purlJam

# The Cloudbank Cardigan — Drop-Shoulder Balloon-Sleeve Cardigan

A relaxed, cosy cardigan with an easy drop-shoulder silhouette and softly gathered balloon sleeves snugged into a ribbed cuff. Worked flat in simple stockinette and seamed — an ideal first cardigan.

---

## MATERIALS

- **Yarn:** Worsted-weight yarn, approximately **1200–1800 m** total (more for larger sizes). A wool or wool-blend with good body is recommended for the balloon sleeves to hold their shape.
- **Needles:**
  - **4.5 mm** (UK metric; labelled size "7") — main needles for the body and sleeves
  - **3.75 mm** (UK metric; labelled size "5") — for all ribbing and button bands
- **Notions:** Stitch markers, stitch holders or waste yarn, tapestry needle, **6 (6, 7, 7, 7) buttons** (approx. 20 mm).

---

## GAUGE (TENSION)

**20 sts and 26 rows = 10 cm** measured over stocking stitch on 4.5 mm needles, after blocking.
*Take time to check your tension — it determines the finished fit.*

---

## SIZES

Written for **5 sizes**. Figures are given for the smallest size first, with larger sizes in parentheses.

| Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finished bust (cm) | 92 | 102 | 112 | 122 | 132 |
| Finished bust (in) | 36¼ | 40¼ | 44 | 48 | 52 |
| Body length (cm) | 58 | 60 | 62 | 64 | 66 |
| Armhole depth (cm) | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| Sleeve length (cm) | 44 | 44 | 45 | 45 | 46 |

*Designed for a relaxed fit with ~7–10 cm of positive ease.*

---

## ABBREVIATIONS

- **k** – knit
- **p** – purl
- **st(s)** – stitch(es)
- **st st** – stocking stitch (k on RS, p on WS)
- **k2tog** – knit two together (right-leaning decrease)
- **ssk** – slip, slip, knit (left-leaning decrease)
- **m1** – make one (increase): lift the bar between sts and knit through the back
- **RS / WS** – right side / wrong side
- **beg** – beginning
- **rep** – repeat
- **rem** – remaining
- **cont** – continue
- **2×2 rib** – (k2, p2) repeated

---

## NOTES

- This cardigan is worked **flat in five pieces** (Back, two Fronts, two Sleeves), then seamed.
- **Drop-shoulder construction:** there is **no armhole shaping** on the body. The armhole is simply a straight section measured from the underarm, and the wide top of the sleeve is sewn straight into it. This makes it very beginner-friendly.
- **Balloon sleeves** are cast on narrow at the cuff, increased to a wide, voluminous upper arm, then sewn into the drop-shoulder armhole. The fullness gathers naturally above the snug ribbed cuff.
- Slip the first stitch of every row purlwise for tidy seaming edges, if you wish (optional).
- Read each section through before starting.

---

## BACK

With **3.75 mm** needles, cast on **92 (102, 112, 122, 132) sts**.

**Ribbing:** Work in **2×2 rib** as follows:
- Row 1 (RS): k2, *p2, k2; rep from * to end.
- Row 2 (WS): p2, *k2, p2; rep from * to end.

Rep these 2 rows until rib measures **6 cm**, ending after a WS row.

*Check: 92 (102, 112, 122, 132) sts divides into the 4-st rib repeat with k2 at each edge. ✓*

Change to **4.5 mm** needles. Work in **st st** (k on RS, p on WS) until Back measures **36 (37, 38, 39, 40) cm** from cast-on, ending after a WS row.

**Mark the armholes:** Place a stitch marker at each end of the last row to mark the start of the drop-shoulder armhole.

Cont straight in st st until Back measures **58 (60, 62, 64, 66) cm** from cast-on — i.e. the armhole section measures **22 (23, 24, 25, 26) cm**.

**Shoulders & back neck:** Cast off all **92 (102, 112, 122, 132) sts** loosely. (For beginners, a straight cast-off shoulder is used; the neck shaping is created entirely on the fronts.)

---

## FRONTS

*Make two — one Left Front and one Right Front (mirror the neck shaping).*

With **3.75 mm** needles, cast on **48 (53, 58, 63, 68) sts**.

**Ribbing (Row 1, RS):** k2, *p2, k2; rep from * to last 1 (2, 3, 0, 1) st(s), then k to end.
**Row 2 (WS):** Work sts as they present (knit the knits, purl the purls).
*Tip: maintaining a clean k-edge at the centre-front is more important than perfect rib at the side seam; work the side-seam edge sts in st st if easier.*

Rep until rib measures **6 cm**, ending after a WS row.

Change to **4.5 mm** needles. Work in **st st** until Front measures **36 (37, 38, 39, 40) cm** from cast-on, ending after a WS row (same length as Back to armhole marker).

**Mark armhole:** Place a marker at the **side-seam edge** (the armhole edge) on the last row.

Cont straight until Front measures **50 (52, 54, 56, 58) cm** — i.e. **8 cm** below the top.

### Shape neck
*On a Left Front, the neck edge is at the END of RS rows; on a Right Front, at the BEGINNING of RS rows. Instructions below are for the Right Front; reverse for the Left Front.*

**Next row (RS):** Cast off **8 (9, 10, 11, 12) sts** at neck edge, k to end. — **40 (44, 48, 52, 56) sts**

Then, at the neck edge on every RS row:
- Cast off **3 sts** once, then **2 sts** once, then **dec 1 st** (k2tog or ssk) **5 (6, 7, 8, 9)** times.

Decrease total at neck = 8 (9, 10, 11, 12) + 3 + 2 + 5 (6, 7, 8, 9) = **18 (20, 22, 24, 26) sts**.

Remaining shoulder sts = 48 (53, 58, 63, 68) − 18 (20, 22, 24, 26) = **30 (33, 36, 39, 42) sts**.

*Check: this leaves a shoulder roughly one-third of the front width, matching the Back shoulder once the back neck is accounted for. ✓*

Cont straight until Front measures the same as Back to shoulder (**58 (60, 62, 64, 66) cm**). Cast off rem **30 (33, 36, 39, 42) sts** loosely.

Make the second Front, reversing all neck shaping.

---

## SLEEVES (Balloon)

*Make two.*

With **3.75 mm** needles, cast on **36 (36, 40, 40, 44) sts**.

**Cuff ribbing:** Work in **2×2 rib** (as Back) for **8 cm**, ending after a WS row. The snug cuff anchors the balloon fullness.

Change to **4.5 mm** needles.

**Increase to balloon volume — Next row (RS):** k1, m1, k to last st, m1, k1. — 2 sts increased.

Rep this increase row **every 4th row** until you have **64 (66, 72, 74, 80) sts**.
- Number of increase rows = (64−36)/2 = **14 (15, 16, 17, 18)** increase rows.

*Check: 36 + 2×14 = 64 ✓ (Size 1). Sizes: 36→64, 36→66, 40→72, 40→74, 44→80, all reach the target evenly. ✓*

Cont straight in st st until Sleeve measures **44 (44, 45, 45, 46) cm** from cast-on, ending after a WS row.

**Cast off** all **64 (66, 72, 74, 80) sts** loosely. The wide top edge will be eased/gathered slightly into the straight drop-shoulder armhole, creating the balloon effect at the upper arm.

---

## BUTTON BANDS

Seam the shoulders first (see Finishing), then work the bands.

### Button band (left front for a woman's cardigan)
With **3.75 mm** needles and RS facing, pick up and knit sts evenly along the centre-front edge at a rate of **3 sts for every 4 rows** — approximately **140 (144, 148, 152, 156) sts**. (Aim for a multiple of 4, plus 2.)

Work in **2×2 rib** for **2.5 cm**. Cast off in rib.

### Buttonhole band (right front)
Pick up the same number of sts as the button band.

Work **2×2 rib** for **1 cm**, ending after a WS row.

**Buttonhole row (RS):** Work in rib, placing **6 (6, 7, 7, 7)** buttonholes evenly spaced (the lowest ~1 cm from the bottom, the highest ~1 cm below the neckline). For each buttonhole: work to position, **yo, k2tog**.

Cont in rib until band measures **2.5 cm**. Cast off in rib.

*Mark button positions on the button band to correspond with the buttonholes, then sew on buttons during finishing.*

### Neckband
With **3.75 mm** needles and RS facing, beginning at the top of the right band, pick up and knit evenly around the neckline — approximately **88 (92, 96, 100, 104) sts**, including the tops of the button bands.
Work in **2×2 rib** for **2.5 cm**. Cast off loosely in rib.

---

## FINISHING

1. **Block** all pieces gently to the stated measurements.
2. **Shoulder seams:** With RS together, sew the Front shoulders to the Back shoulders (30 (33, 36, 39, 42) sts each side).
3. **Set in sleeves (drop shoulder):** Lay the Back and Fronts flat. Centre the cast-off top edge of each sleeve along the body edge between the armhole markers and the shoulder seam. The sleeve top measures wider than the flat armhole opening — **ease the extra fullness in evenly**, distributing the gather toward the top of the shoulder to enhance the balloon look. Sew in place.
   - Armhole opening (each side) = 2 × armhole depth = **44 (46, 48, 50, 52) cm**.
   - Sleeve top = 64 (66, 72, 74, 80) sts ÷ 20 sts per 10 cm = **32 (33, 36, 37, 40) cm**.
   - *Note: the sleeve top is slightly narrower than the full armhole; pin from shoulder downward and ease — minor gathering at the cap edge is intended for the balloon effect.*
4. **Side and underarm seams:** Sew the side seams from hem to armhole marker, then continue along the underarm sleeve seam from cuff to underarm in one line.
5. **Work the Button Bands and Neckband** as above (if not already done).
6. **Sew on buttons** opposite the buttonholes.
7. Weave in all ends. Give a final light steam/block.

Wear your Cloudbank Cardigan with pride — cosy shoulders, dreamy balloon sleeves, and not a single set-in armhole in sight.