Cabled Duster

Cabled Duster Cardigan by Isle of Yarn Knitwear Design

Project Overview

The Cabled Duster is an intermediate-level knitted cardigan designed by Darby Photos of Isle of Yarn Yarn Knitwear Design. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a sophisticated, elongated cardigan featuring prominent cable work throughout. The duster style offers extended length and an elegant drape, making it suitable for layering and versatile styling across multiple seasons.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a full-length duster cardigan available in six finished sizes ranging from XS to 3XL. The finished chest measurements span from 30 inches (76 cm) for the XS size to 60 inches (152 cm) for the 3XL size, accommodating a wide range of body types and fit preferences. The cardigan is designed to be worn open as an outer layer, with a button front closure featuring six 3/4-inch buttons. The generous proportions and extended length create a dramatic, fashion-forward silhouette ideal for contemporary knitwear collections.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Cabled Duster employs cable knitting as its primary decorative technique. Cables are created by crossing groups of stitches over one another using a cable needle, producing the characteristic twisted rope-like texture that defines this garment. The pattern utilizes stockinette stitch as the foundational stitch structure, which creates a smooth, flat fabric that serves as the perfect backdrop for showcasing the dimensional cable work. The combination of stockinette and cables creates visual interest and texture variation throughout the cardigan body and sleeves.

Knitters will work with standard knitting abbreviations and techniques including increases, decreases, and shaping methods necessary for constructing a fitted cardigan with proper armhole and neckline shaping. The intermediate difficulty level indicates that knitters should be comfortable with cable techniques, reading pattern instructions, and managing multiple stitches across circular needles.

Materials and Yarn Requirements

The Cabled Duster pattern specifies Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool in Oak Tweed as the recommended yarn. This yarn falls into the aran and worsted weight categories, providing excellent stitch definition for cable work while maintaining good drape. Yardage requirements vary by size:

• XS: 3.1 skeins / 1,415 yards / 691 grams
• Small: 4 skeins / 1,860 yards / 908 grams
• M/L: 4.6 skeins / 2,139 yards / 1,027 grams
• XL: 5.25 skeins / 2,424 yards / 1,163 grams
• 2XL: 6 skeins / 2,709 yards / 1,300 grams
• 3XL: 6.5 skeins / 3,000 yards / 1,437 grams

Needles and Gauge

The pattern calls for US 7 (4.5mm) circular needles measuring 30 inches (76 cm) or longer as the primary needle size. Knitters should also have preferred needles for small circumference knitting available for working sections such as ribbing, necklines, and cuffs where smaller needle sizes or shorter circular needles are more practical. The pattern specifies that knitters should use the needle size needed to achieve the correct gauge, allowing flexibility for individual tension variations.

The gauge is 4.5 stitches per 1 inch (2.5 cm) measured over stockinette stitch after blocking. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements and ensuring the cable patterns display at their intended scale and proportion.

Additional Notions and Tools

Beyond yarn and needles, the Cabled Duster pattern requires several essential notions and tools: a cable needle for manipulating cable stitches, two or more stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping points, six 3/4-inch (2 cm) buttons for the front closure, and optionally a row counter to track progress through pattern rows. These items are standard supplies in most knitter's collections and support successful pattern execution.

Pattern Support

Knitters working with this pattern can