purlJam

# Classic Stockinette Cardigan

A timeless, beginner-friendly cardigan worked flat in four pieces and seamed. Smooth stockinette body, neat 1×1 rib edges, set-in sleeves and a tidy round neckline with a five-button front. Perfect first garment project.

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## MATERIALS

- **Yarn:** Worsted weight (Aran), approx. 1200–1800 m total depending on size.
  - XS: 1200 m | S: 1350 m | M: 1500 m | L: 1650 m | XL: 1800 m
- **Needles:**
  - 4.5 mm (UK 7 / US 7) straight or circular — main fabric
  - 3.75 mm (UK 9 / US 5) straight or circular — ribbing and button bands
- **Notions:** Stitch markers, stitch holders or scrap yarn, tapestry needle, 5 buttons (approx. 18–20 mm diameter), sewing needle and thread to match buttons.

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## TENSION (GAUGE)

**20 sts × 26 rows = 10 cm (4")** in stocking stitch on 4.5 mm needles, after blocking.

*Always knit a tension swatch and adjust needle size if necessary.*

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## SIZES

Pattern is written for 5 sizes: **XS (S, M, L, XL)**

| Measurement | XS | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finished bust | 84 cm (33") | 94 cm (37") | 104 cm (41") | 114 cm (45") | 124 cm (49") |
| Body length (hem to underarm) | 33 cm (13") | 33 cm | 33 cm | 33 cm | 33 cm |
| Armhole depth | 19 cm (7½") | 20 cm (8") | 21 cm (8¼") | 22 cm (8¾") | 23 cm (9") |
| Total length | 52 cm (20½") | 53 cm | 54 cm | 55 cm | 56 cm |
| Sleeve length to underarm | 43 cm (17") | 43 cm | 44 cm | 44 cm | 45 cm |
| Upper sleeve width | 30 cm (12") | 32 cm | 34 cm | 36 cm | 38 cm |

Designed with approx. 3–5 cm (1–2") positive ease at the bust.

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## ABBREVIATIONS

- **k** – knit
- **p** – purl
- **st(s)** – stitch(es)
- **RS** – right side
- **WS** – wrong side
- **k2tog** – knit 2 stitches together (right-leaning decrease)
- **ssk** – slip, slip, knit slipped sts together (left-leaning decrease)
- **BO** – bind off (cast off)
- **CO** – cast on
- **rep** – repeat
- **beg** – beginning
- **rem** – remaining
- **st st** – stocking stitch (k on RS, p on WS)

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## NOTES

- Cardigan is worked flat in four pieces: Back, Left Front, Right Front, and two Sleeves. Pieces are seamed, then button bands are picked up along the front edges.
- All shaping is done on right side (RS) rows where possible.
- Slip the first stitch of every row purlwise with yarn in back for a neat selvage if desired (optional).
- Front pieces include a 2-st overlap that becomes part of the button band area.

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## BACK

With 3.75 mm needles, CO **84 (94, 104, 114, 124) sts**.

**Ribbing:** Row 1 (RS): *k1, p1; rep from * to end. Row 2 (WS): *p1, k1; rep from * to end.
Continue in 1×1 rib for 5 cm (2"), ending after a WS row.

Change to 4.5 mm needles.

Work in st st (k on RS, p on WS) until piece measures **33 cm (13")** from cast-on edge, ending after a WS row.

### Armhole shaping

BO 4 sts at beg of next 2 rows. **76 (86, 96, 106, 116) sts rem.**

Decrease row (RS): k1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. (2 sts decreased)

Work decrease row every RS row **4 (5, 5, 6, 6) times** total.
**68 (76, 86, 94, 104) sts rem.**

*Math check: 76 − (2×4) = 68 ✓ for XS; 86 − (2×5) = 76 ✓; 96 − (2×5) = 86 ✓; 106 − (2×6) = 94 ✓; 116 − (2×6) = 104 ✓*

Continue straight in st st until armhole measures **19 (20, 21, 22, 23) cm**, ending after a WS row.

### Shoulder & neck

BO 7 (8, 9, 10, 11) sts at beg of next 4 rows.
BO rem **40 (44, 50, 54, 60) sts** for back neck.

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## FRONTS

*Make 2 — one Left Front and one Right Front. Instructions are written for the Left Front, with notes for Right Front shaping in [brackets].*

### LEFT FRONT

With 3.75 mm needles, CO **44 (49, 54, 59, 64) sts**.

**Ribbing:** Work in 1×1 rib (as for Back) for 5 cm (2"), ending after a WS row.

Change to 4.5 mm needles.

Work in st st until piece measures **33 cm (13")** from cast-on edge, ending after a WS row.

### Armhole shaping (armhole edge = beg of RS row)

BO 4 sts at beg of next RS row. **40 (45, 50, 55, 60) sts rem.**

Decrease row (RS): k1, ssk, knit to end. (1 st decreased)

Work decrease row every RS row **4 (5, 5, 6, 6) times** total.
**36 (40, 45, 49, 54) sts rem.**

Continue straight until armhole measures **12 (12, 13, 13, 14) cm**, ending after a RS row (ready to begin neck shaping on next WS row… *correction: neck shaping begins on RS row — work one more row if needed to end after WS row*).

### Neck shaping

With WS facing, BO **8 (8, 9, 9, 10) sts** at beg of next WS row (neck edge). **28 (32, 36, 40, 44) sts rem.**

Neck decrease row (RS): knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
Rep neck decrease every RS row **0 (0, 0, 0, 0) more times… see chart below**:

Decrease 1 st at neck edge every RS row **0 (1, 2, 3, 3) times**, then every other RS row (every 4th row) **0 (0, 0, 0, 1) times**, until **28 (31, 34, 37, 40) sts rem**.

*Math check: 28 − 0 = 28 ✓; 32 − 1 = 31 ✓; 36 − 2 = 34 ✓; 40 − 3 = 37 ✓; 44 − (3+1) = 40 ✓*

Continue straight until armhole measures **19 (20, 21, 22, 23) cm**, ending after a WS row.

### Shoulder shaping

BO 7 (8, 9, 10, 11) sts at beg of next RS row (armhole edge).
Work 1 WS row.
BO 7 (8, 9, 10, 11) sts at beg of next RS row.
**14 (15, 16, 17, 18) sts rem.**

BO rem sts. *(These 14–18 sts represent shoulder + 2-st button band overlap that will be hidden under the band.)*

### RIGHT FRONT

Work as for Left Front, **reversing all shaping**:
- Armhole BO at beg of WS row (so armhole is at end of RS row).
- Armhole decrease row (RS): k1, k2tog, knit to end.
- Neck BO at beg of RS row.
- Neck decrease row (RS): k1, ssk, knit to end.
- Shoulder BO at beg of WS rows.

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## SLEEVES (make 2)

With 3.75 mm needles, CO **40 (42, 46, 48, 52) sts**.

Work in 1×1 rib for 6 cm (2½"), ending after a WS row.

Change to 4.5 mm needles. Begin st st.

### Sleeve shaping

Increase row (RS): k2, M1 (or kfb), knit to last 2 sts, M1, k2. (2 sts increased)

Work increase row every **8th row 8 (9, 9, 10, 10) times** total.
**56 (60, 64, 68, 72) sts.**

*Math check: 40 + (2×8) = 56 ✓; 42 + (2×9) = 60 ✓; 46 + (2×9) = 64 ✓; 48 + (2×10) = 68 ✓; 52 + (2×10) = 72 ✓*

Continue straight until sleeve measures **43 (43, 44, 44, 45) cm** from cast-on, ending after a WS row.

### Sleeve cap shaping

BO 4 sts at beg of next 2 rows. **48 (52, 56, 60, 64) sts rem.**

Decrease row (RS): k1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.

Work decrease row every RS row **12 (13, 14, 15, 16) times** total.
**24 (26, 28, 30, 32) sts rem.**

BO 3 sts at beg of next 4 rows. **12 (14, 16, 18, 20) sts rem.**

BO rem sts.

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## BUTTON BANDS

### Seaming first

Block all pieces to schematic measurements. Sew shoulder seams. Set in sleeves, easing cap into armhole. Sew side and underarm seams.

### Button Band (Left Front for women, Right Front for men — choose your preference)

With 3.75 mm needles, RS facing, beginning at neck edge, pick up and knit **approximately 5 sts for every 6 rows** along front edge — aim for a stitch count divisible by 2 plus 1, approximately **90 (92, 94, 96, 98) sts**.

Row 1 (WS): p1, *k1, p1; rep from * to end.
Row 2 (RS): k1, *p1, k1; rep from * to end.
Rep these 2 rows until band measures **2.5 cm (1")**, ending after a WS row. BO loosely in pattern.

### Buttonhole Band

Mark positions for **5 buttons** evenly spaced on the button band, with the top button 1.5 cm from neck edge and the bottom button 1.5 cm from hem edge.

Pick up sts along opposite front edge as for button band — same count.

Work as button band until piece measures **1 cm**, ending after a WS row.

**Buttonhole row (RS):** Work in rib to first buttonhole marker, *yo, k2tog (or p2tog as pattern dictates), work in rib to next marker; rep from * 4 more times, work in rib to end.

Continue in rib until band measures 2.5 cm. BO loosely in pattern.

### Neckband

With 3.75 mm needles, RS facing, beginning at top of buttonhole band, pick up and knit sts around neckline: approximately **80 (84, 88, 92, 96) sts** total, including the bound-off back neck sts and shaped front neck edges.

Work in 1×1 rib for 2 cm (¾"). BO loosely in pattern.

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## FINISHING

1. Weave in all ends on the wrong side.
2. Sew buttons onto button band opposite buttonholes.
3. Gently steam-block or wet-block the finished cardigan to even out stitches and set the seams.
4. Allow to dry flat, then wear with pride!

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*Enjoy your new handmade cardigan!*