Glacial Cardigan in Valley Yarns Southampton - 1052 - Downloadable PDF

Glacial Cardigan in Valley Yarns Southampton – Pattern #1052 by Julie Turjoman

Overview

The Glacial Cardigan (Pattern #1052) is a beautifully draped, open-front cardigan designed by Julie Turjoman and knitted in Valley Yarns Southampton, a sumptuous blend of 72% Kid Mohair and 28% Mulberry Silk. Graceful and lightweight, this cardigan features a flowing drape-front silhouette that transitions effortlessly from holiday dressing to casual layering over a simple tee on a winter weekend. The design is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated Advanced Beginner, making it an excellent project for knitters who have mastered the basics and are ready to explore more refined shaping techniques.

Sizes and Fit

The pattern is written in nine sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, and 5XL. Finished bust measurements range from 32 inches to 64 inches, with the garment designed to be worn with 2 to 4 inches of positive ease for a relaxed, comfortable fit. The sample shown in the pattern photography is knitted in Size S.

What Is Being Made

This is a drape-front cardigan worked in classic stockinette stitch. The open front and fluid silhouette give it an elegant, effortless quality that pairs well with both dressy and casual outfits. The construction method and yarn choice combine to create a fabric that is light yet warm, with a soft halo from the kid mohair and a subtle sheen from the mulberry silk.

Construction Techniques

• Top-down construction: The cardigan is worked from the top down, allowing knitters to try on the piece as they go and adjust length easily before binding off.
• Worked flat: Despite being knitted on circular needles, the body is worked back and forth in flat rows rather than in the round, which is a common approach for cardigans to create two open front edges.
• Double hem: The pattern incorporates a double hem technique, which creates a clean, polished finished edge with extra body and structure. This involves knitting a turning ridge row on the wrong side, then folding the hem up and joining it for a neat, professional finish.
• Yarn held double: Both strands of Valley Yarns Southampton are held together throughout the project. This technique effectively doubles the weight of the DK-weight yarn, adding warmth, structure, and a denser fabric while preserving the airy, halo quality of the mohair-silk blend.
• Slip stitch side seams: The pattern uses slipped stitches at the side positions to create neat, defined faux seams that mimic the look of a traditionally seamed garment while keeping the construction seamless.
• Short rows with wrap and turn (W&T): Short-row shaping using the wrap-and-turn method is referenced in the abbreviations, adding refined shaping detail to the garment.
• Stitch markers: Markers are placed at key construction points — including side seam positions and front/back divisions — to keep the knitter oriented throughout the top-down shaping process.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch: The primary stitch pattern throughout the body of the cardigan, worked by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side. Stockinette creates a smooth, flat fabric that drapes beautifully with the silk-mohair blend.
• K2tog (knit two together): A standard right-leaning decrease used for shaping.
• SSK (slip, slip, knit): A left-leaning decrease that mirrors K2tog, used to create symmetrical shaping.
• M1L (Make 1 Left): A lifted increase worked by picking up the strand between stitches with the left-hand needle and knitting into it, used to add stitches during shaping.
• Turning ridge: A purl row worked on the right side (or a knit row on the wrong side) to create a crisp fold line for the double hem.