Cedarwood Cardigan

A seamless top-down raglan cardigan in worsted weight

Relaxed, layering-friendly cardigan worked in one piece from the neck down. Four raglan lines shape the yoke; sleeves are set aside at the underarm and worked later in the round. A single ribbed band is picked up along both fronts and around the neck, with seven buttonholes.

Skill level: Intermediate

Sizes

Women’s Small (Medium, Large, XL, 2XL) To fit bust: 34–36 (38–40, 42–44, 46–48, 50–52)" / 86.5–91.5 (96.5–101.5, 106.5–112, 117–122, 127–132) cm Finished bust (fronts meeting, bands overlap): 38¼ (41¾, 46¼, 49¾, 54¼)" / 97 (106, 117.5, 126.5, 138) cm Intended ease: 2–4" / 5–10 cm positive ease at the bust

Shown in size Medium. Choose the size closest to your bust + 2–4" / 5–10 cm.

Finished measurements (after blocking)

Sleeves are generously eased for layering.

Yarn

Worsted-weight wool or wool blend Approximately: 1100 (1280, 1480, 1680, 1920) yd / 1005 (1170, 1355, 1535, 1755) m Sample equivalent: 5 (6, 7, 8, 9) skeins at 220 yd / 201 m per 100 g

Use a yarn that gives a clear stockinette fabric and holds a rib. Wool, wool/alpaca, and wool/nylon blends all work. Cotton will grow; if substituting plant fiber, swatch and wash before committing to a size.

Needles

• US 8 / 5 mm 32–40" / 80–100 cm circular for yoke and body; DPNs or a long circular for magic-loop sleeves
• US 6 / 4 mm 32–40" / 80–100 cm circular for hem, cuffs, and button band; DPNs or magic loop for cuffs

Adjust needle size to obtain gauge. Ribbing is worked one size smaller than stockinette.

Notions

• 8 stitch markers (4 distinct for raglan lines, plus extras)
• Waste yarn or stitch holders
• Tapestry needle
• 7 buttons, ¾" / 19 mm
• Sewing needle and thread for buttons

Gauge

Swatch (required). With US 8 / 5 mm, cast on 28 stitches. Work in stockinette stitch (knit RS, purl WS) for 6" / 15 cm. Bind off. Wet-block and let dry fully. Measure the center 4" / 10 cm.

Target gauge: 18 stitches and 24 rows = 4" / 10 cm in stockinette stitch, blocked, on US 8 / 5 mm.

Row gauge matters for yoke depth and sleeve length. If you have stitch gauge but not row gauge, follow inch measurements rather than row counts.

Ribbing gauge on US 6 / 4 mm is approximately 20 stitches = 4" / 10 cm (used for band width only).

Abbreviations (US)

BO — bind off BOR — beginning of round CO — cast on k — knit k2tog — knit 2 together (right-leaning decrease) M1L — make 1 left: lift the strand between needles from front to back, knit through the back loop M1R — make 1 right: lift the strand between needles from back to front, knit through the front loop p — purl pm — place marker RS — right side slm — slip marker ssk — slip, slip, knit (left-leaning decrease) st(s) — stitch(es) St st — stockinette stitch WS — wrong side wyif — with yarn in front yo — yarn over

Notes

• The cardigan is worked flat through the yoke and body, then the sleeves are worked in the round.
• Raglan lines are a single knit stitch between paired markers. Increases (M1R, slm, k1, slm, M1L) sit on each side of that stitch — 8 stitches increased on every RS row.
• The four raglan stitches stay with the body at the divide.
• Buttonholes sit on the Right Front (as worn), which is standard for women’s garments. Reverse placement for a men’s or left-over-right closure.
• When a single number is given, it applies to all sizes. Work the numbers that match your size throughout.
• Stitch counts appear in bold after key rows, with a check that the arithmetic holds.

Pattern

Neck and yoke

With US 8 / 5 mm circular needle and using a long-tail cast-on, CO 64 (68, 80, 84, 92) sts.

Setup row (WS): Purl 8 (9, 12, 13, 14), pm, p1, pm, p 8 (8, 10, 10, 12), pm, p1, pm, p 28 (30, 32, 34, 36), pm, p1, pm, p 8 (8, 10, 10, 12), pm, p1, pm, p 8 (9, 12, 13, 14).

Sections are now: Right Front | raglan | Right Sleeve | raglan | Back | raglan | Left Sleeve | raglan | Left Front. (64 = 8+1+8+1+28+1+8+1+8 ✓; 68 = 9+1+8+1+30+1+8+1+9 ✓; 80 = 12+1+10+1+32+1+10+1+12 ✓; 84 = 13+1+10+1+34+1+10+1+13 ✓; 92 = 14+1+12+1+36+1+12+1+14 ✓)

Raglan Increase Row (RS): *Knit to marker, M1R, slm, k1, slm, M1L; repeat from * 3 more times, knit to end. 8 sts increased.

WS row: Purl to end, slipping markers.

Repeat the last 2 rows 25 (27, 30, 32, 35) more times — 26 (28, 31, 33, 36) Raglan Increase Rows in total.

Stitch count after all increases: 272 (292, 328, 348, 380) sts (64 + 8×26 = 64 + 208 = 272 ✓; 68 + 8×28 = 68 + 224 = 292 ✓; 80 + 8×31 = 80 + 248 = 328 ✓; 84 + 8×33 = 84 + 264 = 348 ✓; 92 + 8×36 = 92 + 288 = 380 ✓)

Section counts:

• Each front: 34 (37, 43, 46, 50)
• Each sleeve: 60 (64, 72, 76, 84)
• Back: 80 (86, 94, 100, 108)
• Raglan stitches: 4 (S: 34+60+80+60+34+4 = 272 ✓; M: 37+64+86+64+37+4 = 292 ✓; L: 43+72+94+72+43+4 = 328 ✓; XL: 46+76+100+76+46+4 = 348 ✓; 2XL: 50+84+108+84+50+4 = 380 ✓)

Yoke should measure approximately 8¾ (9¼, 10¼, 11, 12)" / 22 (23.5, 26, 28, 30.5) cm from the cast-on edge at the center back. If you are short of that depth, work even in St st (no increases) to length, ending with a WS row. If you have already reached depth before finishing the listed increase rows, continue the remaining increases — stitch count, not row count, sets the bust and sleeve width.

End with a WS row.

Divide body and sleeves

Divide row (RS): Knit 34 (37, 43, 46, 50) Right Front sts, k1 (raglan), remove markers.

Place the next 60 (64, 72, 76, 84) Right Sleeve sts on waste yarn, removing sleeve markers. Using a backward-loop or cable cast-on, CO 10 (12, 12, 14, 16) underarm sts.

K1 (next raglan), knit 80 (86, 94, 100, 108) Back sts, k1 (raglan), remove markers.

Place the next 60 (64, 72, 76, 84) Left Sleeve sts on waste yarn. CO 10 (12, 12, 14, 16) underarm sts.

K1 (last raglan), knit 34 (37, 43, 46, 50) Left Front sts.

Body now has 172 (188, 208, 224, 244) sts. (S: 34+1+10+1+80+1+10+1+34 = 172 ✓; M: 37+1+12+1+86+1+12+1+37 = 188 ✓; L: 43+1+12+1+94+1+12+1+43 = 208 ✓; XL: 46+1+14+1+100+1+14+1+46 = 224 ✓; 2XL: 50+1+16+1+108+1+16+1+50 = 244 ✓)

Optional: place a side marker at the center of each underarm cast-on to mark the “side seams.”

Body

Working flat in St st (knit RS, purl WS) on 172 (188, 208, 224, 244) sts, continue until the body measures 13½ (14, 14½, 15, 15½)" / 34.5 (35.5, 37, 38, 39.5) cm from the underarm divide, ending with a WS row.

Hem Change to US 6 / 4 mm needle.

Rib row (RS): *K2, p2; repeat from * to end. (172, 188, 208, 224, 244 are all multiples of 4 ✓)

Rib row (WS): *K2, p2; repeat from * to end (as they face you: knit the knits, purl the purls).

Continue 2×2 rib until the hem measures 2" / 5 cm.

Bind off loosely in rib. (If the bind-off pulls in, go up a needle size for the bind-off row only.)

Sleeves

Work both sleeves the same.

Return 60 (64, 72, 76, 84) held sleeve sts to US 8 / 5 mm DPNs or a long circular for magic loop. With RS facing, beginning at the center of the underarm cast-on, pick up and knit 5 (6, 6, 7, 8) sts along the first half of the underarm, pick up 1 extra stitch in the gap before the held sts (to close the hole), knit across the held sts, pick up 1 extra stitch in the gap, pick up and knit 5 (6, 6, 7, 8) sts along the remaining underarm. Place BOR marker.

72 (78, 86, 92, 102) sts on the needle. (60+10+2 = 72 ✓; 64+12+2 = 78 ✓; 72+12+2 = 86 ✓; 76+14+2 = 92 ✓; 84+16+2 = 102 ✓)

Next round (decrease the gap stitches): Knit to 1 st before the first extra picked-up st, k2tog, knit to the second extra picked-up st, ssk, knit to BOR. 70 (76, 84, 90, 100) sts. (72−2 = 70 ✓; 78−2 = 76 ✓; 86−2 = 84 ✓; 92−2 = 90 ✓; 102−2 = 100 ✓)

Knit 6 rounds even.

Decrease round: K1, k2tog, knit to 3 sts before BOR, ssk, k1. 2 sts decreased.

Work a Decrease round every 5th (5th, 4th, 4th, 4th) round 17 (18, 20, 21, 24) times. 36 (40, 44, 48, 52) sts remain. ((70−36)/2 = 17 ✓; (76−40)/2 = 18 ✓; (84−44)/2 = 20 ✓; (90−48)/2 = 21 ✓; (100−52)/2 = 24 ✓) (36, 40, 44, 48, 52 are all multiples of 4 ✓)

Then knit even until the sleeve measures 16 (16, 16½, 16½, 17)" / 40.5 (40.5, 42, 42, 43) cm from the underarm, or 2" / 5 cm short of desired total length.

Cuff Change to US 6 / 4 mm needles.

Work 2×2 rib (*k2, p2; repeat from * to end of round) for 2" / 5 cm.

Bind off loosely in rib.

Button band and neckband (worked in one piece)

With US 6 / 4 mm circular needle and RS facing, beginning at the lower Right Front hem edge (Right Front as worn):

Pick up and knit 109 (115, 121, 127, 133) sts evenly up the Right Front edge (about 3 sts for every 4 rows), 67 (71, 83, 87, 95) sts around the neck (1 st per cast-on stitch, plus 1 extra at each of the two front-neck corners and 1 extra at center back), and 109 (115, 121, 127, 133) sts evenly down the Left Front edge.

285 (301, 325, 341, 361) sts. (109+67+109 = 285 ✓; 115+71+115 = 301 ✓; 121+83+121 = 325 ✓; 127+87+127 = 341 ✓; 133+95+133 = 361 ✓ — all odd, so 1×1 rib begins and ends with a knit st)

Row 1 (WS): P1, *k1, p1; repeat from * to end.

Row 2 (RS): K1, *p1, k1; repeat from * to end.

Repeat Rows 1–2 once more. 4 rows of rib completed.

Buttonhole row (RS): Work in established 1×1 rib across the Right Front only, making 7 buttonholes evenly spaced as follows: Place the lowest buttonhole approximately 1" / 2.5 cm above the hem and the highest approximately ½" / 1.5 cm below the front-neck corner; space the remaining five equally between them. At each marked position, work (yo, k2tog) if the next stitch to be decreased is a knit, or (yo, p2tog) if it is a purl, then continue in rib. Work in rib across the neck and Left Front with no buttonholes.

Next row (WS): Work in rib, purling or knitting each yo through the front loop so the buttonhole stays open.

Work 3 more rows in established rib (ending with a WS row). Band measures approximately 1¼" / 3 cm.

Bind off in rib.

Finishing

Weave in all ends, closing any remaining underarm gaps with the yarn tails.

Wet-block the cardigan to the finished measurements. Pin the fronts straight, the hem even, and the sleeves to length; do not stretch the ribbing. Let dry completely.

Sew the seven buttons to the Left Front, opposite the buttonholes.

Schematic (blocked)

                    neck CO
                 _____________
                /             \
               /    raglan     \
              /                 \
             /                   \
            |                     |  yoke depth
            |                     |  8¾ (9¼, 10¼, 11, 12)"
     -------+---------------------+-------
     sleeve |        BODY         | sleeve
     upper  |  bust 38¼ (41¾,     |  15½ (17, 18¾, 20, 22¼)"
     arm    |  46¼, 49¾, 54¼)"    |
            |                     |
            |   length from       |
            |   underarm 15½      |
            |   (16, 16½, 17,     |
            |    17½)"            |
            |_____________________|
                    hem

Total length from back neck to hem: 24¼ (25¼, 26¾, 28, 29½)" / 61.5 (64, 68, 71, 75) cm. Sleeve length from underarm: 18 (18, 18½, 18½, 19)" / 45.5 (45.5, 47, 47, 48.5) cm.

Block, sew on buttons, and wear. If your row gauge differed, trust the inch measurements for yoke depth, body length, and sleeve length; the stitch counts control the width.