40 inches, 13 skeins (1,417 yards) for size 44 inches, 15 skeins (1,635 yards) for size 48 inches, 17 skeins (1,853 yards) for size 52 inches, 19 skeins (2,071 yards) for size 56 inches, and 21 skeins (2,289 yards) for size 60 inches. Each skein weighs 50 grams and contains 109 yards.
• Needles: US size 7 (4.50mm) circular needles, 40 inches in length, or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge.
• Gauge: 4.5 stitches equal 1 inch when measured in garter stitch. Achieving proper gauge is essential for the cardigan to fit correctly across all six size options.
• Notions: Four stitch markers are required to track the sleeve and yoke sections throughout the construction process.

Construction Overview

The pattern begins with casting on between 160 and 272 stitches depending on the desired finished size. The lower body is worked in garter stitch, knitting every row until the piece reaches the desired length to the underarm, typically between 15