KE005 Sanibel Island - Cardigan Knitting Pattern For Women in Valley Yarns Hawley by Valley Yarns

KE005 Sanibel Island – Women's Open-Front Cardigan Knitting Pattern by Julie Turjoman for Valley Yarns

The Sanibel Island cardigan is a clean-lined, open-front women's knitting pattern designed by Julie Turjoman and published by Valley Yarns as pattern number #VY-KE005. Part of the Gulf Coast collection, this elegant piece features wide front bands, graceful A-line shaping, and a high V-neck silhouette that makes it a versatile layering piece for casual weekend wear and cool mornings alike. The longer hip length contributes to a flattering drape, and the design is intentionally accessible for knitters who are building their sweater-making skills.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a women's open-front cardigan with set-in sleeves, a high V-neck, and wide front bands worked in a coordinating Textured Rib stitch. The silhouette is shaped through side decreases that create the signature A-line profile, and the longer body length adds both coverage and drape. The cardigan is designed to be worn with 2–4 inches of positive ease, giving it a relaxed, comfortable fit. It is available in nine sizes ranging from XS through 5XL, with finished bust measurements spanning 34 to 66 inches (with front bands overlapped). The sample shown in the pattern is knitted in size S.

Techniques Used

• Seamed construction: The cardigan body is worked in separate pieces and then sewn together, making this an excellent pattern for knitters learning traditional sweater-making methods. Seaming adds structure and helps the garment hold its shape over time.
• Worked flat (back and forth in rows): All body pieces are knitted flat on circular needles, rather than in the round, allowing for straightforward row-by-row construction.
• A-line shaping via side decreases: Strategic decreases along the side edges create the tapered A-line silhouette, shaping the garment from a wider hem to a fitted waist and bust.
• Short-row shoulder shaping: Short rows are used at the shoulders to improve both drape and fit, a technique that creates a more natural slope across the shoulder line without requiring complex seaming adjustments.
• Set-in sleeves worked top-down: The sleeves are picked up from the armhole edges and worked downward, a method that allows for easy length adjustments and eliminates the need to seam sleeve caps separately.
• Picked-up front bands: The wide front bands are picked up directly from the edges of the front panels and worked outward, ensuring a clean, integrated finish.
• Long-Tail Cast-On: The pattern specifies the Long-Tail method for casting on, a popular technique that creates a neat, slightly elastic edge well-suited to ribbed hems.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch: The main body fabric is worked in classic stockinette, producing a smooth, drapey surface that showcases the tweedy texture of the yarn beautifully.
• Textured Rib stitch: Used for the wide front bands, the deep hem, and the sleeve cuffs, this coordinating rib pattern ties the design elements together and adds visual interest at the edges.

Materials and Tools

The pattern is written specifically for Valley Yarns Hawley, a DK weight yarn with a luxurious fiber blend of 50% Cotton, 30% Silk, and 20% Nylon/Polyamide, sold in 50g/135-yard balls. The cotton and silk content gives the yarn a soft, breathable drape with a subtle sheen, while the nylon adds durability and stitch definition. The tweedy texture of Hawley adds depth and visual interest to even simple stockinette fabric. The colorway used in the sample is (19) Ash. Yarn requirements range from 9 balls for size XS up to 20 balls for size 5XL.

Two needle sizes are required:

• US size 6 (4.00 mm) circular needles in both 16-inch and 24–40-inch lengths for the main body fabric