Dagmál Cardigan in LOPI Fjallalopi

Dagmál Cardigan in LOPI Fjallalopi – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Dagmál Cardigan is a children's knitted cardigan designed by LOPI and available as a downloadable PDF. Its name, Dagmál, is an Icelandic word evoking the quiet morning light of a late sunrise — a poetic theme that is reflected in the calm, Nordic colour palette of the design. This is an intermediate-level knitting pattern worked in DK weight yarn, specifically LOPI Fjallalopi, making it a wonderful project for knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping and are ready to explore seamless yoke construction.

What Is Being Made

The Dagmál Cardigan is a seamless, top-down or bottom-up children's cardigan featuring a joined yoke construction, where the body and sleeves are knitted separately and then united on a single circular needle to form a smooth, continuous yoke. The garment is worked in the round and features an open front, making it a classic Scandinavian-style cardigan suitable for everyday wear. It is sized for children and comes in five sizes corresponding to chest measurements of 50, 53, 57, 61, and 64 cm, with body sizes labeled 68, 74, 80, 86, and 92 cm.

Key Measurements

• Chest: 50, 53, 57, 61, 64 cm
• Width at lower edge: 53, 57, 61, 64, 68 cm
• Length to underarm: 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 cm
• Sleeve length to underarm: 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 cm

Construction and Techniques

The Dagmál Cardigan uses a seamless yoke construction, a technique widely associated with traditional Icelandic and Scandinavian knitwear. The body and sleeves are worked separately in the round up to the underarm, and then joined together on a single 3.5 mm circular needle to form the yoke. This method eliminates the need for seaming and creates a smooth, comfortable finish ideal for children's garments.

Body Construction

The body is worked in the round from the lower edge upward. Decreases are worked at marked positions — using the k2tog (knit two together) decrease — to shape the body as it progresses toward the underarm. A specific number of stitches are placed on a stitch holder at each underarm to be grafted or joined later, a classic technique in seamless garment construction. The body is worked until it reaches the underarm length specified for each size.

Sleeve Construction

The sleeves are worked separately, also in the round, and shaped to match the body dimensions at the underarm join. Like the body, a set number of underarm stitches are placed on a stitch holder before the sleeve stitches are joined to the body for yoke knitting.

Yoke Construction

Once the body and both sleeves are complete, all pieces are joined on a 3.5 mm, 60 cm circular needle from the right side. The right front, first sleeve, back, second sleeve, and left front stitches are picked up in sequence, creating a unified yoke. The yoke is then worked in rounds with shaping decreases to create the characteristic rounded silhouette of a classic Icelandic cardigan yoke. The two-colour design, using colour A (Fjallalopi 3025 Mountain Blue) and colour B (Fjallalopi 3001 Light Moorit), is incorporated into the yoke section, adding a traditional stranded colourwork element to the design.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Knit stitch – the primary stitch used throughout the body, sleeves, and yoke
• k2tog (knit two together) – a right-leaning decrease used for body and yoke shaping
• Working in the round – on circular needles, used for body, sleeves, and yoke