Willow & Lark Fern Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Willow & Lark Fern Cardigan: Knitted Cardigan Pattern Overview

What Is Being Made

The Fern Cardigan is a classic knitted cardigan designed by Willow & Lark as part of their Heath Solids Collection. This garment is a seamed cardigan worked flat on straight needles, featuring button closures and a traditional fitted silhouette. The pattern is available in eight sizes, ranging from 30-32 inches to 54-56 inches chest measurement, making it suitable for a wide range of body types. The finished cardigan features a length to back neck ranging from 22½ inches (smallest size) to 27¼ inches (largest size), with sleeve lengths between 17¾ and 19 inches depending on the size selected.

Techniques Used

The Fern Cardigan employs several essential knitting techniques that place it at an intermediate difficulty level. The garment is worked flat, meaning it is constructed on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing knitters to work back and forth across rows. Seaming is used to join the various pieces together, creating a professional finish. The pattern includes buttonhole construction, which requires careful attention to create evenly spaced, properly sized openings for the six buttons that close the front of the cardigan. Button bands are worked as part of the construction process, and buttons are sewn on after the garment is complete. This combination of techniques requires intermediate-level skills and attention to detail.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch used throughout the Fern Cardigan is stocking stitch (also called stockinette stitch), which creates the smooth, classic fabric that forms the body of the garment. Stocking stitch is created by alternating knit rows and purl rows when working flat, producing the characteristic V-pattern texture on the right side of the fabric. The pattern uses standard abbreviations including knit (k), purl (p), increase (inc), decrease (dec), and make 1 (m1) for shaping the garment at the armholes, neckline, and other areas requiring fitted construction.

Materials and Tools

The Fern Cardigan pattern calls for Willow & Lark Heath Solids yarn in the colorway Sand 03, which is exclusively available through lovecrafts.com. Yarn quantities vary by size, ranging from 9 balls (50g/1¾oz each) for the smallest size to 16 balls for the largest size. The pattern requires specific knitting needles: a pair of 3.25mm (US 3) needles and a pair of 4mm (US 6) needles for the main fabric, plus a 3.25mm (US 3) circular knitting needle for finishing details such as neckbands. The cardigan is fastened with six buttons. The recommended tension is 21 stitches and 28 rows to a 10cm/4-inch square measured over stocking stitch using the 4mm (US 6) needles, which is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements.

Pattern Notes and Sizing

Instructions are provided for the smallest size (30-32 inches), with adjustments for larger sizes indicated in parentheses throughout the pattern. Where only one figure appears without parentheses, that instruction applies to all sizes. The pattern uses square bracket notation to indicate repeats, with the number of times to repeat the bracketed section stated immediately after. Yarn quantities are approximate and based on average requirements, and Willow & Lark recommends using only the specified Heath Solids yarn to ensure the finished garment meets the intended design specifications.