Marianne Cardigan in Berroco Vellina - Downloadable PDF

Marianne Cardigan in Berroco Vellina — Knitting Pattern Summary

The Marianne Cardigan is a beautifully designed, intermediate-level knitting pattern created by Åsa Buchta and published by Berroco. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern delivers a classic, wearable cardigan with elegant A-line shaping and thoughtful construction details that make it a rewarding project for knitters ready to move beyond the basics.

What Is Being Made

The Marianne Cardigan is a bottom-up, seamless cardigan worked in one piece through the body, then divided at the underarms for the back and fronts. It features A-line shaping through the body, shoulder shaping worked with short rows, and sleeves that are picked up and worked in the round rather than seamed. The finished garment is closed with seven ¾" / 19 mm buttons. With ten sizes available — ranging from a 32" to 68" finished bust — this pattern is designed to fit a wide range of bodies, and is shown in size 2 (36" / 91.5 cm bust) with approximately 1" of positive ease. The recommended ease is 0–4" of positive ease, making it a versatile fit from close-fitting to relaxed.

Construction Techniques

• Bottom-up, one-piece construction: The body is worked as a single piece from the hem upward, minimizing seaming and ensuring a smooth, continuous fabric through the torso.
• A-line shaping: Strategic increases and decreases create a flattering silhouette that is wider at the hem and tapers toward the waist and bust.
• Short row shoulder shaping: Short rows are used to shape the shoulders for a more refined, professional fit, preventing the common problem of a back neckline that rides up.
• Picked-up sleeves worked in the round: Rather than knitting flat sleeve pieces and seaming them in, stitches are picked up around the armhole and the sleeves are worked in the round from the top down, eliminating sleeve seams entirely.
• 3-needle bind off: A spare needle is used for a 3-needle bind off, a technique that joins two sets of live stitches together while simultaneously casting them off, creating a neat and sturdy seam — commonly used at the shoulder joins.
• Waste yarn stitch holders: Stitches are placed on waste yarn to hold them while other sections are worked, a flexible and knitter-friendly alternative to rigid stitch holders.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st): The primary stitch pattern used throughout the body and sleeves, creating a smooth, classic knitted fabric. Gauge in stockinette is 20 stitches and 28 rows = 4" / 10 cm on the larger needles.
• Moss stitch: A textured stitch pattern — alternating knit and purl stitches in a specific offset arrangement — used as a design detail, likely for borders, bands, or trim sections. Gauge in moss stitch is 20 stitches and 32 rows/rounds = 4" / 10 cm on the larger needles, reflecting its slightly denser row gauge compared to stockinette.

Materials — Yarn

The pattern calls for Berroco Vellina, a worsted weight yarn sold in 100 g balls. The sample shown uses colorway #5013 Camouflage. Depending on size, the pattern requires between 6 and 9 balls of Berroco Vellina — specifically:

• Sizes 1–2: 6 balls
• Sizes 3–5: 7 balls
• Sizes 6–7: 8 balls
• Sizes 8–9: 8–9 balls
• Size 10: 9 balls

Berroco Vellina is a worsted weight yarn known for its smooth, slightly lustrous texture, which suits the