Supporter Cardigan in Viking Of Norway - UK-2322-6 - Downloadable PDF

Supporter Cardigan in Viking Garn – Pattern Summary (UK-2322-6)

The Supporter Cardigan is a beautifully designed knitted cardigan created by Turid Stapnes and published by Viking of Norway under pattern number UK-2322-6. This intermediate-level knitting pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and produces a classic raglan-yoke cardigan with colourwork detailing, worked primarily in the round using a steek construction for the centre front opening. The design is feminine and versatile, featuring a fitted silhouette with a ribbed neckband and a structured yoke worked in a charted colourwork diagram.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a full raglan-yoke cardigan with set-in sleeves joined at the yoke, a centre-front steek opening, and a neat ribbed neckband. It is sized across six sizes ranging from x/small through xx/large, with chest measurements spanning 87 cm to 142 cm (34¼ in to 56 in). The whole length ranges from 48 cm to 58 cm (19 in to 22¾ in), and sleeve length ranges from 44 cm to 47 cm (17¼ in to 18½ in), making it a cropped-to-standard length cardigan suitable for a wide range of body types.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Viking of Norway Bamboo yarn, a lightweight 6-ply weight yarn composed of 50% bamboo and 50% cotton, sold in 50 g skeins. This fibre blend gives the finished cardigan a soft drape, a subtle sheen, and excellent breathability — qualities particularly well suited to a layering piece or a transitional-season garment. Two colours are used to create the colourwork design:

• Dark Pink no. 662 – required in quantities of 8–11 skeins depending on size (8 - 8 - 9 - 9 - 10 - 11 skeins)
• White no. 600 – required in quantities of 4–6 skeins depending on size (4 - 4 - 4 - 5 - 5 - 6 skeins)

The contrast between dark pink and white creates a striking yet classic colourwork pattern across the yoke, referenced in the instructions as Diagram A.

Needles Required

Three needle sizes are used throughout the construction of this cardigan:

• 2½ mm needles – used for the ribbed neckband and finishing details
• 3 mm needles – used at an intermediate stage of construction
• 3½ mm needles – the primary needle size used for the body, sleeves, and yoke

Circular needles are required for working in the round, particularly for joining the sleeves and body onto a single needle for the yoke section. The pattern specifies a tension of 22 stitches in stocking stitch on a 4 mm needle measuring approximately 10 cm (4 in) across, and knitters are advised to achieve correct tension before beginning.

Construction Method

The Supporter Cardigan is constructed using a seamless, in-the-round method with a steek at the centre front. A steek is a traditional Scandinavian and Fair Isle technique in which extra stitches are cast on at the front opening and worked in the round as normal; the steek stitches are later machine-sewn and cut to create the cardigan opening. This approach allows the knitter to work the colourwork yoke entirely in the round, which is much easier for maintaining consistent tension in stranded colourwork than working flat.

The body and sleeves are worked separately in the round until the underarm, at which point stitches are cast off under each sleeve (6 stitches on each side of the marker, totalling 12 stitches per underarm). The sleeves and body are then joined onto a single 3½ mm circular needle for the yoke, creating a total stitch count of 288 – 312 – 360 –