Valley Yarns Colum Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Colum Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Colum Cardigan is a seamless, bottom-up knitted cardigan designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This intermediate-level garment features a distinctive design element: wing-shaped eyelets that frame the raglan decreases, creating an elegant visual detail along the yoke. The cardigan is available in six finished sizes ranging from 32 inches to 56 inches, accommodating a wide range of body measurements.

Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several advanced knitting techniques that contribute to its sophisticated construction:

• Seamless Construction: The garment is worked seamlessly using circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming pieces together after completion. This technique creates a more polished, professional finish and ensures better fit consistency throughout the garment.
• Bottom-Up Construction: The cardigan is knitted from the lower body upward, beginning with the body and sleeves before joining them at the yoke. This approach allows for easy length adjustments during the knitting process.
• Lace Patterning: Wing-shaped eyelets are incorporated into the design, framing the raglan decreases. These lace elements add visual interest and sophistication to the yoke shaping.
• Worked Flat Sections: Certain portions of the cardigan are worked flat on circular needles, allowing for the structured shaping necessary for the cardigan front openings and proper garment construction.
• Raglan Shaping: The yoke features raglan-style decreases, which create diagonal lines from the underarm to the neckline, providing a flattering silhouette and comfortable fit.

Stitches Used

The Valley Yarns Colum Cardigan utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with decorative lace elements:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch throughout most of the cardigan body and sleeves, creating a smooth, classic fabric with a flat appearance on the right side and bumpy texture on the wrong side.
• Ribbing (k1, p1): Used for the cuffs and lower body edging, this elastic stitch creates a fitted finish that hugs the wrists and waist, helping the garment maintain its shape.
• Lace Stitches: The wing-shaped eyelet patterns are created using yarn overs and decreases (such as ssk for slip, slip, knit decreases), which form the decorative holes and raised motifs that frame the raglan shaping.
• Colum Panel Patterns: The pattern references specialized stitch panels labeled as Colum Panel A and Colum Panel B, which contain the specific lace and shaping instructions for the yoke detail work.

Materials and Specifications

The Valley Yarns Colum Cardigan is designed to be worked with specific materials that contribute to its drape and wearability:

• Yarn: Valley Yarns Northfield, a premium blend consisting of 70% Merino wool, 20% Baby Alpaca, and 10% Silk. This luxurious fiber combination provides softness, breathability, and a subtle sheen. Yardage requirements range from 1,116 yards (9 skeins) for the smallest size to 1,984 yards (16 skeins) for the largest size, with each skein containing 124 yards at 50 grams.
• Needles: US size 6 (4.00mm) circular needles in a 40-inch length are required to achieve the correct gauge. Circular needles allow for seamless construction and accommodate the large number of stitches needed for the body.
• Additional Materials: Stitch markers are essential for tracking pattern repeats and raglan decrease positions throughout the yoke. Stitch holders are used to temporarily hold stitches, particularly for the underarm sections that will be joined later during yoke construction.
• Gauge: The pattern is worked at a gauge of 5 stitches and 7 rows per inch in stockinette stitch. Achieving the correct gauge is critical for obtaining the finished measurements specified in the pattern.

Construction Details

The Colum Cardigan follows a methodical bottom-up construction process. The sleeves are initially worked in the round on double-pointed needles, beginning with a ribbed cuff and expanding through strategic increases every 3rd to 8th round depending