Massine Cardigan in Berroco Mirelle - Downloadable PDF

Massine Cardigan Knitting Pattern by Berroco — Pattern Summary

The Massine Cardigan is a seamlessly constructed, top-down knitted cardigan designed by Alison Green and published by Berroco. Worked in Berroco Mirelle yarn, this intermediate-level pattern offers a relaxed, wearable silhouette with an overlapping front closure and a thoughtfully engineered construction that eliminates the need for seaming. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is sized to fit a wide range of bodies across ten sizes.

What Is Being Made

The Massine is a women's cardigan featuring overlapping front panels rather than a traditional buttoned closure. The finished bust measurement ranges from 32 to 68¼ inches (81.5–173.5 cm), with a recommended ease of 2–6 inches (5–15 cm) of positive ease. The sample shown is knitted in size 5 (48" / 122 cm) and modeled with approximately 2 inches of positive ease. Lengths range from approximately 24¼ to 28 inches (61.5–71 cm) depending on size, making this a hip-length layering piece suitable for a variety of body types and styling preferences.

Construction Method

One of the most distinctive features of the Massine Cardigan is its seamless, top-down construction. Rather than knitting separate pieces and seaming them together, the garment is built in one continuous process from the collar down to the hem, which allows knitters to try on the piece as they go and make fit adjustments in real time.

• Back collar extensions are worked first, establishing the neckline foundation.
• Stitches are then picked up along the upper back, and short-distance knitting with increases shapes the upper back panel.
• Additional stitches are picked up over the shoulders on both sides to form the shoulder area.
• Once both shoulder sections are complete, all sections are joined to work the yoke in the round, integrating the front and back seamlessly.
• The body and sleeves are subsequently worked downward from the yoke, maintaining the seamless structure throughout.

This top-down, seamless approach is a hallmark of modern knitting design and is particularly well-suited to intermediate knitters who are comfortable with picking up stitches, working increases, and transitioning between flat and circular knitting.

Techniques Used

Because of its construction method, the Massine Cardigan calls upon a range of knitting techniques that go beyond basic knit-and-purl. Knitters working this pattern should be comfortable with the following:

• Picking up and knitting stitches along selvedge and cast-on edges to build the shoulder and upper back sections
• Working flat (back and forth in rows) for initial collar and shoulder sections
• Joining and working in the round on a circular needle for the yoke and body
• Shaping with increases to form the yoke and sleeve cap areas
• Stitch marker placement and management — the pattern calls for 6 stitch markers to track key construction points
• Placing stitches on hold using waste yarn, a common technique for separating sleeve stitches from body stitches in top-down construction
• Working small circumferences for the sleeves, using double-pointed needles or an alternative preferred method

Stitches Used

The primary stitch used throughout the Massine Cardigan is Stockinette stitch (St st), which creates the smooth, classic fabric that defines the garment's clean aesthetic. The gauge is measured in Stockinette stitch after blocking. Additional texture or edging stitches may be present at the collar, cuffs, and hem, consistent with the design's refined finish, though the core fabric is Stockinette throughout.

Gauge

Achieving accurate gauge is especially important in a seamless, top-down garment like the Massine, where fit is built into the construction from the very first row