Autumnal Cardigan

Autumnal Cardigan by Hannah Fettig

What is Being Made

The Autumnal Cardigan is a wide-collared cardigan designed as a versatile weekend cover-up. This knitted garment features a classic cardigan construction with a distinctive collar that folds open, making it an ideal layering piece for transitional seasons.

Construction Method

The cardigan is knit flat rather than in the round, allowing for a structured construction. The body and fronts are worked separately on smaller needles, while the collar is worked on larger needles to facilitate the desired fold and drape. Sleeves are seamed separately and then joined to the body to complete the yoke, creating a traditional set-in sleeve construction.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Flat knitting: The body is worked back and forth on needles rather than in continuous rounds
• Ribbed edging: A k1, p1 (knit one, purl one) rib creates the bottom edge, providing elasticity and a finished appearance
• Armhole shaping: Strategic bind-offs create the armhole openings, with multiple decreases worked across rows
• Decrease shaping: Slip-stitch decreases (ssk) are used to shape the fronts and create fitted lines
• Seaming: Sleeves are seamed and then attached to the body, requiring finishing work
• Collar construction: The collar is worked in two stages using different needle sizes to control the fabric behavior

Stitches Featured

• Knit stitch (K): The primary stitch creating the fabric base
• Purl stitch (P): Used in ribbing and shaping rows
• Ribbing (k1, p1): Alternating knit and purl stitches creating vertical texture and stretch
• Slip-slip-knit decrease (ssk): A left-leaning decrease used for shaping
• Bind-off (BO): Used to cast off stitches at armholes and edges

Materials and Specifications

This cardigan is worked in DK weight yarn, a medium-weight yarn that provides good stitch definition while remaining lightweight enough for layering. The pattern uses two needle sizes—smaller needles for the body and sleeves to create a more fitted fabric, and larger needles for the collar to allow it to fold open gracefully. Multiple size options are provided, with stitch counts ranging from 166 to 302 stitches at the cast-on, accommodating various finished measurements.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, this cardigan requires knitters to be comfortable with flat knitting, shaping techniques including decreases and bind-offs, seaming, and managing multiple needle sizes. The construction method of working separate pieces and joining them is a fundamental skill for garment knitting at this level.

Designer and Credits

This pattern was designed by Hannah Fettigknitbot. The pattern includes illustration by Neesha Hudson, photography by Carrie Bostick Hoge, technical editing by Tana Pageler, and design assistance by M J Gumayagay. The pattern was published in March 2014.