Aberdeen Cardigan - Cardigan Knitting Pattern for Women in Tahki Yarns Highland Roving by Tahki Yarns

Aberdeen Cardigan Knitting Pattern for Women – Tahki Yarns Highland Roving

The Aberdeen Cardigan is a women's knitting pattern designed by Pam Grushkin for Tahki Yarns, worked in the brand's own Highland Roving yarn. This relaxed, cozy cardigan is classified as an Easy difficulty project, making it an excellent choice for beginner knitters who are ready to tackle their first garment or for experienced knitters seeking a satisfying, quick knit. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF from Tahki Stacy Charles.

What Is Being Made

The Aberdeen Cardigan is a classic women's cardigan worked in a generous silhouette with significant positive ease. It is sized from XS through 2XL, with finished bust measurements ranging from 35 to 51 inches (89–129.5 cm) and a recommended fit of 5–7 inches (12.5–18 cm) of positive ease. The finished length ranges from approximately 24¾ to 26¾ inches (63–68 cm) depending on the size chosen. The result is a substantial, drape-worthy outer layer suited to cooler seasons.

Construction and Techniques

The Aberdeen Cardigan is worked flat in separate pieces that are then seamed together, following a traditional garment construction approach. This method produces clean, structured edges and a polished, professional finish. Key construction techniques used in this pattern include:

• Worked Flat: Each piece — typically the back, fronts, and sleeves — is knitted back and forth in rows rather than in the round, which is ideal for beginners learning to manage garment shaping.
• Seamed Construction: Finished pieces are joined using the Three-Needle Bind-Off, a technique that simultaneously seams two pieces together while binding off their stitches. This creates a neat, secure join and can be worked with right sides or wrong sides facing for either a hidden or a decorative seam effect.
• Short Rows with Wrap and Turn (W&T): The pattern employs short-row shaping using the classic Wrap and Turn method. This involves slipping a stitch, moving the working yarn to the opposite side, slipping the stitch back, and returning the yarn — creating a partial row that adds shaping without leaving visible holes.
• Slip Stitch Selvedge: Edge stitches are slipped at the beginning of rows (slipping with yarn in back on right-side rows and yarn in front on wrong-side rows), creating a tidy, even selvedge that makes seaming easier and neater.

Stitches Used

The Aberdeen Cardigan relies on a small, approachable set of stitch patterns that are well within reach of a beginner knitter:

• Garter Stitch: The primary stitch pattern for the body of the cardigan. Garter stitch is achieved by knitting every row when working flat, producing a squishy, reversible fabric with horizontal ridges. The gauge for this pattern is set in garter stitch at 8 stitches and 14 rows to 4 inches (10 cm). Garter stitch is forgiving, stretchy, and particularly beautiful in a rustic, textured yarn like Highland Roving.
• K1, P1 Rib (odd number of stitches): A classic ribbing pattern used for borders, cuffs, or edgings. Worked over an odd number of stitches, it alternates knit and purl stitches across the row, with the pattern reversing on the wrong side to maintain the ribbed column effect. A slipped selvedge stitch is incorporated at the beginning of each row for a clean edge.

Materials – Yarn, Needles, and Notions

The Aberdeen Cardigan is designed specifically for Tahki Yarns Highland Roving, a super chunky weight yarn made from 100% fine Highland wool. Each skein contains 5¼ oz (150 g) and approximately 90 yards (82 m). The pattern calls for 6 to 9 skeins depending on size, shown in color #01 Natural — a warm, undyed off-white that showcases the