Easy One-Piece Top-Down Raglan Cardigan

A cozy, beginner-friendly seamless cardigan worked flat from the top down in one piece. Classic raglan shaping, comfortable positive ease, long sleeves, and garter-stitch button bands worked as you go. Ideal first garment project.

Materials

• Yarn: Worsted weight yarn (approximately 1000 (1100, 1250, 1400, 1600) yards / 915 (1005, 1145, 1280, 1465) m). Choose a smooth wool or wool-blend for best stitch definition and easy care.
• Needles: US 8 (5 mm) circular needle, 32–40 in (80–100 cm) long, or size needed to obtain gauge. Same size needles for sleeves (circular magic loop or DPNs).
• Notions: 4 stitch markers; stitch holders or scrap yarn; tapestry needle; 6 (6, 7, 7, 8) buttons, ¾ in (19 mm) diameter; sewing needle and matching thread for buttons.

Gauge

18 stitches and 24 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in stockinette stitch on US 8 (5 mm) needles, after light blocking.

Always check your gauge. Adjust needle size if necessary so the finished measurements will match.

Sizes

S (M, L, XL, 2XL)

To fit bust: 34 (38, 42, 46, 50) in (86.5 (96.5, 106.5, 117, 127) cm)

Finished bust (buttoned): 38 (42, 46, 50, 54) in (96.5 (106.5, 117, 127, 137) cm)

Finished length: 22 (23, 24, 25, 26) in (56 (58.5, 61, 63.5, 66) cm)

Sleeve length (underarm to cuff): 17½ (18, 18, 18½, 18½) in (44.5 (45.5, 45.5, 47, 47) cm)

Shown in size M. Choose size based on desired ease (pattern includes approximately 4 in / 10 cm positive ease).

Abbreviations (US)

• BO: bind off
• CO: cast on
• k: knit
• k2tog: knit 2 stitches together (1 stitch decreased)
• kfb: knit into front and back of stitch (1 stitch increased)
• p: purl
• pm: place marker
• rep: repeat
• RS: right side
• sm: slip marker
• st(s): stitch(es)
• St st: stockinette stitch (knit on RS, purl on WS)
• WS: wrong side

Pattern Notes

• Cardigan is worked flat in one piece from the neck down. Sleeves are placed on holders at the underarms, body is completed, then sleeves are worked flat and seamed.
• Garter stitch button bands (5 sts each side) are maintained throughout the yoke and body. Always knit the first 5 and last 5 stitches of every row.
• Raglan increases are worked with kfb on either side of each marker on RS rows only.
• The CO edge forms the neckline; a garter neckband is picked up later.
• Buttonholes are worked on the Right Front band (as worn).
• When instructions give a single number, it applies to all sizes. Numbers in parentheses are for larger sizes in order.
• Inline stitch-count checks appear as (… ✓).

Buttonhole

Work buttonholes on RS rows of Right Front as follows when instructed:

Buttonhole row (RS): K2, k2tog, yarn over, k1, work in pattern to end.

On the following WS row, knit the yarn-over so it forms a clean hole.

Pattern Instructions

Yoke

Using long-tail cast-on and US 8 (5 mm) needle, CO 80 (94, 104, 114, 124) sts.

Setup row (WS): K5 (Left Front band), p12 (12, 16, 18, 20), pm, p6 (8, 8, 8, 8) (Left Sleeve), pm, p34 (40, 46, 52, 58) (Back), pm, p6 (8, 8, 8, 8) (Right Sleeve), pm, p12 (16, 18, 20, 22), k5 (Right Front band).
(80 (94, 104, 114, 124) sts ✓)

Section reminder (reading RS left to right as worn): Left Front (incl. band) | Left Sleeve | Back | Right Sleeve | Right Front (incl. band).

Raglan Increase row (RS): K5, knit to 1 st before marker, kfb, sm, kfb; rep from * to last marker (4 times total), knit to last 5 sts, k5.
(8 sts increased ✓)

WS row: K5, purl to last 5 sts (slipping markers), k5.

Rep the last 2 rows 25 (27, 29, 31, 33) more times — 26 (28, 30, 32, 34) Raglan Increase rows total.
Work WS rows plain as established.

After all raglan increases:

• Left Front: 43 (48, 52, 57, 61) sts
• Left Sleeve: 58 (64, 68, 72, 76) sts
• Back: 86 (96, 106, 116, 126) sts
• Right Sleeve: 58 (64, 68, 72, 76) sts
• Right Front: 43 (48, 52, 57, 61) sts
  Total: 288 (318, 344, 370, 396) sts ✓

Yoke depth measures approximately 8¾ (9¼, 10, 10¾, 11¼) in (22 (23.5, 25.5, 27.5, 28.5) cm) from CO edge.

Divide Body and Sleeves

Division row (RS): K5, knit to first marker (Left Front), remove marker, place next 58 (64, 68, 72, 76) sts (Left Sleeve) on holder or scrap yarn, remove marker, CO 4 (4, 6, 6, 8) sts using backward-loop cast-on for underarm, knit across Back to next marker, remove marker, place next 58 (64, 68, 72, 76) sts (Right Sleeve) on holder, remove marker, CO 4 (4, 6, 6, 8) sts for underarm, knit to last 5 sts, k5.

Body sts now: 172 (190, 208, 226, 244) sts ✓
(Left Front 43 (48, 52, 57, 61) + underarm 4 (4, 6, 6, 8) + Back 86 (96, 106, 116, 126) + underarm 4 (4, 6, 6, 8) + Right Front 43 (48, 52, 57, 61) = 172 (190, 208, 226, 244) ✓)

Body

Continue even in pattern (k5 at each edge every row for bands; St st in between) until body measures 12 (12½, 13, 13¼, 13¾) in (30.5 (32, 33, 33.5, 35) cm) from underarm, ending after a WS row.
Total length from shoulder/CO is approximately 20½ (21½, 22½, 23½, 24½) in (52 (54.5, 57, 59.5, 62) cm).

At the same time, work buttonholes on Right Front band (beginning of RS rows as worn) as follows:

• First buttonhole on the first RS row of Body (or approximately ½ in / 1.5 cm below neckline once neckband is added).
• Then work a buttonhole every 3 (3¼, 3, 3¼, 3) in (7.5 (8.5, 7.5, 8.5, 7.5) cm) — total 6 (6, 7, 7, 8) buttonholes.
• Final buttonhole should fall approximately 1 in (2.5 cm) above the start of the hem garter section.

Hem
Work in garter stitch (knit every row) across all sts for 1½ in (4 cm), approximately 12 rows.
BO all sts knitwise on a RS row. Cut yarn.

Sleeves (make 2 alike)

Return 58 (64, 68, 72, 76) held sleeve sts to needle. With RS facing, join yarn at right side of underarm opening.

Pickup row (RS): Knit across the 58 (64, 68, 72, 76) sleeve sts, then pick up and knit 2 (2, 3, 3, 4) sts along half of the underarm CO edge, pm (center underarm), pick up and knit 2 (2, 3, 3, 4) sts along remaining underarm CO edge.
Sleeve sts: 62 (68, 74, 78, 84) sts ✓

Work flat in St st with a 1-st garter selvedge each side (knit the first and last st of every row) as follows.

Decrease row (RS): K1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. (2 sts decreased ✓)

Work Decrease row every 8th (8th, 6th, 6th, 6th) row 10 (11, 13, 14, 15) times total.
Remaining sts: 42 (46, 48, 50, 54) sts ✓

Continue even (if needed) until sleeve measures 16 (16½, 16½, 17, 17) in (40.5 (42, 42, 43, 43) cm) from underarm pickup, ending after a WS row.

Cuff
Work in garter stitch for 1½ in (4 cm), approximately 12 rows.
BO all sts knitwise. Cut yarn, leaving a 18 in (45 cm) tail for seaming.

Rep for second sleeve.

Neckband

With RS facing and beginning at Right Front neck edge (center front), pick up and knit sts evenly around entire neckline as follows:

• Approximately 1 st for every CO st along original neck edge, plus 1–2 extra sts at each raglan “corner” to prevent pulling: total pickup 84 (96, 106, 116, 126) sts (or nearest even number that lies flat).
  Adjust spacing so the band is neither tight nor flaring — aim for roughly 4½ sts per in (1.8 sts per cm).

Row 1 (WS): Knit.
Rows 2–6: Knit (garter stitch).
BO all sts knitwise on a RS row. Cut yarn.

Finishing

1. Sleeve seams: Using mattress stitch (or yarn tails), sew each sleeve underarm seam from cuff to underarm join. Weave in ends.
2. Weave in all remaining ends securely on WS.
3. Buttons: Sew buttons to Left Front band opposite buttonholes, centered on the 5-st band.
4. Block: Gently wet-block or steam-block to finished measurements. Lay flat, pin to shape (especially raglan lines and hems), and allow to dry completely. Do not stretch bands aggressively.

Wear & Care

Button or wear open. The garter bands and neckline provide stable edges with minimal rolling. Hand wash or machine wash gentle in cool water; lay flat to dry.

Enjoy your new one-piece cardigan!