Classic Top-Down Raglan Cardigan

Difficulty: Intermediate

A seamless, worsted-weight raglan cardigan worked in one piece from the neck down. Four raglan lines shape the yoke; sleeves are put on hold at the underarm while the body is worked flat to the hem. Sleeves are then knit in the round. A continuous 1×1 rib band is picked up along the front edges and around the neck, with seven buttonholes on the Right Front.

Sizes

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

Shown with 2–4½" / 5–11.5 cm positive ease. Choose the size closest to your bust plus the ease you prefer.

Instructions are written for Small with larger sizes in parentheses. When only one number is given, it applies to all sizes.

Finished Measurements

Bust is the body stitch count at gauge; button bands overlap and do not add circumference.

Yarn

Worsted weight (CYCA #4).

1150 (1300, 1500, 1700, 1950) yards / 1050 (1190, 1370, 1555, 1785) m

A smooth wool or wool-blend in a worsted that knits to gauge (about 200–220 yards / 180–200 m per 100 g skein). Allow one extra skein for a longer body or a larger swatch.

Needles

• US 7 / 4.5 mm circular, 32–40" / 80–100 cm, or size needed to obtain gauge
• US 6 / 4 mm circular, 32–40" / 80–100 cm (ribbing), or one size smaller than gauge needle
• Matching DPNs or a long circular for magic loop, both sizes, for sleeves

Notions

• 4 stitch markers
• Waste yarn or extra cables (sleeve holders)
• 7 buttons, ⅝–¾" / 16–19 mm
• Tapestry needle
• Spare needle for bind-off

Gauge

Work a gauge swatch. Cast on 28 stitches with US 7 / 4.5 mm. Work in stockinette stitch (knit RS, purl WS) for 5" / 12.5 cm. Bind off. Wet-block and dry flat.

20 stitches and 26 rows = 4" / 10 cm in stockinette stitch on larger needles, blocked.

If you have too many stitches in 4" / 10 cm, use a larger needle. If you have too few, use a smaller needle. Match stitch gauge first; a small row-gauge difference is absorbed by working to the listed measurements.

Notes

• Worked flat through the yoke and body (do not join). Sleeves are worked in the round.
• RS rows begin at the Right Front (wearer’s right) and end at the Left Front.
• Raglan increases: M1R before each marker, M1L after each marker — 8 stitches every RS row.
• Buttonholes are placed on the Right Front for a women’s-style closing. Reverse bands for a men’s-style closing.
• Slip markers as you come to them unless instructed otherwise.

Abbreviations

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

Pattern

Yoke

With larger circular needle, cast on 80 (84, 96, 100, 112) stitches, placing markers as follows:

Cast on 18 (19, 21, 22, 24) sts, pm,
cast on 4 (4, 6, 6, 8) sts, pm,
cast on 36 (38, 42, 44, 48) sts, pm,
cast on 4 (4, 6, 6, 8) sts, pm,
cast on 18 (19, 21, 22, 24) sts.

Sections: Right Front 18 (19, 21, 22, 24), Sleeve 4 (4, 6, 6, 8), Back 36 (38, 42, 44, 48), Sleeve 4 (4, 6, 6, 8), Left Front 18 (19, 21, 22, 24).
Check: 18+4+36+4+18 = 80; 19+4+38+4+19 = 84; 21+6+42+6+21 = 96; 22+6+44+6+22 = 100; 24+8+48+8+24 = 112 ✓

Do not join. Work flat.

Setup Row (WS): Purl to end, slipping markers.

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

Next Row (WS): Purl.

Repeat the last 2 rows 25 (28, 30, 34, 36) more times — 26 (29, 31, 35, 37) increase rows total.

Stitch count: 80 (84, 96, 100, 112) + 8 × 26 (29, 31, 35, 37) = 288 (316, 344, 380, 408) sts ✓

Section counts:

• Right Front: 18+26 (19+29, 21+31, 22+35, 24+37) = 44 (48, 52, 57, 61)
• Sleeve: 4+52 (4+58, 6+62, 6+70, 8+74) = 56 (62, 68, 76, 82)
• Back: 36+52 (38+58, 42+62, 44+70, 48+74) = 88 (96, 104, 114, 122)
• Sleeve: 56 (62, 68, 76, 82)
• Left Front: 44 (48, 52, 57, 61)

Check: 44+56+88+56+44 = 288; 48+62+96+62+48 = 316; 52+68+104+68+52 = 344; 57+76+114+76+57 = 380; 61+82+122+82+61 = 408 ✓

Continue even in St st (knit RS, purl WS, no increases) until yoke measures 9 (9½, 10¼, 11, 11¾)" / 23 (24, 26, 28, 30) cm from the cast-on edge, measured along a raglan line, ending after a WS row.

Divide Body and Sleeves

Divide Row (RS): Knit 44 (48, 52, 57, 61) Right Front sts, remove marker, slip next 56 (62, 68, 76, 82) sleeve sts to waste yarn, remove marker, using the backward-loop (or knitted) method cast on 8 (10, 12, 12, 14) underarm sts, knit 88 (96, 104, 114, 122) Back sts, remove marker, slip next 56 (62, 68, 76, 82) sleeve sts to waste yarn, remove marker, cast on 8 (10, 12, 12, 14) underarm sts, knit 44 (48, 52, 57, 61) Left Front sts.

Body stitches: 44+8+88+8+44 = 192; 48+10+96+10+48 = 212; 52+12+104+12+52 = 232; 57+12+114+12+57 = 252; 61+14+122+14+61 = 272 ✓

Body

Working flat on 192 (212, 232, 252, 272) sts, continue in St st until body measures 12 (12½, 13, 13½, 14)" / 30.5 (32, 33, 34.5, 35.5) cm from the underarm divide, ending after a WS row.

Hem

Change to smaller needle.

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

Rib Row (WS): *K1, p1; repeat from * to end.

(On an even stitch count, repeating k1, p1 on both sides maintains 1×1 rib.)

Repeat these 2 rows until rib measures 2" / 5 cm, ending after a WS row.

Bind off loosely in rib.

Sleeves

Place 56 (62, 68, 76, 82) held sleeve sts onto larger DPNs or a circular needle for magic loop. With RS facing, beginning at the center of the underarm, pick up and knit 8 (10, 12, 12, 14) sts along the underarm cast-on, knit the held sts, and pick up any remaining underarm sts so the underarm total is 8 (10, 12, 12, 14). Join to work in the round. Pm for beginning of round at center underarm.

64 (72, 80, 88, 96) sts.
Check: 56+8 = 64; 62+10 = 72; 68+12 = 80; 76+12 = 88; 82+14 = 96 ✓

If a small hole appears at either underarm corner, pick up 1 extra stitch in the gap and decrease it on the next round (k2tog or ssk) so the count above is restored.

Knit 6 rounds even.

Decrease Round: K1, k2tog, knit to 3 sts before marker, ssk, k1. (2 sts decreased)

Repeat Decrease Round every 7 (6, 5, 5, 4)th round 11 (14, 17, 19, 22) more times — 12 (15, 18, 20, 23) decrease rounds total.

Stitches remaining: 64−24 = 40; 72−30 = 42; 80−36 = 44; 88−40 = 48; 96−46 = 50 ✓

Work even in St st until sleeve measures 15 (15½, 16, 16, 16½)" / 38 (39.5, 40.5, 40.5, 42) cm from the underarm.

Cuff

Change to smaller needles.

Work *k1, p1; repeat from * around until cuff measures 2" / 5 cm.

Bind off loosely in rib.

Work the second sleeve the same way.

Button Bands and Neckband

With smaller circular needle and RS facing, beginning at the lower Right Front corner (hem), pick up and knit 3 stitches for every 4 rows along the Right Front edge to the neck, pick up and knit 1 stitch in each cast-on stitch around the neck — 80 (84, 96, 100, 112) neck sts — then pick up and knit 3 stitches for every 4 rows down the Left Front edge to the hem.

At each of the two front-neck corners, pick up 1 extra stitch to close the angle. Total stitch count must be even for 1×1 rib; increase or decrease 1 stitch on the first rib row if needed.

Rib Row 1 (WS): *K1, p1; repeat from * to end.

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

Work 2 more rows in rib as established (4 rows total), ending after a WS row.

Buttonhole Row (RS): Work in rib along the Right Front only, making 7 buttonholes evenly spaced, with the lowest about ½" / 1.5 cm from the hem and the highest about ½" / 1.5 cm below the front-neck corner. For each buttonhole: work to the placement, yo, k2tog, then continue in rib. Work in rib around the neck and down the Left Front with no buttonholes.

Continue in 1×1 rib until the band measures 1¼" / 3 cm from the pickup row (about 4 more rows). Bind off loosely in rib.

Finishing

Weave in all ends, closing any remaining underarm gaps.

Wet-block the cardigan to the finished measurements. Lay flat, pin the bust, length, and sleeves to the schematic numbers, and dry completely.

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

Schematic (text)

Neck opening (cast-on edge): 16 (16¾, 19¼, 20, 22½)" / 40.5 (42.5, 49, 51, 57) cm
Back neck: 7¼ (7½, 8½, 8¾, 9½)" / 18.5 (19, 21.5, 22, 24) cm
Yoke depth: 9 (9½, 10¼, 11, 11¾)" / 23 (24, 26, 28, 30) cm
Bust: 38½ (42½, 46½, 50½, 54½)" / 98 (108, 118, 128.5, 138.5) cm
Length: 23 (24, 25¼, 26½, 27¾)" / 58.5 (61, 64, 67.5, 70.5) cm
Upper arm: 12¾ (14½, 16, 17½, 19¼)" / 32.5 (37, 40.5, 44.5, 49) cm
Sleeve length: 17 (17½, 18, 18, 18½)" / 43 (44.5, 45.5, 45.5, 47) cm

Knitting Checklist

1. Swatch and block; confirm 20 sts = 4" / 10 cm.
2. Cast on 80 (84, 96, 100, 112) with 4 markers.
3. 26 (29, 31, 35, 37) RS increase rows → 288 (316, 344, 380, 408) sts.
4. Work even to yoke depth, ending WS.
5. Divide; body = 192 (212, 232, 252, 272) sts.
6. Body to 12 (12½, 13, 13½, 14)" then 2" rib; bind off.
7. Each sleeve 64 (72, 80, 88, 96) sts; decrease to 40 (42, 44, 48, 50); 2" cuff.
8. Pick up bands; 7 buttonholes on Right Front; bind off.
9. Weave in, block, sew buttons.