Kanti Cardigan in Berroco Vintage Sock - Downloadable PDF

Kanti Cardigan in Berroco Vintage Sock – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Kanti Cardigan is a beautifully crafted knitted cardigan designed by Alison Green and published by Berroco. Available as a downloadable PDF, this intermediate-level pattern offers an elegant garment that combines classic construction with delicate lace detailing. With a wide range of sizes spanning bust measurements from 35½" to 71½" (90–181.5 cm) and a recommended positive ease of 2–4 inches, the Kanti Cardigan is designed to flatter a broad spectrum of body types. The finished length ranges from 19" to 23½" depending on size, making it a versatile layering piece suitable for a variety of occasions.

Garment Design and Construction

The Kanti Cardigan is a button-front cardigan featuring a thoughtfully structured construction method. The body is worked in one piece from the bottom up to the underarms, at which point the work is divided for the back and two fronts. This seamless lower body construction reduces finishing work and creates a smooth, uninterrupted fabric through the torso.

The sleeves are worked in the round for the first 12 inches / 30.5 cm, then transitioned to working back and forth in rows for the raglan sleeve caps. The raglan shaping is a classic technique that distributes increases and decreases across both the sleeve cap and the body yoke, creating a smooth diagonal seam line from the underarm to the neckline. Once complete, the sleeves are sewn to the body during finishing, giving the knitter precise control over the final fit and assembly.

The pattern calls for six 5/8" / 15 mm buttons, which serve as both functional closures and a design detail along the front band.

Techniques Used

• Seamless one-piece body construction worked flat on a circular needle to the underarms
• Knitting in the round for the sleeve body, using double-pointed needles or preferred small-circumference methods
• Raglan shaping worked back and forth in rows for the sleeve caps
• Lace patterning worked from charts, adding decorative openwork texture to the design
• Seaming to attach sleeves to the body during finishing
• Blocking, which is essential for this pattern as gauge is measured after blocking
• Use of stitch markers and waste yarn for holding stitches at underarms

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st) – the primary fabric stitch used throughout the body and sleeves
• Lace patterns – worked from charts and forming decorative sections of the cardigan; the lace gauge is 23 stitches and 32 rows to 4 inches, slightly different from the stockinette gauge, underscoring the importance of checking both
• Ribbing or edging stitches – implied by the use of smaller needles for finishing details and bands

Yarn and Materials

The Kanti Cardigan is knitted in Berroco Vintage Sock, a 4-ply / fingering weight yarn sold in 100-gram skeins. The sample shown in the pattern is worked in colorway #12077 Guava. Depending on size, the pattern requires between 3 and 6 balls of yarn, making it a relatively economical project even at larger sizes.

Two needle sizes are required: size 3 / 3.25 mm and size 4 / 3.5 mm, both in 32-inch / 80 cm circular needles as well as double-pointed needles (or an equivalent preferred method for small circumferences in the round). The larger needles are used for the main fabric, while the smaller needles are used for ribbing, bands, or other finishing elements. The recommended gauge on the larger needles is 26