Championship Cardigan - Free Knitting Pattern For Women in Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Aran

Championship Cardigan – Free Knitting Pattern for Women in Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Aran

The Championship Cardigan is a classic women's knitted cardigan worked in Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Aran. This intermediate-level pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF and produces a beautifully structured, seamed cardigan with a sporty, collegiate feel. The design is offered in six sizes to fit bust measurements from 81 cm (32 in) up to 107 cm (42 in), with actual finished measurements ranging from 90 cm to 115 cm, making it suitable for a wide range of body types with a comfortable, slightly relaxed fit.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a full-length women's cardigan with set-in or structured sleeves. The finished length from shoulder ranges from 69 cm to 74 cm depending on size, and the sleeve seam measures between 46 cm and 48 cm, making this a long-sleeved, substantial piece ideal for cooler weather. The cardigan features button fastenings, requiring 8 buttons of 2 cm (¾ in) diameter. The design uses a three-colour combination: a main colour of Champagne White (colour A), with accent colours Red Wine (colour B) and Racing Green (colour C), giving it a classic, vintage-inspired championship aesthetic.

Construction Techniques

The Championship Cardigan is constructed using a bottom-up, worked flat, seamed method. This means each piece — the back, the two fronts, and the sleeves — is knitted separately from the cast-on edge upward, then sewn together using seaming techniques to create the finished garment. This traditional construction approach gives the cardigan excellent structure and shape retention, and is well suited to intermediate knitters who are comfortable working flat pieces and finishing seams neatly.

• Bottom-up construction: All pieces begin at the lower hem and are worked upward toward the shoulders, allowing easy length adjustments if desired.
• Worked flat: Knitting is worked back and forth in rows on straight needles rather than in the round, producing right-side and wrong-side rows throughout.
• Seamed finishing: The individual pieces are joined together after knitting, which is a hallmark of traditional garment construction and contributes to a clean, professional finish.
• Buttonholes: The pattern includes worked buttonholes along one of the front bands to accommodate the 8 buttons, requiring the knitter to be comfortable with creating neat, even buttonhole openings.
• Buttons: Eight 2 cm (¾ in) diameter buttons are required to complete the cardigan's front closure.

Stitches Used

The pattern is written using UK knitting terminology, with US equivalents provided in italics in round brackets throughout. Core stitches and techniques referenced in the abbreviations include:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) – the foundational stitches used throughout the pattern to create the stitch pattern texture.
• Yarn round needle (yrn) – used to create yarn-over increases, most likely employed in the buttonhole construction.
• Decrease stitches (dec / tog) – used for shaping at armholes, necklines, and sleeve caps to achieve a well-fitted silhouette.
• Increase stitches (inc) – used for sleeve shaping as the sleeve tapers from cuff to underarm.
• Pattern (patt) – the design features a repeating stitch pattern that forms the main fabric of the cardigan, worked over the body and sleeves.
• Alternate (alt) rows – shaping is worked on alternate rows in places, a common technique for gradual, smooth increases and decreases.

Materials Required

The yarn specified is Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Aran, a 100g ball weight yarn worked at aran weight. The quantities required are:

• 7 [8: 8: 9: 9: 9] × 100g balls of colour A – Champagne White
• 1 × 100g ball