Soft Rib Cardigan in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool - 90464AD

Soft Rib Cardigan in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool – Free Knitting Pattern (90464AD)

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Lion Brand Yarn delivers a beautifully classic, open-front cardigan with a feminine shawl collar and classic ribbing throughout. Worked in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool, this timeless sweater is described by the designer as a truly enduring wardrobe staple. The pattern number is 90464AD, and it is rated Experienced skill level, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with garment construction, seaming, and short-row shaping.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a women's open-front cardigan featuring a shawl collar and an all-over ribbed texture. The cardigan is available in three sizes:

• S/M – Finished Bust: 36 in. (91.5 cm), Finished Length: 22 in. (56 cm)
• L/1X – Finished Bust: 44 in. (112 cm), Finished Length: 23 in. (58.5 cm)
• 2X/3X – Finished Bust: 52 in. (132 cm), Finished Length: 24 in. (61 cm)

The open front design means there are no buttons or closures, giving the cardigan a relaxed, draped silhouette. The shawl collar adds an elegant, feminine touch that elevates this piece beyond a standard ribbed cardigan.

Construction Techniques

The construction method is traditional flat, piece-by-piece knitting with finishing seams, making it a great pattern for knitters who want to practice or refine garment assembly skills. Key construction details include:

• Separate pieces worked flat: The Back, both Fronts, and the Sleeves are each knitted independently from the lower edge upward, then seamed together.
• Seaming: Once all pieces are complete, they are joined using standard seaming techniques to assemble the body and set in the sleeves.
• Picked-up border: After seaming, stitches are picked up around the entire outer edge of the cardigan to work a continuous ribbed border. This technique creates a clean, polished finish and ensures the ribbing flows seamlessly around the garment's perimeter.
• Short-row shaping: Short rows are worked across a portion of the border specifically to shape and build the shawl collar. Short rows are a technique where you turn the work mid-row and work back, adding extra fabric in a targeted area — in this case, creating the gentle, rounded rise of the collar without adding extra stitches globally.
• Circular needle option: While the pieces are designed to be worked flat, the pattern notes that knitters may substitute a circular needle for the straight needle work on the Back, Fronts, and Sleeves, working back and forth on the circular needle if preferred.
• Double-stranding: The cardigan is knitted with two strands of Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool held together throughout, which creates a denser, warmer fabric and works up at a thicker gauge than a single strand would produce.

Stitches Used

The stitch vocabulary in this pattern is accessible yet produces a rich, textured result:

• Ribbing: The primary stitch pattern throughout the cardigan body, sleeves, and border. Ribbing is formed by alternating knit and purl stitches in columns, creating a stretchy, vertically textured fabric that hugs the body slightly while remaining comfortable and flexible.
• Short rows: Used in the shawl collar section of the border to add shaped depth and volume to the collar area without working full rows across the entire piece.
• Pick up and knit: Used to begin the ribbed border by drawing up stitches along the finished, seamed outer edge of the assembled cardigan.

Materials – Yarn and Needles

The specified yarn for this pattern is Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool, a workh