318 Ingrid Cardigan - Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Stockbridge

318 Ingrid Cardigan – Knitting Pattern for Women by Kirsten Hipsky

The 318 Ingrid Cardigan is a beautifully classic women's cardigan knitting pattern designed by Kirsten Hipsky and published under the Valley Yarns brand. Worked in a flattering, timeless silhouette, this pattern is rated beginner-friendly, making it an excellent choice for knitters who are ready to move beyond simple scarves and hats and tackle their first garment project. The finished cardigan features a distinctive fold-over collar and a textured stitch pattern that adds visual interest without overwhelming complexity.

Finished Sizes

The pattern is offered in five sizes, with finished bust measurements of 36, 39, 42, 45, and 48 inches, ensuring a comfortable fit across a wide range of body types. Whether you prefer a closer fit or a relaxed, layered look, there is a size option to suit your needs.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a women's cardigan — a front-opening, long-sleeved knitted jacket suitable for everyday wear. The design includes shaped fronts (both a Right Front and a Left Front with mirrored shaping), a back body, upper sleeves, and a generous fold-over collar that adds a cozy, elegant finishing touch. The collar is picked up around the right front edge, back neck, and left front edge, then worked in the stitch pattern for approximately 6 inches before being bound off loosely and folded so the wrong side faces outward, creating a soft, layered lapel effect.

Construction Techniques

• Worked Flat: The garment pieces are knitted flat, meaning back and forth in rows rather than in the round, which is ideal for beginners comfortable with basic knit and purl stitches.
• Seamless Elements: While the main body pieces are worked flat, the construction incorporates seamless techniques to minimize finishing work and create a polished result.
• Top-Down Approach: The pattern employs a top-down construction method, allowing knitters to try on the garment as they go and adjust length as needed before committing to a bind-off.
• Shaping: The fronts are shaped with side-edge decreases worked every 6th row and then corresponding increases every 6th row to create a tailored, fitted silhouette that mirrors the back piece.
• Collar Pick-Up: The collar is constructed by picking up stitches along the front edges and back neck using a long circular needle, a fundamental garment-finishing skill that this pattern helps beginners practice.
• Seaming: Shoulder and upper sleeve seams are sewn together before the collar is picked up, introducing basic seaming as part of the finishing process.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

• Textured Stitch Pattern: The body and collar are worked in a repeating stitch pattern that runs over a 12-row sequence. The pattern repeat is a multiple of 8 stitches plus 4, creating a rhythmic, easy-to-memorize texture.
• Yarn Overs (yo): The stitch pattern incorporates yarn overs, which create subtle decorative eyelets and add a delicate, lacy quality to the fabric without requiring advanced lace knitting skills.
• Knit and Purl Combinations: The collar set-up rows use combinations such as k1, p2, k1 ribbing and structured knit-purl sequences, lending structure and elasticity to the neckline.
• Loose Bind-Off: A loose bind-off is specified for the collar to ensure the finished edge remains flexible and drapes beautifully when folded over.

Materials – Yarn and Needles

The pattern is designed specifically for Valley Yarns Stockbridge, a worsted weight yarn with a luxurious fiber blend of 50% Superfine Alpaca and 50% Wool, sold in 50g skeins with approximately 109 yards per skein. The alpaca content gives the finished fabric a soft, lightweight drape and a subtle halo, while the wool provides structure, stitch definition, and durability. Depending on the size being knitted, the pattern calls for 11 (12, 13, 14, 15) skeins