Helli Cardigan in Novita Hygge Wool - Downloadable PDF

Helli Cardigan in Novita Hygge Wool – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Helli Cardigan is a loose-fitting, top-down raglan cardigan designed by Sari Nordlund for Novita, worked in the super-chunky Novita Hygge Wool yarn. This downloadable PDF pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty and is available as a free download. The design is knitted flat and in the round using circular needles, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with raglan shaping, marker placement, and transitioning between flat and circular knitting.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a cosy, oversized cardigan with a classic raglan yoke construction. It is worked from the top down, beginning at the neckline and expanding outward through systematic raglan increases to shape the yoke before the body and sleeves are separated and worked independently. The cardigan features an open front with no button band described in the excerpt, and its generous, loose-fitting silhouette makes it ideal for layering in colder weather.

Finished dimensions vary by size and include:

• Body circumference: 100(108)116(124)132 cm / 39¼(42½)45¾(48¾)52 in
• Middle back length: 46(47)48(50)52 cm / 18(18½)19(19¾)20½ in
• Inner sleeve length: 44(45)46(46)47 cm / 17¼(17¾)18(18)18½ in

Sizes available are XS(S)M/L(XL)XXL, making the pattern accessible to a wide range of body types.

Construction Technique

The Helli Cardigan uses a top-down raglan construction, one of the most popular methods for seamless or near-seamless knitwear. This approach allows the knitter to try on the garment as they go and eliminates the need for sewing seams at the shoulders. The yoke is worked flat on a circular needle, with four raglan lines defined by stitch markers that separate the two front panels, the two sleeves, and the back.

Increases are worked on right-side rows using the kfb (knit front and back) method, which creates a visible, decorative increase stitch on either side of each raglan marker. This technique adds two stitches per raglan line on most increase rows, producing the characteristic diagonal lines that define raglan-style yokes. The pattern alternates right-side increase rows with wrong-side purl rows, building the yoke steadily and rhythmically.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stockinette stitch (flat): The yoke is worked in stockinette stitch flat — knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows. This creates the smooth, classic fabric associated with most raglan cardigans.
• kfb (knit front and back): The primary increase method used throughout the raglan shaping. Working into both the front and back loop of the same stitch creates a paired increase that adds one stitch per application.
• Stitch markers: Four markers are placed at the cast-on to define the raglan lines — right front raglan, right back raglan, left back raglan, and left front raglan — and are slipped on every row to maintain accurate shaping.
• Circular knitting / Magic Loop technique: Once the yoke is complete and the sleeves are separated from the body, the sleeves are worked in the round. The pattern references the Magic Loop technique as an alternative to double-pointed needles for working small circumferences.
• Casting on: The pattern begins with a straightforward long-tail or standard cast-on of 27(27)27(31)31 stitches at the neckline.

Materials

Yarn

The pattern calls for Novita Hygge Wool in colourway (024) Wheat. This is a super-chunky weight yarn, which contributes to the cardigan's cosy, voluminous appearance and allows it to knit up quickly. The quantity required