Jonquil Cardigan in Berroco Modern Cotton - Downloadable PDF

Jonquil Cardigan in Berroco Modern Cotton – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Jonquil Cardigan, designed by Alison Green and published by Berroco, is a charming children's knitted cardigan worked in Berroco Modern Cotton yarn. This intermediate-level knitting pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is part of Berroco Booklet #374, Love Berroco. The design features a classic button-front cardigan silhouette with thoughtful textural detailing, making it a wonderful project for knitters who are comfortable with basic stitch patterns and are ready to explore combining textures in a structured garment.

What Is Being Made

The Jonquil Cardigan is a children's button-front cardigan worked in five sizes to fit children's sizes 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. The finished chest measurement ranges from 25 to 33 inches (closed), with a length ranging from 12 to 16 inches depending on the size. The pattern is designed with approximately 2 to 4 inches of ease, giving the finished garment a comfortable, relaxed fit. The cardigan features three ½-inch buttons for closure, adding a sweet, classic finishing touch appropriate for children's knitwear.

Techniques Used

• Gauge swatching: The pattern strongly emphasizes checking gauge before beginning, as achieving the correct stitch and row count is essential for proper sizing across the five available sizes.
• Ribbing: The lower edges of the garment begin with a 1½-inch twisted rib worked on smaller needles, creating a neat, elastic border that helps the cardigan maintain its shape over time.
• Needle sizing transitions: Knitters switch from smaller to larger needles after completing the ribbing section, a common technique used to achieve a clean transition between the border and the body fabric.
• Stitch marker placement: The pattern calls for the use of two stitch markers to help knitters track the placement of the chart panel within the overall stitch layout, keeping the textured panel properly centered or positioned as directed.
• Chart reading: A stitch chart is incorporated into the body of the cardigan, requiring knitters to follow a visual grid alongside written row-by-row instructions. This is a key intermediate skill that adds visual interest to the garment.
• Shaping and decreasing: A decrease is worked at the end of the final ribbing row to transition smoothly into the body stitch count, a subtle but important shaping technique used throughout structured garment construction.
• Button band construction: As a button-front cardigan, the Jonquil includes front bands finished with three buttons, requiring knitters to work neat, even edges suitable for buttoning.

Stitches Used

Twisted Rib

The lower border is worked in a twisted rib stitch, where knit stitches are worked through the back loop (k1TBL) on right-side rows and purl stitches are worked through the back loop (p1TBL) on wrong-side rows. This technique creates a crisper, more defined rib than standard ribbing, giving the border a polished, slightly more structured appearance.

Moss Stitch

Moss stitch (also sometimes called seed stitch in certain variations) forms the primary body fabric of the Jonquil Cardigan. Worked over an odd number of stitches, it is a four-row repeat that alternates knit and purl stitches in a shifting pattern, creating a dense, textured fabric with excellent drape and body. Moss stitch lies flat without curling, making it an ideal choice for a children's cardigan where clean edges and a stable fabric are desirable. The repeat is as follows:

• Row 1 (RS): K1, *p1, k1; repeat from * across.
• Rows 2 and 3: P1, *k1, p1; repeat from * across.
• Row 4: Repeat Row 1.

Chart Pattern

In addition to moss stitch, the body of