Bobble Cardigan in Novita Natura - Downloadable PDF

Bobble Cardigan in Novita Natura – Knitting Pattern Summary

This intermediate-level knitting pattern by designer Anna Leinonen guides knitters through the construction of a textured bobble cardigan, available as a free downloadable PDF. The design features a striking all-over bobble motif worked from charted instructions, combined with classic ribbing, raglan shaping, and practical patch pockets. The cardigan is offered in six sizes — XS, S, M, L, XL, and XXL — with a finished body circumference ranging from 88 cm to 128 cm (34¾ in to 50½ in) and a middle back length of 81 cm to 91 cm (32 in to 35¾ in), making it a generous, wearable layering piece suitable for a wide range of body types.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a long, textured bobble cardigan with raglan sleeves, ribbed cuffs, set-in pockets, and a button band closure. The cardigan is designed with waist shaping achieved through evenly spaced decrease rows, giving it a tailored silhouette despite its relaxed dimensions. The inner sleeve length is 38 cm to 42 cm plus a 15 cm ribbed cuff, creating a substantial sleeve with a classic finish. The pattern calls for 10 buttons to fasten the front bands.

Construction Techniques

• Bottom-up construction: The back and front pieces are worked flat from the cast-on edge upward, with separate pieces seamed together.
• Raglan shaping: Decreases are worked at both ends of right-side rows to shape the raglan armhole, with bind-offs on larger sizes at the underarm before raglan decreases begin. Decreases are spaced on every 4th row initially, then on every other row.
• Waist shaping: Paired decreases (skp and k2tog) are worked at both ends of the back piece, repeated every 5 cm a total of six times to create a fitted waist.
• Chart-based bobble pattern: The main body texture is worked from Chart I and Chart II, each spanning 16 rows with a 10-stitch repeat. Chart II is introduced at a specific row depending on the piece measurement, allowing the bobble pattern to transition seamlessly across the garment.
• Pocket construction: Patch pockets are knitted separately in stockinette stitch and integrated into the garment.
• Ribbing: The lower edges and cuffs are worked in a ribbing pattern, with the back beginning in a k2/p2 rib sequence on the wrong side.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns Used

• Stockinette stitch: Used for the main body sections and pocket construction, providing a smooth ground fabric that contrasts with the bobble texture.
• Ribbing (k2/p2 variation): Worked for 5 rows at the lower edges and for the cuffs, adding elasticity and a neat finish.
• Bobble pattern: The signature texture of this cardigan, worked from two coordinating charts (Chart I and Chart II) over a 10-stitch, 16-row repeat. Bobbles are three-dimensional raised stitches created by working multiple times into a single stitch and then decreasing back, adding tactile interest and visual depth to the fabric.
• Skp (slip 1 knitwise, k1, pass slipped stitch over): A left-leaning decrease used consistently for shaping throughout the pattern.
• K2tog (knit 2 together): A right-leaning decrease paired with skp for symmetrical raglan and waist shaping.

Materials – Yarn, Needles, and Notions

The pattern is designed specifically for Novita Natura, a worsted weight yarn, worked in the colourway (045) Clay. The quantity required ranges from 550 g to 800 g depending on size, reflecting the cardigan's generous length and textured construction. Novita Natura is a natural-fibre yarn well suited to stitch definition, making it an