Miri's Striped Cardigan

Miri's Striped Cardigan by Follipassioni

Project Overview

Miri's Striped Cardigan is a beginner-friendly knitted cardigan designed for children ages 12-14 years. This open cardigan features colorful horizontal stripes and is styled for a modern, casual look that pairs effortlessly with jeans. The pattern uses a straightforward construction method suitable for knitters new to garment shaping.

What Is Being Made

This is a lightweight, open-front cardigan with set-in sleeves and horizontal color blocking. The garment is constructed using a top-down approach, beginning with a cast-on at the neckline and working downward to create the body and sleeves simultaneously. The open cardigan style means there is no button or closure requirement, making it an ideal first garment project.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Top-Down Construction: The cardigan is worked from the neckline downward, allowing for easy fitting adjustments and seamless integration of sleeve increases.
• Raglan Shaping: Strategic increases at marked intervals create the characteristic raglan sleeve cap, distributing shaping evenly across four increase points per row.
• Stitch Increases: The pattern employs both KFB (knit into front and back) and raised increases (M1L and M1R) to add stitches while maintaining fabric integrity and aesthetic consistency.
• Marker Placement: Stitch markers divide the work into distinct sections—sleeves, back, and front panels—making it easier to track shaping and maintain pattern alignment.
• Stranded Color Work: Horizontal stripes are created by changing yarn colors at designated rows, introducing beginners to basic color changes in knitting.

Stitches and Abbreviations

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches and techniques appropriate for beginner crafters:

• K: Knit stitch—the primary stitch creating the fabric's structure
• P: Purl stitch—used for ribbed edges and textural variety
• KFB: Knit into front and back of the stitch—a simple increase method that adds one stitch
• SSK: Slip, slip, knit together—a left-leaning decrease used for shaping
• K2tog: Knit two stitches together—a right-leaning decrease for tapering
• M1L and M1R: Raised lifts to the left and right—decorative increase methods that create visible texture lines
• SM: Slip marker—moves markers forward without disrupting stitch count
• PM: Place marker—establishes section boundaries

Materials and Yarn Specifications

Yarn: Cascade Yarn Ultra Pima Fine in sport weight. This yarn choice provides a smooth, breathable fabric ideal for a children's cardigan.

Yardage Requirements: Approximately 437 yards (400 meters) total, distributed across three coordinating colors:

• Color A (Yellow Rose, shade 3743): Approximately 200 meters
• Color B (Peach, shade 3753): Approximately 130 meters
• Color C (Sand, shade 3717): Approximately 40 meters

Needle: Size 3.25mm needles accommodate the sport-weight yarn and achieve the required gauge.

Gauge: 24 stitches and 26 rows per 4 inches (10 centimeters) in stockinette stitch. Achieving proper gauge is essential for garment sizing and fit.

Construction Details

The cardigan begins with a cast-on of 99 stitches in Color A (Yellow Rose). The initial row establishes section markers that divide the work into sleeves (25 stitches each), back panel (45 stitches), and front bands (2 stitches each). Increases occur at each marker location on right-side rows, creating the raglan shaping that allows the garment to expand proportionally across all sections. The horizontal stripe pattern is introduced by changing yarn colors at planned intervals, with the peach and sand shades providing visual contrast against the yellow rose base color.

Ideal for Beginner Knitters

This pattern