Spencer Cardigan in Berroco Sesame & Aerial - Downloadable PDF

Spencer Cardigan in Berroco Sesame & Aerial – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Spencer Cardigan is a classic, wearable design from the Berroco Design Team, offered as a downloadable PDF pattern rated at an intermediate skill level. This flattering cardigan is worked in a range of sizes with a finished bust measurement (closed) spanning from 36 to 68 inches, making it an inclusive and versatile wardrobe staple. The recommended ease is 2–4 inches of positive ease, giving the finished garment a relaxed, comfortable fit.

What Is Being Made

The Spencer is a seamed cardigan featuring a substantial garter stitch hem and a clean stockinette stitch body. It includes set-in or divided sleeves and a picked-up collar worked in one continuous piece around the front and neck edges. The design is elegant in its simplicity, relying on the luxurious texture and drape of its yarn combination rather than complex stitch patterning to create visual interest.

Construction Techniques

• Bottom-up construction: The cardigan begins at the lower edge and is worked upward toward the shoulders, a traditional approach that gives knitters good control over length adjustments.
• Worked flat: All pieces, including the body and sleeves, are worked back and forth in rows rather than in the round, making this pattern approachable for knitters comfortable with flat knitting.
• Seamed finishing: The garment is assembled by seaming the individual pieces together, which adds structure and durability to the finished cardigan.
• Body worked in one piece to underarms: The body is cast on and worked as a single piece up to the underarm, at which point it is divided for the back and two fronts — a technique that reduces the number of seams and helps maintain consistent fabric tension across the lower body.
• Sleeves worked flat separately: The sleeves are knitted as independent flat pieces, then seamed into the armholes during finishing.
• Collar picked up and worked in one piece: Rather than knitting the collar separately and attaching it, stitches are picked up around the front and neck edges and the collar is worked as a single continuous unit, creating a neat, integrated finish.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch: Used for the hem, worked for approximately 5 inches. Garter stitch is created by knitting every row when working flat, producing a ridged, reversible fabric with natural elasticity — ideal for a tidy, non-rolling lower edge.
• Stockinette Stitch: The primary stitch of the body and sleeves, created by alternating knit and purl rows when working flat. Stockinette produces a smooth, classic fabric that showcases the rich texture and sheen of the yarn combination beautifully.

Materials – Yarn

One of the most distinctive features of the Spencer Cardigan is its use of two yarns held together throughout the entire pattern. This double-strand technique creates a fabric that is richer, more complex, and more textured than either yarn could achieve alone.

• Berroco Sesame™ – A worsted weight yarn, used in colorway #7457 Chestnut. This yarn comes in 100-gram skeins, and the pattern calls for 5 to 10 balls depending on size. Berroco Sesame is known for its warm, earthy tones and substantial body.
• Berroco Aerial™ – A lace weight yarn, used in colorway #3444 Copper. This yarn comes in 25-gram skeins, and the pattern requires 4 to 8 balls depending on size. Aerial is a delicate, gossamer-weight yarn that, when held alongside Sesame, adds a subtle shimmer and halo to the fabric.

The combination of a worsted weight and a lace weight yarn held together is a hallmark of sophisticated pattern design — the Sesame provides the structure and warmth, while the Aerial contributes a luminous, airy quality that elevates the finished fabric.