DESIGNED BY Jane Richmond
An elegant and understated sweater, this cardigan is designed to be a wardrobe classic. The mixture of fine wool, baby alpaca, and angora creates an incredibly soft garment that can be worn over the barest camisole. The slightly looser-than-recommended gauge ensures a breathable, comfortable fabric with a lighter and more elastic feel. I designed this cardigan to be soft and feminine and to run the gamut from formal to casual, depending on what it is paired with. The hint of vintage is sure to appeal to modern women.
About 31¼ (33¼, 35¼, 37¼, 39¼, 41¼)" (79.5 [84.5, 89.5, 94.5, 99.5, 105] cm) bust circumference, buttoned with ¾" (2 cm) overlap.
Cardigan shown measures 33¼" (84.5 cm) modeled with 1" (2.5 cm) of negative ease.
Yarn
Sportweight (#2 Fine).
Shown here: Classic Elite Yarns Fresco (60% wool, 30% baby alpaca, 10% angora; 164 yd [150 m]/50 g): #5304 sugar blue, 6 (7, 7, 8, 8, 8) skeins.
Needles
Size 5 (3.75 mm): 32" (80 cm) circular (cir) and set of 4 or 5 double-pointed (dpn).
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Notions
4 stitch markers (m); waste yarn; tapestry needle; 1 removable stitch marker; size E/4 (3.5 mm) crochet hook; eight ½" (3.8 cm) buttons.
Gauge
24 sts and 32 rows = 4" (10 cm) in St st.
* Buttonholes are made by beginning wrongside rows with (k2, yo, k2tog). For even placement, make buttonholes on every 11th garter ridge (every 22 rows), as viewed from the right side.
With circular needle CO 56 (56, 56, 62, 62, 62) sts.
SET-UP ROW: (RS) K1 for left front, pm, k10 (10, 10, 12, 12, 12) for left sleeve, pm, k34 (34, 34, 36, 36, 36) for back, pm, k10 (10, 10, 12, 12, 12) for right sleeve, pm, k1 for right front.
INC ROW 1: (RS) K1f&b (see Glossary), slip marker (sl m), k1f&b, *knit to 1 st before m, k1f&b, sl m, k1f&b; rep from * 2 more times, knit to end—64 (64, 64, 70, 70, 70) sts.
NEXT ROW: (WS) Knit.
INC ROW 2: (RS) *Knit to 1 st before m, M1 (see Glossary), k1, sl m, k1, M1; rep from * 3 more times, knit to end—8 sts inc’d.
NEXT ROW: Knit to m, sl m, purl to last m, sl m, knit to end.
Rep last 2 rows 1 (1, 1, 3, 3, 3) more time(s)—80 (80, 80, 102, 102, 102) sts.
Cont working neck and raglan increases as foll:
ROW 1: (RS) K1f&b, *knit to 1 st before m, M1, k1, sl m, k1, M1; rep from * 3 times, knit to last st, k1f&b—10 sts inc’d.
ROWS 2 AND 4: Knit to m, sl m, purl to last m, sl m, knit to end.
ROW 3: *Knit to 1 st before m, M1, k1, sl m, k1, M1; rep from * 3 times, knit to end—98 (98, 98, 120, 120, 120) sts.
ROW 5: Rep Row 1—108 (108, 108, 130, 130, 130) sts.
ROW 6: K8 (8, 8, 10, 10, 10), purl to last 8 (8, 8, 10, 10, 10) sts, knit to end.
ROWS 7 AND 9: Rep Row 1—10 sts inc’d each row; 128 (128, 128, 150, 150, 150) sts after Row 9.
ROW 8: K9 (9, 9, 11, 11, 11), purl to last 9 (9, 9, 11, 11, 11) sts, knit to end.
ROW 10: K10 (10, 10, 12, 12, 12), purl to last 10 (10, 10, 12, 12, 12) sts, knit to end.
Cont for your size as foll:
SIZES 37¼, 39¼, 41¼" Only
ROW 11: Rep Row 1—160 sts.
ROW 12: K13, purl to last 13 sts, knit to end.
ALL SIZES
ROWS 11 (11, 11, 13, 13, 13), 13 (13, 13, 15, 15, 15), AND 15 (15, 15, 17, 17, 17): Rep Row 1—10 sts inc’d each row.
ROW 12 (12, 12, 14, 14, 14): K1f&b, k10 (10, 10, 13, 13, 13), purl to last 11 (11, 11, 14, 14, 14) sts, knit to last st, k1f&b—140 (140, 140, 172, 172, 172) sts.
ROW 14 (14, 14, 16, 16, 16): K1f&b, k12 (12, 12, 15, 15, 15), purl to last 13 (13, 13, 16, 16, 16) sts, knit to last st, k1f&b—152 (152, 152, 184, 184, 184) sts.
ROW 16 (16, 16, 18, 18, 18): K1f&b, k14 (14, 14, 17, 17, 17), purl to last 15 (15, 15, 18, 18, 18) sts, knit to last st, k1f&b, use the knitted method (see Glossary) to CO 8 sts for center front neck—172 (172, 172, 204, 204, 204) sts.
ROW 17 (17, 17, 19, 19, 19): Knit the 8 newly CO sts through their back loops (tbl), *knit to 1 st before m, M1, k1, sl m, k1, M1; rep from * 3 times, knit to end, then use the knitted method to CO 8 sts as before—188 (188, 188, 220, 220, 220) sts.
ROW 18 (18, 18, 20, 20, 20): K24 (24, 24, 27, 27, 27), purl to last 24 (24, 24, 27, 27, 27) sts, knit to end.
ROW 19 (19, 19, 21, 21, 21): *Knit to 1 st before m, M1, k1, sl m, k1, M1; rep from * 3 times, knit to end—8 sts inc’d.
NOTE: Buttonholes are introduced while raglan shaping is in progress; read all the way through the foll section before proceeding.
Rep the last 2 rows 10 (12, 15, 13, 16, 18) more times and at the same time on the first RS row, make the first buttonhole as described in the Note on page 108—276 (292, 316, 332, 356, 372) sts total: 42 (44, 47, 49, 52, 54) sts for each front, 80 (84, 90, 94, 100, 104) sts for back, 56 (60, 66, 70, 76, 80) sts for each sleeve.
Work even until piece measures 6¾ (7, 7¼, 7½, 8, 8½)" (17 [18, 18.5, 19, 20.5, 21.5] cm) from CO at back neck edge, ending with a WS row.
With RS facing, *knit to first m, remove m, place 56 (60, 66, 70, 76, 80) sleeve sts onto waste yarn holder, remove second m, use the knitted method to CO 14 (16, 16, 18, 18, 20) sts and place marker (pm) in the center of these CO sts; rep from * once, knit to end—192 (204, 216, 228, 240, 252) sts rem for body.
Working buttonholes as established, cont as foll:
ROW 1: (WS) K23 (23, 23, 26, 26, 26), purl to last 23 (23, 23, 26, 26, 26) sts, knit to end.
ROW 2 AND ALL RS ROWS: Knit.
ROW 3: K22 (22, 22, 25, 25, 25), purl to last 22 (22, 22, 25, 25, 25) sts, knit to end.
ROW 5: K21 (21, 21, 24, 24, 24), purl to last 21 (21, 21, 24, 24, 24) sts, knit to end.
ROW 7: K20 (20, 20, 23, 23, 23), purl to last 20 (20, 20, 23, 23, 23) sts, knit to end.
ROW 9: K18 (18, 18, 21, 21, 21), purl to last 18 (18, 18, 21, 21, 21) sts, knit to end.
ROW 11: K16 (16, 16, 19, 19, 19), purl to last 16 (16, 16, 19, 19, 19) sts, knit to end.
ROW 13: K14 (14, 14, 17, 17, 17), purl to last 14 (14, 14, 17, 17, 17) sts, knit to end.
ROW 14: Knit.
ROW 15: K4, purl to last 4 sts, knit to end.
Rep Rows 14 and 15 until piece measures 3 (3, 3, 3, 2¾, 2½)" (7.5 [7.5, 7.5, 7.5, 7, 6.5] cm) from dividing row, ending with a WS row.
DEC ROW: (RS) *Knit to 3 sts before marker, ssk, k1, sl m, k1, k2tog; rep from * once, knit to end of row—4 sts dec’d.
Work 9 (9, 9, 7, 7, 7) rows even. Rep the last 10 (10, 10, 8, 8, 8) rows 4 more times—172 (184, 196, 208, 220, 232) sts rem.
Work even until piece measures 10 (10, 9¾, 9¾, 9½, 9)" (25.5 [25.5, 25, 25, 24, 23] cm) from dividing row, ending with a WS row.
INC ROW: (RS) *Knit to 2 sts before m, M1, k2, sl m, k2, M1; rep from * once, knit to end of row—4 sts inc’d.
Work 3 rows even. Rep the last 4 rows 5 more times—196 (208, 220, 232, 244, 256) sts.
Work even as established until a total of 7 buttonholes have been made, followed by 3 garter ridges on the RS (6 rows), ending with a WS row.
SET-UP ROW: (RS) K4, *k1, p1; rep from * to last 4 sts, k4.
Cont in rib as established until a total of 8 buttonholes have been made, followed by 4 more rows of rib.
Use the sewn method (see Glossary) to BO all sts.
Place 56 (60, 66, 70, 76, 80) held sleeve sts onto 3 or 4 dpn. With RS facing, rejoin yarn and pick up and knit 16 (18, 18, 20, 20, 22) sts along CO edge at underarm (picking up 1 additional st on each side of CO sts to prevent gaps), placing a removable m at the center of picked-up sts to denote beg of rnd—72 (78, 84, 90, 96, 102) sts total.
DEC RND 1: K2tog, knit to last 2 sts, ssk—70 (76, 82, 88, 94, 100) sts rem.
Knit 7 (10, 16, 10, 20, 25) rnds even.
DEC RND 2: K1, k2tog, knit to 3 sts before m, ssk, k1—2 sts dec’d.
Knit 11 (8, 7, 6, 5, 4) rnds even.
Rep the last 12 (9, 8, 7, 6, 5) rnds 10 (13, 14, 17, 19, 22) more times—48 (48, 52, 52, 54, 54) sts rem; piece measures about 17½ (17¼, 17¼, 17¼, 17¾, 17¾)" (44.5 [44, 44, 44, 45, 45] cm) from pick-up rnd.
NEXT RND: *K1, p1; rep from *.
Work rib as established for 2" (5 cm).
Use the sewn method to BO all sts.
With crochet hook, work 1 row of crochet chain st (see Glossary for crochet instructions) along the outer edge of the garter st bib of yoke and along the garter st trim of neck edge.
Beg at right buttonband, work 1 sc in first st, *ch 5, skip 2 sts if working horizontally (skip 3 rows if working vertically), 1 sc in the next st; rep from * to end.
Fasten off.
Sew buttons to buttonband, opposite buttonholes. Weave in loose ends. Steam-block lightly.
