Specifications
| Brand: | Valley Yarns |
| Yarn Weight: | Bulky, DK | Light Worsted, Worsted |
| Designer: | Kirsten Hipsky |
| Craft: | Knitting |
| Format: | Downloadable PDF |
| Languages: | English |
| Pages: | 2 |
| Skill Level: | Advanced Beginner |
| Finished Size: | To Fit Bust:36" to 52" |
| Techniques and Construction: | Bottom Up, Seamed, Worked Flat |
| Pattern Code: | B2 |
Product Description
Valley Yarns B2 Basic Cardigan is a women’s dropped shoulders sweater that is a great, simple cardigan that is perfect to have in your closet. It’s great to throw on when it’s chilly and to have in multiple colors!
Finished Measurements: 36 (40, 44, 48, 52)” chest
Yarn Requirements:
DK Weight – Approximate 1200 (1400, 1600, 1800, 2000) yards
Worsted
Weight – Approximately 1000 (1200, 1400, 1600, 1800) yards
Bulky
Weight – Approximately 800 (900, 1000, 1100, 1200) yards
Needles:
In a size that gives you the desired gauge and needles a size or two
smaller for the ribbing, also 32” circular needles in the smaller size for the
neck ribbing and button bands
Other Materials:
Any number of shank buttons (solid buttons with a single loop in back)
Small crochet hook that can fit through the shank of your buttons
Gauge:
It’s especially important to make a gauge swatch for this pattern.
Knit a large swatch (4” - 6” square) at the gauge you’d prefer for the yarn.
Most yarn has a recommended gauge on its tag, which is a useful guideline. Wash
and block the swatch the same way you’ll wash the sweater. Measure how many
stitches and rows you have in 4” (this helps accommodate for an uneven gauge),
then divide by 4 to figure out how many stitches and rows you have per
inch.
In order to be knit at any gauge, directions are given in inches instead of a
stitch count. So if the directions say to cast on 20” worth of stitches for
your size, and your gauge is 4 sts to the inch, you’ll cast on 80 sts.
Valley Yarns Basic Cardigan
What is Being Made
The Valley Yarns Basic Cardigan is a classic, versatile cardigan sweater designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This garment is suitable for knitters at the advanced beginner skill level and comes in five finished sizes ranging from 36 inches to 52 inches in width, making it adaptable for various body measurements. The cardigan features a traditional button-front closure and is constructed using a bottom-up, seamed approach worked flat on straight needles.
Techniques Used
This cardigan employs several fundamental knitting techniques that make it an excellent project for advancing knitters. The garment is worked flat, meaning pieces are knitted back and forth in rows rather than in the round, which simplifies shaping and construction for many knitters. The bottom-up construction method means you begin knitting at the lower edge of the body and work upward toward the shoulders and neckline. Seaming is used to join the various pieces together, including shoulder seams, sleeve caps to the body, and side seams, creating a finished, structured garment.
The pattern includes strategic increases and decreases for shaping. Sleeve shaping involves increasing one stitch at the beginning and end of every fourth row to gradually expand the sleeve width from the cuff to the cap. Neck shaping on the front pieces uses decreases along the neck edge to create the proper neckline depth and contour. The finishing process involves picking up stitches around the neckline to create a ribbed neckband, and the pattern accommodates button bands for the front closure.
Stitches Used
The Valley Yarns Basic Cardigan primarily uses two fundamental stitches:
- Stockinette Stitch (St st): This is the main stitch used throughout the body and sleeves of the cardigan. Stockinette stitch creates the smooth, classic fabric that characterizes traditional cardigans and is achieved by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side.
- Ribbing (K1, P1): Ribbed fabric appears at the cuffs of the sleeves, created by alternating knit and purl stitches in the same column throughout a row. This elastic ribbing helps the cuffs hug the wrists and is worked for approximately one inch or to the desired length before transitioning to stockinette stitch.
Materials and Yarn Requirements
The Valley Yarns Basic Cardigan accommodates three different yarn weights, allowing knitters to choose based on personal preference, desired drape, and finished garment weight:
- DK Weight Yarn: Approximately 1200 to 2000 yards total, depending on the finished size (1200 yards for the smallest 36-inch size up to 2000 yards for the largest 52-inch size)
- Worsted Weight Yarn: Approximately 1000 to 1800 yards total across all five sizes
- Bulky Weight Yarn: Approximately 800 to 1200 yards total, making this option the most yardage-efficient choice
The pattern requires needles in a size that achieves your desired gauge for the main fabric, along with needles one or two sizes smaller for working the ribbed sections. A 32-inch circular needle in the smaller size is needed for knitting the neckline ribbing and button bands. A small crochet hook that can fit through the shank of your chosen buttons is also required for finishing.
Gauge and Finishing Details
Gauge is emphasized as especially important for this pattern. Knitters are instructed to create a large gauge swatch measuring 4 to 6 inches square using their chosen yarn and needles, worked at the gauge they prefer. The swatch should be washed and blocked using the same methods planned for the finished sweater to ensure accurate measurements. Most yarn labels include recommended gauge information, which serves as a useful starting point.
Finishing involves sewing shoulder seams together, then positioning and attaching the sleeves by lining up the centers of the sleeve cap tops with the shoulder seams and the lower sleeve edges with the side markers on the body. Side seams and sleeve seams are then sewn closed. The neckline is completed by picking up stitches around the neck opening with the circular needle and working ribbing, and the cardigan is finished with shank buttons placed along the front button band.
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