Sweater and Cardigan in Stylecraft Impressions - 10008 - Downloadable PDF

Stylecraft Impressions Sweater and Cardigan – Pattern 10008 – Knitting Pattern Summary

Pattern 10008 from Stylecraft is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern featuring two classic Aran-weight designs: a pullover sweater and a button-front cardigan. Both garments are rated as easy, making this an ideal choice for beginner and confident beginner knitters who want to build their skills while creating wearable, stylish knitwear. The pattern includes a generous size range, fitting bust measurements from 81–86 cm (32–34 in) up to 122–127 cm (48–50 in), with actual finished measurements spanning approximately 99 cm to 141 cm, ensuring a comfortable, relaxed fit across all sizes.

Yarn and Materials

Both designs are worked in Stylecraft Impressions, a 100g Aran-weight yarn that gives these garments their characteristic warmth and stitch definition. The sweater is shown in Water Lillies (shade 5404), while the cardigan is knitted in Boating Lake (shade 5405), both of which are colourways from the Stylecraft Impressions range.

• Sweater yarn requirement: 6 to 9 x 100g balls of Stylecraft Impressions, depending on size
• Cardigan yarn requirement: 5 to 8 x 100g balls of Stylecraft Impressions, depending on size
• Needles required: 1 pair 4.5mm (UK 7 / USA 7) knitting needles and 1 pair 3.75mm (UK 9 / USA 5) knitting needles
• Notions: Stitch holders; 5 buttons (2cm / ¾in) for the cardigan

What Is Being Made

Design 1 – The Sweater

The first design is a classic pullover sweater with set-in or straight sleeves and a ribbed hem and cuff finish. The sweater is constructed in separate pieces — back, front, and sleeves — which are then seamed together. The back features an interesting construction detail where the lower section is worked in two separate side pieces (a left side and a right side), each beginning with a ribbed welt, before being joined on a single needle row with shaping decreases to create the main body fabric. This joining technique reduces the stitch count from the combined rib sections down to the correct number for the body, giving the finished garment a neat, shaped silhouette.

The full length of the sweater ranges from 62 cm to 73 cm (approximately 24½ in to 28¾ in), and sleeve lengths range from 43 cm to 47 cm (17 in to 18½ in), with longer sleeves allocated to larger sizes for proportional fit.

Design 2 – The Cardigan

The second design is a button-front cardigan, also worked in Stylecraft Impressions Aran in the shade Boating Lake (5405). Like the sweater, it is designed to be accessible for beginner knitters while producing a polished, finished garment. The cardigan fastens with 5 buttons and shares the same size range and general construction approach as the sweater. It is a versatile layering piece suited to everyday wear.

Techniques Used

Both garments make use of a selection of fundamental and slightly intermediate knitting techniques, all of which are well within reach of a beginner knitter working through this pattern:

• Thumb method cast-on – specified explicitly in the pattern for casting on stitches, this method creates a neat, elastic edge well-suited to ribbed welts
• Ribbing – the welts and cuffs are worked in a k3, p3 rib pattern, which creates a stretchy, textured border that helps garments retain their shape at the edges
• Joining separate knitted pieces mid-row – the back of the sweater uses a distinctive technique where the left and right lower sections, each worked separately on stitch holders, are