Downey Cardigan - Knitting Pattern for Women in Tahki Yarns Superwash Merino Worsted Twist by Tahki Yarns - Downloadable PDF

Downey Cardigan Knitting Pattern by Shaina Bilow – A Detailed Summary

The Downey Cardigan is a beautifully structured women's knitting pattern designed by Shaina Bilow and published by Tahki Yarns. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern produces a classic, cable-accented cardigan with a polished, buttoned front closure. It is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping and are ready to explore more textural, architectural stitch work such as cables.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a women's button-front cardigan worked in a traditional, structured silhouette. The finished garment features a generous, relaxed fit with 7–9 inches (18–23 cm) of positive ease, meaning it is intentionally designed to be worn loosely and comfortably over the body. The cardigan is available in a wide range of sizes to suit many body types:

• Sizes: XS, Small, Medium, Large, XL, 2XL, and 3XL
• Bust measurements (buttoned): 36¾ (40½, 44½, 48, 52¾, 56½, 60½) inches / 93.5 (102.5, 113, 123, 134, 143, 153.5) cm
• Length: 23 (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29) inches / 58.5 (61, 63.5, 66, 68.5, 71, 73.5) cm

The finished cardigan is fastened with five buttons, each 1 inch (25 mm) in diameter, giving it a neat, classic appearance suitable for everyday wear or more polished occasions.

Techniques Used

The Downey Cardigan is worked flat, meaning the pieces are knitted back and forth in rows rather than in the round, and are then seamed together. This is a traditional construction method that gives the knitter clear, manageable sections to work on one at a time. Key techniques in this pattern include:

• Cables: The defining decorative feature of this cardigan. Cable knitting involves crossing groups of stitches over one another using a cable needle, creating twisted, rope-like or braided textures that stand out in relief against the background fabric. Cables add both visual interest and a slight structural density to the fabric.
• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted in rows, making this accessible to knitters who prefer straight or short circular needles over fully in-the-round construction.
• Buttonband: A dedicated button band is worked using a long circular needle, a common technique for creating the neat, stable front edges that carry the buttons and buttonholes on a cardigan.
• Shaping: As an intermediate pattern, the Downey Cardigan includes garment shaping for a well-fitted result across its full size range.

Stitches Used

The pattern incorporates two primary stitch patterns, each with its own gauge:

• Stockinette stitch: The foundational knit-on-right-side, purl-on-wrong-side stitch that creates a smooth, classic fabric. Gauge in Stockinette is 18 stitches and 26 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) on the larger needles.
• Cable stitch: The textural highlight of the design. The cable pattern has a denser gauge of 26 stitches and 26 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) on the larger needles, which is typical of cables — they pull in the fabric horizontally, requiring more stitches per inch than plain Stockinette. Understanding this difference in gauge is important for achieving the correct fit.

Materials Required

The pattern is specifically designed for Tahki Yarns Superwash Merino Worsted Twist, a 100% superwash merino wool yarn. This yarn is practical as well as luxurious — the superwash treatment means the finished cardigan can be machine washed without felting or shrinking, while the merino fiber provides exceptional softness against the skin, warmth, and excellent stitch definition that makes the cable pattern truly shine.