Easy V-Neck Raglan Cardigan

Seamless top-down cardigan with built-in button bands

Difficulty: Easy

A hip-length women’s V-neck raglan cardigan worked in one piece from the neck down. Seven-stitch 1x1 rib button bands are knitted as part of every row from the cast-on — there is no band to pick up later. Raglan and V-neck increases are both worked as kfb. Sleeves are held at the underarm and worked in the round top down.

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

Shown in size order; Medium is the requested size. When only one number is given, it applies to all sizes.

Choose the size closest to your bust with 2–4" (5–10 cm) of positive ease.

Finished Measurements

• Bust, buttoned: 38 (42, 46, 50, 54)" / 96.5 (106.5, 117, 127, 137) cm
• Length, back neck to hem: 23 (23.5, 24.5, 25.5, 26)" / 58.5 (59.5, 62, 65, 66) cm
• Yoke depth (cast-on to underarm): 8 (8.5, 9, 9.5, 10)" / 20.5 (21.5, 23, 24, 25.5) cm
• Body length from underarm: 15 (15, 15.5, 16, 16)" / 38 (38, 39.5, 40.5, 40.5) cm
• Upper arm: 13 (14¼, 15½, 17, 18½)" / 33 (36, 39.5, 43, 47) cm
• Sleeve length from underarm: 18 (18, 18.5, 18.5, 19)" / 45.5 (45.5, 47, 47, 48.5) cm
• Cuff circumference: 8 (8¾, 9½, 10¼, 11)" / 20.5 (22, 24, 26, 28) cm

Yarn

DK weight yarn. 1120 (1260, 1450, 1650, 1850) yards / 1025 (1150, 1325, 1510, 1690) m

A smooth wool or wool-blend DK that meets gauge is ideal. Buy an extra skein if your yarn has a short dye lot.

Needles

• US 6 / 4 mm circular needle, 32" (80 cm) long, for the yoke and body
• US 6 / 4 mm DPNs, or a second circular for magic loop, for the sleeves

Use the needle size you need to obtain gauge. If you match stitch gauge on a different needle, use that size throughout.

Notions

• 4 stitch markers for raglan lines (plus 1 distinct marker for sleeve beginning of round)
• Waste yarn or extra cables for holding sleeve stitches
• Tapestry needle
• 6 buttons, ⅝" (16 mm) diameter

Gauge

22 stitches and 30 rows = 4" (10 cm) in stockinette stitch on US 6 / 4 mm needles, blocked.

Stitch gauge controls bust, sleeves, and bands. Row gauge controls yoke depth, body length, and sleeve length.

Gauge Swatch

Cast on 30 stitches. Work in stockinette (knit RS, purl WS) for 5" (12.5 cm). Bind off. Wash and block the swatch the same way you will finish the cardigan. Count stitches and rows in the center 4" (10 cm). Adjust needle size if needed and swatch again until you match 22 sts and 30 rows.

Abbreviations

BO — bind off CO — cast on k — knit kfb — knit into the front and then the back of the same stitch (1 stitch increased) k2tog — knit 2 stitches together (1 stitch decreased) p — purl pm — place marker RS — right side sm — slip marker ssk — slip 1 knitwise, slip 1 knitwise, knit those 2 stitches together through the back loop (1 stitch decreased) st(s) — stitch(es) St st — stockinette stitch (knit RS, purl WS; in the round, knit every round) WS — wrong side yo — yarn over

Pattern Notes

• The cardigan is worked flat from the neck down until the sleeves are separated, then the body continues flat. Sleeves are worked in the round.
• Button bands are incorporated. The first and last 7 stitches of every row are worked in 1x1 rib from the cast-on to the bind-off. Do not pick up bands at the end.
• Women’s buttoning: Buttonholes are worked on the Right Front, which is the beginning of every RS row (the wearer’s right side).
• Band (RS): [k1, p1] 3 times, k1.
• Band (WS): [p1, k1] 3 times, p1. (Knit the knits and purl the purls.)
• Raglan lines are increased with kfb on each side of each marker, every RS row (8 stitches increased).
• V-neck increases are kfb just inside each band on selected RS rows (2 stitches increased).
• Long-tail cast-on is recommended for a tidy neck edge.
• Stitch counts are given at every checkpoint. Count before you move on.

Pattern

Neck and Setup

With US 6 / 4 mm circular needle and long-tail cast-on, CO 60 (66, 76, 86, 96) sts.

Setup Row (WS): [p1, k1] 3 times, p1 (7-st Left Front band), p2, pm, p4 (4, 6, 8, 10), pm, p34 (40, 46, 52, 58), pm, p4 (4, 6, 8, 10), pm, p2, [p1, k1] 3 times, p1 (7-st Right Front band).

60 (66, 76, 86, 96) sts, with 4 raglan markers.

Stitch map after Setup (Right Front to Left Front on RS): 7 band + 2 front, marker, 4 (4, 6, 8, 10) sleeve, marker, 34 (40, 46, 52, 58) back, marker, 4 (4, 6, 8, 10) sleeve, marker, 2 front + 7 band. Check: 7 + 2 + 4 (4, 6, 8, 10) + 34 (40, 46, 52, 58) + 4 (4, 6, 8, 10) + 2 + 7 = 60 (66, 76, 86, 96) ✓

Yoke

The yoke is worked flat. Keep the 7-st bands in established rib on every row. Remaining stitches are stockinette except where kfb is worked.

Raglan increase (used on every RS row of the yoke): Work to 1 st before the marker, kfb, sm, kfb. There are 4 markers, so this adds 8 stitches.

Neck increase (used on selected RS rows): After the Right Front band, kfb in the next st; before the Left Front band, kfb in the last body stitch (8 sts from the end of the row). This adds 2 stitches.

Sizes L, XL, and 2XL only

(Sizes Small and Medium skip ahead to All Sizes — V-Neck Repeat.)

Row 1 (RS): Work 7-st band, kfb, [k to 1 st before marker, kfb, sm, kfb] 4 times, k to last 8 sts, kfb, work 7-st band. (10 sts increased)

Row 2 (WS): Work 7-st band, purl to last 7 sts, work 7-st band.

Repeat Rows 1–2 a total of 2 (4, 6) times.

Sts increased: 2 (4, 6) × 10 = 20 (40, 60). 96 (126, 156) sts. Check: 76 + 20 = 96; 86 + 40 = 126; 96 + 60 = 156 ✓

All Sizes — V-Neck Repeat

Work the following 4 rows 14 (16, 16, 16, 16) times.

Row 1 (RS) — neck and raglan: Work 7-st band, kfb, [k to 1 st before marker, kfb, sm, kfb] 4 times, k to last 8 sts, kfb, work 7-st band. (10 sts increased)

Row 2 (WS): Work 7-st band, purl to last 7 sts, work 7-st band.

Row 3 (RS) — raglan only: Work 7-st band, k to 1 st before marker, [kfb, sm, kfb, k to 1 st before marker] 3 times, kfb, sm, kfb, k to last 7 sts, work 7-st band. (8 sts increased)

Row 4 (WS): Work 7-st band, purl to last 7 sts, work 7-st band.

Each 4-row repeat increases 18 sts (10 + 8). 14 (16, 16, 16, 16) repeats × 18 = 252 (288, 288, 288, 288) sts increased.

312 (354, 384, 414, 444) sts. Check:

• S: 60 + 252 = 312 ✓
• M: 66 + 288 = 354 ✓
• L: 96 + 288 = 384 ✓
• XL: 126 + 288 = 414 ✓
• 2XL: 156 + 288 = 444 ✓

Size Small only

(Sizes Medium, Large, XL, and 2XL skip ahead to Divide for Body and Sleeves.)

Next Row (RS) — raglan only: Work 7-st band, k to 1 st before marker, [kfb, sm, kfb, k to 1 st before marker] 3 times, kfb, sm, kfb, k to last 7 sts, work 7-st band. (8 sts increased — 320 sts)

Next Row (WS): Work 7-st band, purl to last 7 sts, work 7-st band.

Next Row (RS) — raglan only: Repeat the raglan-only RS row. (8 sts increased)

Next Row (WS): Work 7-st band, purl to last 7 sts, work 7-st band.

328 sts. Check: 312 + 8 + 8 = 328 ✓

Yoke checkpoint — all sizes

328 (354, 384, 414, 444) sts.

Distribution (Right Front, sleeve, back, sleeve, Left Front): 53 / 64 / 94 / 64 / 53 (57 / 68 / 104 / 68 / 57) (61 / 74 / 114 / 74 / 61) (65 / 80 / 124 / 80 / 65) (69 / 86 / 134 / 86 / 69)

Check: 53 + 64 + 94 + 64 + 53 = 328 ✓ 57 + 68 + 104 + 68 + 57 = 354 ✓ 61 + 74 + 114 + 74 + 61 = 384 ✓ 65 + 80 + 124 + 80 + 65 = 414 ✓ 69 + 86 + 134 + 86 + 69 = 444 ✓

Yoke should measure about 8 (8.5, 9, 9.5, 10)" / 20.5 (21.5, 23, 24, 25.5) cm from the cast-on, measured straight down the back. If you are short of this depth, work extra WS/RS pairs even (bands in rib, no increases) until you reach it, ending with a WS row.

Divide for Body and Sleeves

Divide Row (RS): Work 7-st band, knit until you have 53 (57, 61, 65, 69) sts on the right needle (Right Front, including band). Place the next 64 (68, 74, 80, 86) sleeve sts on waste yarn, removing the two markers that enclosed them. Using the backward-loop (or knitted) method, CO 8 (10, 12, 14, 16) underarm sts. Knit 94 (104, 114, 124, 134) back sts. Place the next 64 (68, 74, 80, 86) sleeve sts on waste yarn, removing the remaining raglan markers. CO 8 (10, 12, 14, 16) underarm sts. Knit to last 7 sts, work 7-st band.

Body: 216 (238, 260, 282, 304) sts. Check: 53 + 8 + 94 + 8 + 53 = 216 ✓ 57 + 10 + 104 + 10 + 57 = 238 ✓ 61 + 12 + 114 + 12 + 61 = 260 ✓ 65 + 14 + 124 + 14 + 65 = 282 ✓ 69 + 16 + 134 + 16 + 69 = 304 ✓

Buttoned bust: [216 (238, 260, 282, 304) − 7 band overlap] ÷ 5.5 = 38 (42, 46, 50, 54)" ✓

Body

Continue working flat with 7-st rib bands and stockinette between them.

WS rows: Work 7-st band, purl to last 7 sts, work 7-st band. RS rows (plain): Work 7-st band, knit to last 7 sts, work 7-st band.

Buttonholes

Work 6 buttonholes on the Right Front band (beginning of RS rows).

Buttonhole Row (RS): k1, p1, k1, yo, k2tog, p1, k1, knit to last 7 sts, work 7-st band.

Work the first Buttonhole Row on the 3rd RS row of the Body. Then work a Buttonhole Row every 20th (20th, 20th, 22nd, 22nd) row 5 more times — 6 buttonholes total. On the WS after each Buttonhole Row, work the yo as a purl (or knit) so it sits in rib: knit the knits and purl the purls, including the yo.

Continue in pattern, including any remaining buttonholes, until the Body measures 13 (13, 13.5, 14, 14)" / 33 (33, 34.5, 35.5, 35.5) cm from the underarm divide, ending with a WS row.

Hem

Next Row (RS): [k1, p1] to last st, k1. (This continues both bands and converts the body to 1x1 rib. 216 (238, 260, 282, 304) is even and begins and ends with k on RS, so the rib matches. ✓)

Next Row (WS): [p1, k1] to last st, p1.

Repeat these 2 rows until the hem measures 2" (5 cm), working any remaining buttonhole that falls in this section in the same yo, k2tog method, keeping the rest of the row in rib.

Bind off in rib, not too tightly.

Body from underarm, including hem: 15 (15, 15.5, 16, 16)" / 38 (38, 39.5, 40.5, 40.5) cm ✓

Sleeves

Work both sleeves the same.

Place the 64 (68, 74, 80, 86) held sleeve sts back on US 6 / 4 mm DPNs or a magic-loop circular. With RS facing, starting at the center of the underarm cast-on, pick up and knit 8 (10, 12, 14, 16) sts evenly across the underarm (pick up tightly at each corner to close the gap), then knit the sleeve sts. Pm for beginning of round.

72 (78, 86, 94, 102) sts. Check: 64 + 8 = 72; 68 + 10 = 78; 74 + 12 = 86; 80 + 14 = 94; 86 + 16 = 102 ✓

Knit 8 rounds even.

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

Work a Decrease Round every 8th (7th, 7th, 6th, 6th) round 14 (15, 17, 19, 21) times.

44 (48, 52, 56, 60) sts. Check: 72 − 28 = 44; 78 − 30 = 48; 86 − 34 = 52; 94 − 38 = 56; 102 − 42 = 60 ✓

Knit even until the sleeve measures 16 (16, 16.5, 16.5, 17)" / 40.5 (40.5, 42, 42, 43) cm from the underarm. (If you prefer a shorter or longer sleeve, adjust here before the cuff.)

Cuff

Next Round: [k1, p1] around.

Continue in 1x1 rib until the cuff measures 2" (5 cm).

Bind off in rib, not too tightly.

Sleeve length from underarm, including cuff: 18 (18, 18.5, 18.5, 19)" / 45.5 (45.5, 47, 47, 48.5) cm ✓

Work the second sleeve.

Finishing

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

Block the cardigan to the finished measurements. Pin the fronts so the bands lie straight and meet at the bust; pin the back neck flat so the cast-on edge does not roll.

Sew 6 buttons to the Left Front band, each one opposite a buttonhole.

Schematic Measurements (blocked)

Stitch-Count Summary