Panthera Yoke Cardigan - Free Knitting Pattern For Women in Paintbox Yarns

Panthera Yoke Cardigan – Free DK Knitting Pattern for Women by Paintbox Yarns

The Panthera Yoke Cardigan is a sophisticated, fashion-forward women's cardigan featuring a striking stranded colourwork yoke. Designed by Paintbox Yarns and available as a free downloadable PDF, this pattern delivers a beautifully structured, seamed garment with a decorative yoke panel, set-in or yoke-style shaping, and a neat button band. It is rated intermediate to advanced in difficulty, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with colourwork and are ready to take their skills further.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a women's yoke cardigan — a classic, long-sleeved, button-front garment worked in a main colour with contrasting colourwork detailing concentrated at the yoke. The cardigan is designed to fit bust sizes ranging from 81 cm (32 in) to 117 cm (46 in), with actual finished measurements spanning 88 cm to 126 cm across eight sizes. The finished back length below the neckband ranges from 49 cm to 56 cm, and sleeve length from 46 cm to 48 cm, making this a true full-length, wearable cardigan suitable for everyday wear or special occasions.

The design uses a three-colour palette: a dominant main colour body, a secondary contrast colour for the colourwork motif, and a metallic accent yarn that adds a subtle shimmer to the yoke panel — a distinctive design detail that elevates the Panthera Yoke Cardigan beyond a standard stranded colourwork project.

Materials Required

Yarn

• Paintbox Yarns Simply DK in Stormy Grey (MC) — 4 to 7 × 100g balls depending on size
• Paintbox Yarns Simply DK in Granite Grey (A) — 1 to 2 × 100g balls depending on size
• Paintbox Yarns Metallics DK in Pina Colada (B) — 1 × ball across all sizes

The combination of Paintbox Yarns Simply DK — a smooth, consistent DK-weight yarn — with the Paintbox Yarns Metallics DK creates a beautiful textural and visual contrast. The metallic yarn introduces a warm, golden shimmer to the yoke colourwork, giving the cardigan its distinctive Panthera character. Paintbox Yarns notes that yarn quantities are approximate and based on average requirements, and the brand does not accept responsibility for the finished item if alternative yarns are substituted.

Needles and Notions

• 3.25 mm (UK 10 / US 3) straight knitting needles — for ribbed or border sections
• 4 mm (UK 8 / US 6) straight knitting needles — for the main body and sleeves
• 4 mm (UK 8 / US 6) circular knitting needle — for working the yoke or picking up stitches around the neckband and button bands
• 7 buttons — for the front button band

Tension (Gauge)

The pattern is written to a tension of 22 stitches per 10 cm on 4 mm needles in stocking stitch. Achieving the correct tension is essential to ensure the garment fits as intended across all eight sizes. Knitters are strongly advised to swatch before beginning.

Techniques Used

Bottom-Up Construction

The Panthera Yoke Cardigan is worked bottom-up, meaning the body and sleeves are begun at the lower edges and worked upward toward the yoke. This construction method allows knitters to try on the garment as they go and make length adjustments easily before reaching the more complex yoke section. Bottom-up construction is a traditional approach well-suited to seamed garments.

Seamed Construction

The cardigan is a seamed garment, meaning the body pieces and sleeves are worked