Flora Cardigan - Knitting Pattern For Women in Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 Ply

Flora Cardigan Knitting Pattern for Women – Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 Ply

The Flora Cardigan is a charming women's knitted cardigan pattern published by Debbie Bliss in 2019, worked in the lightweight and elegant Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 Ply yarn. This intermediate-level pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and produces a delicate, fitted cardigan with colorwork detailing, short sleeves, and a button-front opening — a versatile layering piece suitable for a range of occasions.

Garment Overview

The Flora Cardigan is designed to fit bust measurements ranging from 81 cm (32 in) to 112 cm (44 in), with finished bust measurements spanning 83 cm (32¾ in) to 117 cm (46 in), offering a gentle positive ease across all sizes. The length to shoulder ranges from 44 cm (17¼ in) to 50 cm (19¾ in) depending on size, and the sleeve seam is a consistent 5 cm (2 in) across all sizes, giving the garment a short, elegant sleeve silhouette.

Materials Required

• Main yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 Ply in White 01 (M) — 4 to 6 × 50g balls depending on size
• Contrast yarn A: Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 Ply in Bright Pink 59 — 1 × 50g ball
• Contrast yarn B: Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 Ply in Blush 34 — 1 × 50g ball
• Contrast yarn C: Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 Ply in Jade 50 — 1 × 50g ball
• Needles: A pair of 3 mm (US 2–3) knitting needles and a pair of 3.25 mm (US 3) knitting needles
• Circular needles: 3.25 mm (US 3) circular needles (used for picking up and working border stitches)
• Buttons: 7 buttons for the front opening

Yarn Details

Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 Ply is a premium merino wool yarn known for its softness, stitch definition, and beautiful drape — qualities that make it particularly well suited to colorwork and garments worn close to the skin. The 4 ply weight produces a fine, lightweight fabric that is ideal for a cardigan intended as a refined layering piece. The palette chosen for the Flora Cardigan — crisp White as the main color complemented by Bright Pink, Blush, and Jade — creates a fresh, floral aesthetic in keeping with the garment's name.

Techniques Used

• Worked flat: The cardigan pieces are knitted flat (back and forth in rows) on straight needles, meaning the pattern is written in the traditional row-by-row format rather than in the round.
• Stranded colorwork: The Flora Cardigan features stranded knitting, a technique in which two or more yarn colors are carried across a row, with the non-working yarn floated or woven along the wrong side of the fabric. This technique creates the multicolor floral or decorative motifs that give the cardigan its distinctive character.
• Seamed construction: Individual pieces — including the back, fronts, and sleeves — are knitted separately and then joined using seaming techniques. This traditional construction method provides structure and a neat, professional finish to the finished garment.

Stitches and Abbreviations Used

The pattern makes use of a range of standard knitting stitches and techniques, including:

• Stocking stitch (