Marian Cardigan

Marian Cardigan by Taiga Hilliard Designs

What is Being Made

The Marian Cardigan is a classic women's cardigan featuring a feminine flared back silhouette. This advanced knitting project is designed as a top-down construction, offering a refined and elegant garment suitable for intermediate to experienced knitters. The cardigan is available in nine sizes ranging from XXS to 4XL, with chest measurements from 29 inches to 51 inches, making it accessible for a wide range of body types.

Construction Method and Techniques

The Marian Cardigan employs a top-down knitting method, which allows knitters to try on the garment as they work and easily adjust the length to their preference. The sleeves are knit in the round using circular needles, creating seamless, professional-looking sleeve caps. The lace pattern featured in this cardigan is provided in both charted format and written-out instructions, accommodating different knitting preferences and skill levels. The flared back is achieved through strategic increases that create shaping and movement in the lower body of the garment.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques Used

This advanced pattern incorporates several fundamental and decorative knitting stitches and techniques:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) stitches form the foundation of the fabric
• Slip, Slip, Knit (SSK) – a left-leaning decrease used for shaping and lace work
• Knit Two Together (K2tog) – a right-leaning decrease for shaping and decorative elements
• Knit into Front and Back (Kfb) – an increase that creates two stitches from one, used for shaping the flared back
• Purl into Front and Back (Pfb) – a purl-side increase for shaping
• Make One (M1) – a lifted increase created by picking up the horizontal strand between stitches from back to front and knitting through the back loop, used for seamless shaping
• Lace stitches – decorative openwork created through coordinated decreases and yarn overs
• Slip Marker (Sm) – used to track pattern repeats and construction sections

Materials Required

The Marian Cardigan is designed to be knit with Mary Gavan Yarns Cuesta, and yardage requirements vary by size. The smallest size (XXS) requires 800 yards, while the largest size (4XL) requires 1,500 yards. This yardage range allows knitters to select the appropriate amount based on their chosen size.

Two needle sizes are required for this project: US 6 (4.00 mm) needles for the main fabric and US 5 (3.75 mm) needles for ribbing or edging, though knitters should adjust needle sizes as needed to achieve the correct gauge. Both straight needles and circular needles are necessary, with circular needles used for the in-the-round sleeve construction and straight needles for flat sections.

The pattern calls for 11 to 12 buttons for the cardigan front closure and two colors of markers to help track different sections of the pattern during knitting.

Gauge

The pattern is designed to a gauge of 20 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches in the main stitch pattern. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper fit, particularly given the range of sizes offered and the fitted nature of the cardigan design.