Aran Cardigan Sweater in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool

Aran Cardigan Sweater in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool – Free Knitting Pattern Summary

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Lion Brand Yarn produces a classic Aran-style cardigan sweater worked in the beloved Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool (Art. No. 150). Rich with traditional cable and twist stitches, this garment is a timeless project for intermediate to advanced knitters who want to create a substantial, heirloom-quality piece. The finished cardigan features a structured body, set-in or shaped armholes, and a button-front opening secured with six buttons.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a button-front Aran cardigan sweater with a full fisherman stitch pattern across the body and sleeves. It is sized for Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large, with finished bust and chest measurements of 41 (45, 49, 53) inches. The cardigan is knitted in separate pieces — back, two fronts, and sleeves — and then assembled. A circular needle is used to pick up and work the button and buttonhole bands, giving the front edges a neat, professional finish.

Materials Used

• Yarn: Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool, Art. No. 150, in 8 oz. skeins — 5 (5, 6, 6) skeins required depending on size. This is a classic, worsted-weight, 100% pure wool yarn known for its durability, warmth, and ability to showcase textured stitch patterns with exceptional clarity.
• Needles: One pair of straight knitting needles in size 6 U.S. (4.25 mm) and one pair in size 8 U.S. (5.00 mm), or the size needed to obtain gauge. A 29-inch circular needle in size 6 is also required for working the front bands.
• Additional Notions: A cable needle for executing the cable stitches, stitch holders for managing live stitches during shaping, and six buttons measuring 3/4 inch in diameter for the front closure.

Gauge

Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper sizing. The pattern calls for 25 stitches and 26 rows to equal 4 inches in the fisherman pattern using size 8 needles. Knitters are strongly encouraged to swatch and adjust needle size as needed before beginning the project.

Techniques Used

• Cable knitting — the defining technique of Aran knitting, in which groups of stitches are crossed over one another using a cable needle to create rope-like twisted columns. This pattern uses both a 6-stitch cable (C-6) and a more complex 12-stitch cable (C-12).
• Twist stitches — a simpler form of crossing stitches that does not require a cable needle. The Twist 2 (T-2) stitch is worked differently on right-side and wrong-side rows, adding a subtle braided texture between the larger cable panels.
• Ribbing — a 2x2 rib is worked at the cast-on edge of the back and fronts to create a firm, elastic border before transitioning into the main fisherman pattern.
• SSK decrease (slip, slip, knit) — a left-leaning decrease used for shaping, worked by slipping two stitches individually and then knitting them together through the back loops.
• Picking up stitches along the front edges using the circular needle to work the button bands in a consistent, flat manner.
• Seaming — the finished pieces are sewn together to complete the cardigan, requiring basic garment assembly skills.

Stitches Used

• C-6 (Cable 6): An 8-row repeat cable worked over 6 stitches. On Row 3, the first 3 stitches are slipped to a cable needle and held to the front, the next 3 stitches are knitted, and then the held stitches are knitted off the cable needle. This creates a left-leaning cable cross that repeats every 8 rows.