Cable Comfort Raglan Cardigan

A seamless top-down raglan cardigan with classic 6-stitch rope cables on both fronts, the back, and each sleeve. Worked flat through the body and in the round for the sleeves. Intermediate.

Sizes

Small (Medium, Large, XL, 2XL) To fit bust 34–36 (38–40, 42–44, 46–48, 50–52)" with approximately 2–4" positive ease.

Finished Measurements

• Bust (buttoned): 38¼ (42¾, 46¼, 50¾, 54¼)"
• Yoke depth (raglan): 8 (8¾, 9¼, 10, 10¾)"
• Upper arm: 12½ (13¾, 14¾, 15½, 17)"
• Body length from underarm: 14 (14½, 15, 15½, 16)"
• Sleeve length from underarm: 18 (18, 18½, 19, 19)"

Yarn

Worsted weight yarn; approximately 1100 (1250, 1400, 1600, 1800) yards. Sample uses a smooth wool or wool-blend worsted (≈200 yd / 100 g).

Needles

• US 8 / 5 mm circular needle, 32–40" (body & yoke)
• US 8 / 5 mm DPNs or long circular for magic loop (sleeves)
• US 7 / 4.5 mm circular needle, 32–40" (ribbing & bands)
• US 7 / 4.5 mm DPNs or magic loop (cuffs)

Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain gauge.

Notions

• 4 stitch markers for raglans (plus 2 optional cable markers per section)
• Waste yarn or stitch holders
• Cable needle
• 6 buttons, ¾" diameter
• Tapestry needle
• Row counter (recommended)

Gauge

18 stitches and 24 rows = 4" / 10 cm in stockinette stitch on US 8 / 5 mm needles, blocked. Cable panel (8 sts) measures approximately 1½" wide after blocking. Swatch both stockinette and the cable panel; cables pull inward. Block swatch firmly.

Abbreviations (US)

• BO: bind off
• CN: cable needle
• CO: cast on
• k: knit
• k2tog: knit 2 together
• m: marker
• M1L: make 1 left (lift strand between sts from front to back, k through back loop)
• M1R: make 1 right (lift strand between sts from back to front, k through front loop)
• p: purl
• pm: place marker
• RS: right side
• sm: slip marker
• ssk: slip-slip-knit
• st(s): stitch(es)
• St st: stockinette stitch
• WS: wrong side
• wyif: with yarn in front
• yo: yarn over

Cables

• C6B: slip 3 sts to CN and hold at back, k3, k3 from CN
• C6F: slip 3 sts to CN and hold at front, k3, k3 from CN

Stitch Patterns

1×1 Rib (flat) Row 1 (RS): *K1, p1; rep from * to end. Row 2 (WS): *K1, p1; rep from * to end. (Repeat these 2 rows; on even st counts this produces aligned columns.)

1×1 Rib (in the round) Every rnd: *K1, p1; rep from * to end.

Rope Cable Panel (8 sts) Row/Rnd 1 (RS): P1, C6B (or C6F), p1. Rows/Rnds 2–8: P1, k6, p1. Repeat Rows/Rnds 1–8 for pattern. (Use C6B on right half of garment / right sleeve; C6F on left half / left sleeve for mirrored ropes. Back uses one of each.)

Stockinette Stitch Flat: Knit RS rows, purl WS rows. In the round: Knit every round.

Notes

• Cardigan is worked flat from the neck down. Sleeves are worked in the round.
• Raglan increases: On RS rows, work to 1 st before marker, M1R, k1, sm, k1, M1L. This adds 8 sts every RS row (2 sts at each of 4 raglan lines).
• Cable panels are established on the initial cast-on stitches for fronts and back. Sleeve cables begin once each sleeve section reaches 12 sts.
• Keep cable panels aligned as raglan increases add stockinette stitches only at the raglan edges.
• Buttonholes are worked on the Right Front band (wearer’s right).
• When instructed to work “as established,” maintain all cable panels and stockinette sections; work increased stitches in stockinette.
• Inline counts are validated with ✓.

PATTERN

Yoke

With US 8 / 5 mm circular needle and long-tail cast-on, CO 76 (84, 92, 96, 108) sts.

Set-up row (WS): P14 (16, 18, 20, 22), pm (raglan), p4 (4, 4, 2, 4), pm, p40 (44, 48, 52, 56), pm, p4 (4, 4, 2, 4), pm, p14 (16, 18, 20, 22). [14 + 4 + 40 + 4 + 14 = 76 ✓; 16+4+44+4+16=84 ✓; 18+4+48+4+18=92 ✓; 20+2+52+2+20=96 ✓; 22+4+56+4+22=108 ✓]

Establish cables and begin raglan shaping

Row 1 (RS) – Cable set-up + increase row:

• Right Front: K3 (4, 5, 6, 7), work Rope Cable Panel with C6B over next 8 sts, k3 (4, 5, 6, 7) to 1 st before m, M1R, k1, sm,
• Right Sleeve: k1, M1L, k to 1 st before m, M1R, k1, sm,
• Back: k1, M1L, k7 (9, 11, 13, 15), work Rope Cable Panel with C6B over next 8 sts, k8, work Rope Cable Panel with C6F over next 8 sts, k7 (9, 11, 13, 15) to 1 st before m, M1R, k1, sm,
• Left Sleeve: k1, M1L, k to 1 st before m, M1R, k1, sm,
• Left Front: k1, M1L, k3 (4, 5, 6, 7), work Rope Cable Panel with C6F over next 8 sts, k3 (4, 5, 6, 7).

Stitch count after Row 1: 84 (92, 100, 104, 116) sts [+8 ✓].

Row 2 (WS): Work sts as they appear (purl the knit sts, knit the purl sts; purl all increased sts). Slip markers.

Continue working Rope Cable Panels every 8th row (Row 1 of cable = cable cross) and stockinette elsewhere, and at the same time work raglan increases as set on every RS row a further 23 (25, 27, 29, 31) times (total of 24 (26, 28, 30, 32) increase rows).

Sleeve cable establishment: When each sleeve section first reaches 12 sts on a RS row, work the center 8 sts as Rope Cable Panel (C6B on right sleeve, C6F on left sleeve) with remaining sts in St st. Maintain thereafter. (Occurs after 4 (4, 4, 5, 4) increase rows on the sleeves.)

After all 24 (26, 28, 30, 32) increase rows have been worked, stitch counts are:

• Each Front: 38 (42, 46, 50, 54) sts [14+24=38 ✓; 16+26=42 ✓; 18+28=46 ✓; 20+30=50 ✓; 22+32=54 ✓]
• Each Sleeve: 52 (56, 60, 62, 68) sts [4+48=52 ✓; 4+52=56 ✓; 4+56=60 ✓; 2+60=62 ✓; 4+64=68 ✓]
• Back: 88 (96, 104, 112, 120) sts [40+48=88 ✓; 44+52=96 ✓; 48+56=104 ✓; 52+60=112 ✓; 56+64=120 ✓]
• Total: 268 (292, 316, 336, 364) sts [38+52+88+52+38=268 ✓ etc.]

Work 1 WS row even as established. Yoke measures approximately 8 (8¾, 9¼, 10, 10¾)" from CO edge.

Divide Body and Sleeves

Division row (RS): Work 38 (42, 46, 50, 54) Right Front sts as established, place next 52 (56, 60, 62, 68) sleeve sts on waste yarn, CO 4 (6, 6, 8, 8) underarm sts using backward-loop, work 88 (96, 104, 112, 120) Back sts as established, place next 52 (56, 60, 62, 68) sleeve sts on waste yarn, CO 4 (6, 6, 8, 8) underarm sts, work 38 (42, 46, 50, 54) Left Front sts as established.

Body stitches: 172 (192, 208, 228, 244) sts [38+4+88+4+38=172 ✓; 42+6+96+6+42=192 ✓; 46+6+104+6+46=208 ✓; 50+8+112+8+50=228 ✓; 54+8+120+8+54=244 ✓].

Body

Working flat on body sts only, continue in pattern as established (cable panels continue on their original columns; underarm CO sts are worked in St st) until body measures 13 (13½, 14, 14½, 15)" from underarm division, ending after a WS row. At the same time, when body measures approximately 12½ (13, 13½, 14, 14½)" you may optionally place a removable marker at each front edge for button-band pickup reference.

Hem ribbing Change to US 7 / 4.5 mm needle. Work in 1×1 Rib for 1". BO loosely in rib.

Sleeves (make 2)

Return 52 (56, 60, 62, 68) held sleeve sts to US 8 / 5 mm DPNs or magic-loop needle. With RS facing, pick up and knit 2 (3, 3, 4, 4) sts along first half of underarm CO, pm for beginning of round (underarm center), pick up and knit 2 (3, 3, 4, 4) sts along remaining underarm CO, then knit the sleeve sts, working cable panel as established.
Total sleeve sts: 56 (62, 66, 70, 76) [52+4=56 ✓; 56+6=62 ✓; 60+6=66 ✓; 62+8=70 ✓; 68+8=76 ✓].

Join to work in the round. Work even in pattern (cable panel continues; all other sts knit) until sleeve measures 16 (16, 16½, 17, 17)" from underarm, or 2" short of desired length.

Decrease for cuff (evenly spaced): Next rnd: Knit, decreasing 8 (10, 10, 12, 12) sts evenly spaced around (use k2tog).
48 (52, 56, 58, 64) sts remain.

Cuff Change to US 7 / 4.5 mm needles. Work in 1×1 Rib for 2". BO loosely in rib.

Repeat for second sleeve.

Button Bands and Neckband

With US 7 / 4.5 mm circular needle and RS facing, beginning at lower Right Front hem edge, pick up and knit approximately 3 sts for every 4 rows along Right Front edge to neck CO, pick up and knit 1 st in each CO st across back neck and sleeve tops (the original neck edge), then pick up and knit the same number of sts down Left Front edge to lower hem as you did on the Right Front.
Total picked-up sts must be even; adjust by 1 st if needed while picking up.

Count and mark buttonholes (Right Front only): Place 6 removable markers on the Right Front pickup for buttonholes. Position the first marker approximately ½" above the hem and the last marker approximately ½" below the neck edge; space the remaining 4 markers evenly between them.

Band row 1 (WS): Work in 1×1 Rib to end. Band row 2 (RS): Work in 1×1 Rib, and at each buttonhole marker work a buttonhole: yo, k2tog (or p2tog if that maintains the rib column). Remove markers as you go. Continue in 1×1 Rib until band measures 1¼" from pickup, ending after a WS row. BO loosely in rib on RS.

Finishing

Weave in all ends neatly on WS. Block piece to finished measurements, pinning cables so they lie flat and open slightly; allow to dry completely. Sew 6 buttons to Left Front band, opposite buttonholes. Steam or lightly wet-block bands if needed for a clean edge.

Schematic key measurements (blocked)

• Bust width (one front + half back, buttoned): 19⅛ (21⅜, 23⅛, 25⅜, 27⅛)"
• Total length (center back neck to hem): approximately 22 (23¼, 24¼, 25½, 26¾)"
• Sleeve length (underarm to cuff): 18 (18, 18½, 19, 19)"

Enjoy your cable cardigan!