" Ora " - Cardigan Knitting Pattern For Women in Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran by Debbie Bliss

Ora Cardigan Knitting Pattern by Debbie Bliss – Detailed Pattern Summary

The Ora Cardigan is a women's knitting pattern designed by Debbie Bliss, worked in her signature Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran yarn. This is a classic, wearable cardigan featuring a rich two-colour design that takes full advantage of the rustic, tweedy texture of the yarn. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated as intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping and are ready to explore more structured garment construction.

What Is Being Made

The Ora Cardigan is a women's fitted cardigan designed to be knitted in two contrasting colourways of Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran. It is a full-length-sleeved cardigan with set-in or structured seaming, offering a polished, tailored silhouette. The design is sized to fit a wide range of bust measurements, making it accessible to many knitters.

• To fit bust: 81–86, 92–97, 102–107, 112–117, and 122–127 cm (32–34, 36–38, 40–42, 44–46, and 48–50 in)
• Finished bust measurement: 96, 107, 118, 129, and 140 cm (37¾, 42, 46½, 50¾, and 55 in)
• Length to shoulder: 56, 59, 62, 65, and 68 cm (22, 23¼, 24½, 25½, and 26¾ in)
• Sleeve length: 46 cm / 18 in (consistent across all sizes)

Construction Techniques

The Ora Cardigan is constructed using a bottom-up, worked flat, seamed approach. This is a traditional method of garment knitting that many intermediate knitters will find familiar and rewarding.

• Bottom-up construction means the garment pieces begin at the lower hem and are worked upward toward the shoulders, allowing for straightforward length adjustments as you go.
• Worked flat means each piece — typically the back, left front, right front, and sleeves — is knitted back and forth in rows on straight needles rather than in the round. This gives the knitter clear right-side and wrong-side rows to follow.
• Seamed construction means the individual pieces are joined together after knitting using mattress stitch or a preferred seaming method. Seamed garments often have excellent structure and drape, and the seams themselves add stability to the finished cardigan.

Stitches Used

The pattern makes use of a defined stitch pattern that creates the textural surface of the cardigan, alongside standard knitting stitches for shaping and finishing.

• Stocking stitch (st st) – the foundation of the fabric, created by knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows, producing a smooth, classic knitted surface.
• Pattern stitch (patt) – a defined stitch repeat used across the body and sleeves that gives the Ora Cardigan its distinctive textured appearance, worked over the main fabric sections.
• Make one (m1) – an increase stitch worked by picking up and knitting into the back of the loop lying between the stitch just worked and the next stitch, used to shape the sleeves and body.
• Skpo (sl 1, k1, pass slipped stitch over) – a left-leaning decrease used in shaping sections such as armholes and necklines.
• Psso (pass slipped stitch over) – another decrease technique used in conjunction with slipped stitches for neat, directional shaping.

Materials Required

Yarn

The Ora Cardigan is specifically designed for Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran, an aran-weight yarn that brings beautiful flecked, tweedy character to the finished garment. The pattern calls for two colourways