Fairytale Cardigan in West Yorkshire Spinners Bo Peep 4 Ply - DBP0017 - Downloadable PDF

Fairytale Cardigan in West Yorkshire Spinners Bo Peep 4 Ply – Pattern Summary

The Fairytale Cardigan is a beautifully crafted knitted cardigan designed by Sarah Hatton, available as a free downloadable PDF. This intermediate-level knitting pattern is worked in West Yorkshire Spinners Bo Peep 4 Ply yarn, making it a wonderfully delicate and refined project for knitters who are comfortable with shaping techniques and reading multi-size patterns. The design carries a whimsical, storybook quality that makes it a standout addition to any handknitted wardrobe.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a knitted cardigan — a classic, wearable garment designed to be worked in multiple sizes. Instructions are given for the first size, with larger sizes provided in brackets throughout the pattern, making it accessible across a range of fits. The Fairytale Cardigan is a project that rewards careful attention to tension and finishing, resulting in a polished, professional-looking garment.

Yarn and Materials

The specified yarn for this pattern is West Yorkshire Spinners Bo Peep 4 Ply, a lightweight yarn in the 4 ply weight category. Bo Peep 4 Ply is a yarn well regarded for its softness and suitability for delicate garments, making it an excellent choice for a cardigan with fine stitch definition and a lightweight drape. Knitters should select knitting needles appropriate to the stated tension, adjusting needle size up or down as needed — a larger needle if the tension is too tight, and a smaller needle if the tension is too loose.

Tension and Sizing

The pattern places strong emphasis on achieving the correct tension before beginning the full garment. Knitters are advised to work a tension square first and compare it carefully to the stated tension in the pattern. This is especially important when working with 4 ply yarn, where even small variations in tension can significantly affect the finished dimensions of the cardigan. Checking tension is a fundamental step for intermediate knitters working on fitted garments.

Techniques Used

• Multi-size construction — the pattern is written for multiple sizes simultaneously, with the first size given first and larger sizes in brackets
• Shaping — the pattern includes decreasing techniques, referenced through abbreviations such as dec (decrease) and psso (pass slipped stitch over), which are commonly used for armhole, neckline, and sleeve shaping
• Marker placement — the use of pm (place marker) indicates structured shaping or pattern repeat positioning within the knitting
• Pattern repeats — the abbreviation patt and bracketed repeat instructions suggest the cardigan incorporates a stitch pattern that is worked in repeating sections
• Tension square knitting — an essential preparatory technique before beginning the garment
• Garter stitch — referenced via the abbreviation g st, garter stitch (knitting every row) is likely used for borders, bands, or edging details, providing a neat, non-curling finish

Stitches Used

• Garter stitch (g st) — all rows knitted, commonly used for edgings and borders
• Purl (P) — used as part of the main fabric construction, indicating a stocking stitch or textured stitch pattern is likely present
• Slip stitch decreases (psso) — pass slipped stitch over, a technique used to create neat, directional decreases during shaping
• Pattern stitches (patt) — the pattern references a repeating stitch pattern, consistent with the decorative, fairytale-inspired aesthetic of the design

Skill Level and Suitability

This pattern is rated as intermediate in difficulty. It is best suited to knitters who are already comfortable with reading multi-size patterns, working shaping decreases, and managing stitch patterns alongside construction. Knitters who have completed basic garments such as simple sweaters or scarves and are ready to progress to more structured, shaped knitwear will find the Fairytale Cardigan a rewarding