397 Riverbend Cardigan - Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Deerfield

397 Riverbend Cardigan – Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Deerfield

The 397 Riverbend Cardigan is a women's knitted cardigan pattern published by Valley Yarns, designed to be worked in Valley Yarns Deerfield, a DK weight yarn. This downloadable PDF pattern produces a classic, structured cardigan featuring a beautifully textured stitch pattern that combines twisted stitches with delicate lace eyelets for a refined, feminine finish. Rated advanced beginner, this project is an excellent step up for knitters who are comfortable with basic techniques and ready to explore more interesting stitch work.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a seamed women's cardigan worked flat in separate pieces — a back, a right front, a left front, and sleeves — which are then sewn together using traditional finishing methods. The resulting garment is a tailored, open-front or button-band cardigan with defined armhole and shoulder shaping. The pattern is written in five sizes, accommodating a range of women's measurements, making it versatile for a wide range of knitters.

Techniques Used

• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted back and forth in rows on straight or circular needles, rather than in the round.
• Seamed construction: Individual pieces are joined after knitting using seaming techniques, giving the finished cardigan structure and a professional, tailored appearance.
• Armhole shaping: Stitches are bound off at the beginning of rows and then decreased at each end of right-side rows to create a clean, fitted armhole.
• Shoulder shaping: Stitches are bound off in stages at the beginning of successive rows to create a sloped, well-fitted shoulder line.
• Lace technique: Yarn-overs paired with decreases (ssk and k2tog) create small, elegant eyelets within the repeating stitch pattern.
• Twisted stitch technique: Knitting and purling through the back loop (k1-b and p1-b) creates elongated, twisted stitches that add texture and visual definition to the fabric.

Stitch Pattern Detail

The signature Riverbend stitch pattern is worked over a multiple of 9 stitches plus 7, and repeats over 4 rows. It is a combination of twisted ribbing and traveling lace that gives the fabric a flowing, dimensional quality reminiscent of a winding river — a fitting namesake for this design.

Stitch Pattern Row Breakdown

• Row 1 (RS): Establishes the pattern with twisted knit stitches (k1-b), purl stitches, a yarn-over, and an ssk decrease, creating a right-leaning eyelet.
• Row 2 (WS): Works the wrong-side counterpart with twisted purl stitches (p1-b) and knit stitches to maintain the ribbed columns.
• Row 3 (RS): Mirrors Row 1 but substitutes a k2tog decrease before the yarn-over, shifting the eyelet direction for a subtle alternating lace effect.
• Row 4 (WS): Repeats Row 2, completing the four-row repeat.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k) and purl (p) — the foundational stitches of the pattern
• Knit through back loop (k1-b) — creates twisted knit stitches for textural definition
• Purl through back loop (p1-b) — creates twisted purl stitches on wrong-side rows
• Yarn over (yo) — forms the lace eyelets within the stitch repeat
• Ssk (slip, slip, knit) — a left-leaning decrease paired with yarn-overs on Row 1
• K2tog (knit two together) — a right-leaning decrease paired with yarn