Campion Cardigan in Valley Yarns Northampton - 857 - Downloadable PDF

Campion Cardigan – Pattern Summary (Valley Yarns Northampton, Pattern #857)

The Campion Cardigan, pattern #857, is a Fair Isle cardigan designed by Julie Turjoman and knitted in Valley Yarns Northampton worsted weight wool. Inspired by Scotland's native flora, this richly detailed garment blends traditional colorwork heritage with a modern, wearable silhouette — making it an ideal project for intermediate knitters looking to expand their Fair Isle and stranded colorwork skills.

What Is Being Made

The Campion Cardigan is a button-front Fair Isle cardigan featuring a deeply rolled collar that can be buttoned all the way up for extra warmth and style. It is designed with a cozy, autumnal aesthetic and a richly colored palette of Fair Isle motifs throughout the body. The finished garment has a bust measurement ranging from 35¾ inches (XS) up to 63¾ inches (4XL), with approximately 1½ inches of front overlap and a recommended 2–4 inches of positive ease. The sample shown in the pattern is knitted in size 39¾ inches.

Construction Techniques

• Bottom-up construction: The cardigan is worked from the bottom up, beginning at the lower hem and progressing toward the neckline. This approach allows knitters to try on the garment as they go and make fit adjustments along the way.
• Worked in the round: The body is knitted entirely in the round, which is a common and highly practical technique for Fair Isle colorwork. Knitting in the round means the right side of the fabric always faces the knitter, making it significantly easier to read and execute stranded colorwork motifs without having to purl across complex color patterns.
• Steeking: After working the body in the round up to the neckline, the front opening is created using a steek — a column of extra stitches that is later cut open to form the cardigan front. Steeking is a traditional Scandinavian and Fair Isle technique that allows a knitter to maintain the simplicity of circular knitting even on a garment that will ultimately open at the front. It requires confidence with cutting knitted fabric but produces a very clean, professional result.
• Buttonholes: The button band includes worked buttonholes, neatly integrated into the front band to accommodate buttons for closure.
• Buttons: The finished cardigan is fastened with buttons, which complement the rolled collar and front band detailing.

Colorwork and Stitches

The Fair Isle motifs are worked using stranded colorwork, a technique in which multiple yarn colors are carried across the back of the work, with only one color knitted at a time per stitch. This creates a double-layered fabric that is both warm and visually striking. The pattern uses four colors — a main color and three contrast colors — to achieve its richly layered, traditional Fair Isle aesthetic.

• Stranded colorwork (Fair Isle): The signature technique of this pattern, used throughout the body to create repeating decorative motifs.
• Rolled collar: A deep, cozy collar worked in the round that rolls naturally due to the properties of stockinette stitch, adding both warmth and a distinctive style detail.
• Stockinette stitch: The foundational stitch used throughout the body and colorwork sections.
• Buttonhole stitch construction: Integrated into the front band during finishing.

Yarn and Materials

This pattern is written specifically for Valley Yarns Northampton, a 100% wool worsted weight yarn sold in 100g/247-yard skeins. The pattern calls for four colors:

• MC (Main Color): Valley Yarns Northampton in #50 Med. Grey — 2 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 7) skeins depending on size.
• CC1 (Contrast Color 1): Valley Yarns Northampton in #51 Charco