Tähkäpää (Rapunzel) Cabled Cardigan in Novita Isoveli - Downloadable PDF

Tähkäpää (Rapunzel) Cabled Cardigan in Novita Isoveli – Pattern Summary

The Tähkäpää (Rapunzel) Cabled Cardigan is a beautifully structured, loose-fitting knitted cardigan designed by Sisko Sälpäkivi and worked in Novita Isoveli chunky-weight yarn. This free downloadable PDF pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty and is available in six sizes ranging from XS through 3XL, making it an accessible yet rewarding project for knitters who are comfortable with cable techniques and shaping. The finished cardigan features a generous, relaxed silhouette with impressive cabled panels as its defining design element — a nod to the flowing, intricate beauty suggested by its Finnish name, meaning Rapunzel.

Garment Overview and Sizing

The Tähkäpää Cabled Cardigan is designed to be worn with significant ease, described explicitly as loose-fitting. The completed body circumference ranges from 112 cm (44 in) for XS up to 152 cm (59¾ in) for 3XL. The body length is approximately 83 cm (32¾ in) for sizes XS through M/L, and 95 cm (37½ in) for sizes XL through 3XL. The inner sleeve length ranges from 43 cm (17 in) to 47 cm (18½ in) depending on size, providing a comfortable, full-length sleeve suitable for cooler weather.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a cabled cardigan — a front-opening, long-sleeved sweater with prominent cable panels integrated into the body construction. The cardigan's design centers on 24-stitch cable panels that run as bold vertical features, giving the garment its textural richness and visual drama. The overall silhouette is relaxed and cozy, well-suited to chunky yarn and cold-weather wear.

Techniques Used

• Cable knitting — the central technique of this pattern, featuring a 24-stitch cable pattern repeated across designated panels of the garment
• Simultaneous increasing and decreasing — worked on right-side rows to shape the body while maintaining stitch count and cable alignment
• Paired decreases — including skp (slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over) and k2tog (knit two together) for symmetrical shaping on either side of cable panels
• Purl-based decreases — specifically p2tog (purl two together) used within the cable panel shaping sequence
• Right-side and wrong-side row management — knit stitches and purl stitches are worked as they appear on wrong-side rows to maintain the established fabric texture
• Stitch increases — single increases worked at specified points on right-side rows to balance the shaping alongside decreases

Stitches Used

• 24-stitch cable pattern — the signature stitch of this design, forming the bold rope-like columns across the cardigan body
• Knit and purl stitches — used in combination to create the background fabric and to maintain the texture on wrong-side rows
• skp — a left-leaning decrease (slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over)
• k2tog — a right-leaning decrease (knit two together)
• p2tog — a purl decrease used during cable panel shaping

Materials – Yarn and Needles

The pattern is designed specifically for Novita Isoveli, a chunky-weight yarn from the Finnish brand Novita. Novita Isoveli is a thick, cozy yarn well-suited to bold stitch patterns like cables, as its weight allows the cable crossings to stand out with excellent definition. Knitters should refer to the original PDF for specific needle size recommendations and exact yardage requirements per size, as these details ensure gauge accuracy and a well