B2 Basic Cardigan - Knitting Pattern for Women by Valley Yarns

B2 Basic Cardigan Knitting Pattern for Women by Valley Yarns

The B2 Basic Cardigan is a women's knitted cardigan pattern designed by Kirsten Hipsky and published by Valley Yarns. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern is rated advanced beginner, making it an excellent next step for knitters who have mastered basic techniques and are ready to tackle a full garment with shaping, seaming, and finishing details. The pattern is worked flat in separate pieces and seamed together, following a classic bottom-up construction method.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a classic, versatile women's cardigan with a structured silhouette. The design features a ribbed hem and cuffs, set-in or drop-shoulder sleeves, a shaped neckline, and button bands. It is offered in five finished sizes:

• 36, 40, 44, 48, and 52 inches in finished bust circumference

The cardigan is a wardrobe staple style — clean, unfussy, and adaptable to a wide range of yarn weights and personal gauges, which is one of the most distinctive and useful features of this pattern.

Construction and Techniques

The B2 Basic Cardigan is constructed using a bottom-up, worked flat, seamed approach. Each piece — the back, right front, left front, and two sleeves — is knitted separately as a flat panel and then assembled during finishing. This traditional construction method is ideal for advanced beginner knitters because it breaks the project into manageable sections and allows for easy measurement and adjustment along the way.

Body Pieces

The back and both fronts are worked flat in stockinette stitch as the primary fabric, with 1x1 ribbing at the lower hem for elasticity and a polished finish. The right and left fronts mirror each other, with neck shaping worked by decreasing stitches at the neck edge over two right-side rows before working straight to match the back length. The left front reverses the neck shaping and armhole marker placement relative to the right front.

Sleeves

Both sleeves are worked identically and begin with a cast-on based on an 8 to 12-inch measurement (depending on size), rounded to the nearest even number. A 1x1 ribbing cuff of approximately one inch is worked first, followed by the sleeve body in stockinette stitch with regular increases — one stitch at each end of every fourth row — until the sleeve reaches a width of 16 to 24 inches depending on size. Sleeves are then worked straight until they reach a finished length of 18 to 22 inches from the cast-on edge.

Finishing and Seaming

Assembly is a key part of this pattern. Shoulder seams are sewn first, followed by setting in the sleeves by aligning the center top of each sleeve with the shoulder seam and the lower sleeve edge with side markers on the body. Sleeve and side seams are then sewn to complete the body. This seamed finishing technique adds structure to the garment and is a foundational skill for knitters progressing beyond simple flat projects.

Neckline and Button Bands

The neckline is finished by picking up and knitting stitches around the neck opening using a 32-inch circular needle in the smaller size. The pick-up ratio follows standard knitting guidelines: one stitch for every bound-off stitch along horizontal edges and three stitches for every four rows along vertical edges. Button bands are also worked using the smaller circular needle, and the pattern calls for shank buttons — solid buttons with a single loop on the back — attached with a small crochet hook threaded through the shank for secure fastening.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st) — the primary fabric stitch throughout the body and sleeves
• 1x1 Ribbing (K1, P1) — used for the hem, cuffs, neckband, and button bands
• Decrease shaping — single decreases worked at the neck edge on right-side rows
• Increase shaping — one stitch increased at each end of the sleeve on every fourth row

Materials

Yarn