Valley Yarns Downstream Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Downstream Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Downstream Cardigan is a top-down, short-sleeved open cardigan designed by Melissa LaBarre. This garment features a distinctive textured panel flowing down the back, creating visual interest and depth. The cardigan is available in finished sizes ranging from 32 inches to 50 inches, making it suitable for a variety of body measurements. The open front design and short sleeves make this piece versatile for layering across different seasons.

Construction Techniques

This cardigan employs several advanced knitting techniques that contribute to its seamless construction and professional finish:

• Top-Down Construction: The garment is worked from the neckline downward, allowing knitters to try on the piece as they work and easily adjust the length to their preference.
• Raglan Shaping: The yoke features raglan increases that create the characteristic diagonal lines from the neckline to the underarms. Increases are worked on right-side rows using M1R (make 1 right) and M1L (make 1 left) techniques to maintain stitch definition.
• Seamless Construction: The cardigan is worked seamlessly, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a more polished, professional appearance.
• Worked in the Round and Flat: The pattern combines circular needle knitting with flat construction, utilizing a 32-inch circular needle and double-pointed needles as needed for different sections of the garment.
• Textured Panel Integration: A specialized texture stitch panel is incorporated down the back of the cardigan, marked and maintained separately from the stockinette stitch body using distinct stitch markers.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The Downstream Cardigan utilizes a combination of fundamental and intermediate knitting stitches:

• Stockinette Stitch (st st): The primary stitch used throughout most of the cardigan, creating a smooth, classic fabric.
• Textured Panel Stitches: A specialized texture pattern is worked down the back panel, adding visual and tactile dimension to the design.
• Increase Techniques: The pattern employs M1R (make 1 right) and M1L (make 1 left) increases for raglan shaping, as well as kfb (knit in the front and back of stitch) for edge increases. These techniques ensure invisible increases that blend seamlessly into the fabric.
• Decrease Techniques: K2tog (knit 2 together) is used where decreases are required in the pattern.
• Cast-On Method: The long-tail cast-on method is used to begin the cardigan, providing a professional, elastic edge suitable for the neckline.

Yarn and Materials

The Downstream Cardigan is designed to be worked with Valley Yarns Northampton, a 100% wool yarn in the color Sage Heather. The yardage requirements vary by size, ranging from 3 skeins for the smallest sizes (32–40 inches) to 5 skeins for the largest sizes (46–50 inches). Each skein contains 247 yards and weighs 100 grams, providing ample yardage for this garment.

Knitters will need US size 8 (5.00mm) needles, including a 32-inch circular needle for the main body and double-pointed needles for smaller circumference sections. The pattern calls for a gauge of 20 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch, which is essential to achieving the correct finished measurements.

Additional Notions and Pattern Details

Six stitch markers are required to work this pattern: four markers of one type (marker A) to denote raglan increase points, and two markers of another type (marker B) to identify the textured panel on the back. These markers help organize the complex shaping and stitch pattern placement throughout the construction process.

The pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with some experience who are comfortable with top-down construction, raglan shaping, and working with stitch markers. The yoke section involves multiple simultaneous increases, while the lower body is worked even in stockinette stitch and the textured back panel until the desired length is achieved. The cardigan measures 13 inches from the underarm separation point before finishing, allowing for customization based on personal preference.