Saga Cardigan in Rowan Tetra Cotton - Downloadable PDF

Saga Cardigan by Sarah Hatton – Rowan Tetra Cotton Pattern Summary

The Saga Cardigan is a beautifully crafted design by Sarah Hatton, published as a Rowan online exclusive downloadable PDF pattern. Rated intermediate in difficulty, this pattern is a distinctive hybrid project that combines both knitting and crochet techniques to create a single, cohesive garment. The result is a stylish cardigan with a structured knitted upper body and a flowing crocheted skirt section, making it a rewarding and versatile project for crafters who enjoy working across both disciplines.

Garment Overview

The Saga Cardigan is designed to fit a range of bust sizes, from approximately 81–86 cm up to 122–127 cm (32–34 in to 48–50 in), offered across five sizes: S, M, L, XL, and XXL. This inclusive sizing makes it suitable for a wide variety of figures. The garment features a classic cardigan silhouette with a shaped neckline and a distinctive decorative skirt section that adds movement and visual interest to the lower portion of the piece.

Construction and Techniques

Knitted Upper Section

The upper body of the Saga Cardigan is worked using traditional knitting techniques. Construction involves standard garment shaping methods, including:

• Neck shaping: Each side of the neck is worked separately, with decreases of 1 stitch at the neck edge over the next 3 rows, creating a neat and tailored neckline finish.
• Shoulder shaping: Stitches are cast off at the beginning of rows to shape the shoulders, with the exact number varying by size (for example, casting off 6 to 10 stitches at the beginning of a row depending on the size being worked).
• Symmetrical shaping: After completing one side of the neck, the centre stitches (ranging from 35 to 39 stitches depending on size) are cast off, and the second side is worked to match the first with shapings reversed — a standard and satisfying technique for achieving a balanced neckline.

Crocheted Skirt Section

One of the most distinctive features of the Saga Cardigan is its crocheted skirt section, which is attached to and worked from the cast-on edge of the knitted upper section. This clever combination of crafts gives the cardigan its unique character. Key details of the crochet construction include:

• The skirt section begins at the base of the right side seam, with the wrong side facing, using a 4.50mm crochet hook.
• A foundation chain of 15 stitches is made to begin the skirt, establishing the length of the crocheted extension.
• Double crochet (dc) stitches are worked evenly across the cast-on edge of the upper knitted section — approximately one double crochet for each cast-on stitch, with a small number of stitches missed evenly across to ensure a smooth join. The total number of double crochet stitches varies by size, ranging from 97 to 151 dc.
• An additional chain of 18 stitches is made at the end of this row before turning, further establishing the skirt foundation.
• Treble crochet (tr) stitches are introduced in subsequent rows, beginning with 2 treble crochets worked into the 4th chain from the hook, which is a classic method for creating height and drape in crochet fabric.

This combination of double crochet and treble crochet stitches gives the skirt section both structure and a lovely flowing quality, complementing the more tailored knitted bodice above.

Stitches Used

• Knitting: Standard knit and purl stitches for the upper body; cast-on and cast-off techniques; decrease stitches for neck and shoulder shaping.
• Crochet: Chain stitch (ch), double crochet (dc), and treble crochet (tr) for the skirt section.

Materials

Yarn