500 Pacifica Cardigan - Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Buckland

500 Pacifica Cardigan – Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Buckland

The 500 Pacifica Cardigan, designed by Kirsten Hipsky, is a women's knitted cardigan worked seamlessly from the bottom up. Inspired by coastal imagery — golden suns above teal waves — this design combines two complementary colorways to create a wearable, relaxed cardigan with raglan sleeves. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated advanced beginner, making it an excellent next step for knitters who have mastered basic techniques and are ready to explore seamless construction and simple shaping.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a women's seamless, bottom-up raglan cardigan with long sleeves and a button band closure. Finished chest measurements range from 32 to 52 inches across six sizes (32, 36, 40, 44, 48, and 52 inches), offering a wide range of fits. The cardigan features a textured lower body and sleeve cuffs, a classic stockinette upper body and sleeves, and a contrasting color accent worked in Goldenrod (Color B) against the primary Pacific Teal (Color A). Three buttons fasten the front opening, giving the garment a clean, polished finish.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is written specifically for Valley Yarns Buckland, a luxurious aran-weight yarn with a fiber composition of 60% Fine Superwash Merino, 20% Mulberry Silk, and 20% Polyamide, sold in 50g skeins with approximately 109 yards per skein. The superwash merino provides softness and easy care, the mulberry silk adds a subtle sheen and drape, and the polyamide contributes durability and stitch definition — a well-balanced blend for a garment meant to be worn and washed regularly.

• Color A – Pacific Teal: 9 (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) skeins, used for the main body, sleeves, and the majority of the cardigan
• Color B – Goldenrod: 1 skein, used as a contrasting accent color

Additional materials required include US size 8 (5.0mm) circular needles and double pointed needles (or the size needed to achieve gauge), 4 stitch markers, stitch holders, and 3 buttons for the front band closure.

Gauge

The pattern calls for a gauge of 18 stitches and 24 rows per 4 inches in Stockinette Stitch. As with all fitted garments, achieving the correct gauge is essential to ensuring the finished cardigan matches the intended measurements. Knitters should work a swatch and adjust needle size as needed before beginning.

Construction Method

The Pacifica Cardigan is constructed bottom-up and seamlessly, meaning the lower body and sleeves are worked separately and then joined to be worked together in one piece through the raglan yoke. This method eliminates the need for seaming and creates smooth, continuous fabric throughout the garment. The body is worked flat in rows (to accommodate the open front of the cardigan), while the sleeves are worked in the round using circular or double pointed needles.

• The lower body begins with a cast-on that sets up the right front, back, and left front sections separated by stitch markers, for a total of 140 (160, 176, 196, 212, 232) stitches across all sizes.
• The body is worked to approximately 16 inches from the cast-on edge (or desired length to underarms) before being set aside while the sleeves are completed.
• Each sleeve is cast on separately and worked in the round, beginning with a textured cuff section and then transitioning to Stockinette Stitch with regular increase rounds to shape the sleeve from cuff to underarm. Sleeves are worked to approximately 18 inches from the cast-on edge.
• After both sleeves and the body are complete, all pieces are joined for seamless raglan yoke construction.

Techniques Used

• Seamless, bottom-up construction: Body and sleeves are worked separately and then joined