Womans Cardigan in Sirdar Country Style 4 Ply - 7044 - Downloadable PDF

Womens Cardigan Knitting Pattern in Sirdar Country Style 4 Ply – Pattern 7044

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Sirdar provides full instructions for knitting a classic womens cardigan in Sirdar Country Style 4 Ply yarn. The design is available in six sizes, covering dress sizes 10 through 20, with chest measurements ranging from 81 cm (32 inches) to 107 cm (42 inches). The finished actual measurements range from 86 cm to 111 cm across the chest, making this a gently relaxed-fit garment with a little ease built in for comfort and movement. Full lengths range from 53 cm to 61 cm depending on size, and the sleeve length is listed as adjustable, starting at approximately 43 cm and extending to 47 cm across the size range.

What Is Being Made

The pattern instructs knitters in constructing a womens button-front cardigan with set-in or shaped sleeves. The cardigan is a timeless wardrobe staple, worked in a fine 4 ply weight yarn for a lightweight, elegant finish that is suitable for layering across multiple seasons. The garment features a structured back, a left front and right front with button bands, and sleeves with an adjustable length, giving knitters flexibility to customise the fit to their preference. The cardigan fastens with 5 or 6 buttons depending on the size being made.

Techniques Used

• Thumb method cast on – the pattern specifies this cast-on technique for starting both the back and the left front sections, producing a neat and slightly elastic edge well suited to ribbed or textured borders.
• Tension swatch and needle adjustment – the pattern places strong emphasis on achieving the correct tension before beginning, instructing knitters to switch to a thinner needle if fewer stitches are produced and a thicker needle if more stitches appear. This is essential when working in 4 ply, where small gauge differences can significantly affect the finished dimensions.
• Shaping through decreasing and increasing – standard knitting shaping techniques such as decrease (dec) and increase (inc) are used throughout to shape the armholes, sleeves, and neckline.
• Casting off – sections such as the shoulders are completed with a standard cast-off row, with the pattern specifying the exact number of remaining stitches to cast off at each stage.
• Working in pattern – the pattern uses a defined stitch pattern for the borders and lower sections, with the main body worked in stocking stitch throughout.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st-st) – the primary stitch used across the main body of the cardigan, formed by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side. This produces the smooth, classic fabric associated with fine knitwear and is specified as the stitch used throughout the main body sections.
• C2B (Cable 2 Back) – a two-stitch cable worked by knitting into the front of the second stitch on the left-hand needle, then the front of the first stitch, slipping both stitches off the needle together. This creates a right-leaning twist and is used in the decorative border pattern.
• C2F (Cable 2 Front) – a two-stitch cable worked by knitting into the back of the second stitch on the left-hand needle, then the front of the first stitch, slipping both stitches off the needle together. This creates a left-leaning twist and is paired with C2B in the border pattern.
• Purl (p) – used both as part of the stocking stitch structure and within the cable border pattern, where purl stitches separate the C2B and C2F cable twists to create a defined textured rib effect.
• Knit (k) – the fundamental knit stitch, forming the right-side rows of stocking stitch and contributing to the cable twist stitches.
• Yarn round needle (yrn) – referenced in the abbreviations, this technique is used to create a yarn-over eyelet, typically employed in buttonhole construction within the button band.

Materials Required

The pattern calls for Sirdar Country Style 4 Ply yarn in shade 621, referenced with the code F097. The quantity