Top-Down Raglan Cardigan

Worsted weight • Intermediate • Seamless

A classic long-sleeve cardigan worked in one piece from the neck down. Four raglan lines shape the yoke; sleeves are held, the body is worked flat to the hem, then sleeves are knitted in the round. Button bands are picked up along the fronts.

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
Finished bust (buttoned): 38 (42, 46, 50, 54)" / 96.5 (106.5, 117, 127, 137) cm
Intended ease: 2–4" / 5–10 cm positive ease
Length from back neck: 24 (24½, 25, 25½, 26)" / 61 (62, 63.5, 65, 66) cm
Upper arm: 16 (17, 18, 18½, 19½)" / 40.5 (43, 45.5, 47, 49.5) cm

Choose the size closest to your bust plus ease.

Yarn

Worsted weight wool or wool blend.
Approx. yardage: 1100 (1200, 1320, 1450, 1600) yd / 1005 (1100, 1210, 1325, 1465) m
Shown as: ~5 (6, 6, 7, 8) skeins of 220 yd / 200 m each.

Needles

• US 8 / 5 mm circular, 32" / 80 cm (body) and 16" / 40 cm or DPNs (sleeves)
• US 7 / 4.5 mm circular, 32" / 80 cm (ribbing and bands) and DPNs or short circular for cuffs

Use the needle size needed to obtain gauge.

Notions

Stitch markers (4 raglan + 1 BOR for sleeves), waste yarn or stitch holders, tapestry needle, 6 buttons ¾" / 19 mm.

Gauge

18 sts and 24 rows = 4" / 10 cm in stockinette stitch on larger needles, blocked.
Work a swatch at least 6" / 15 cm square. Gauge is critical for fit.

Abbreviations (US)

BO bind off • CO cast on • k knit • k2tog knit 2 together • M marker • M1L make 1 left (lift strand from front to back, knit through back) • M1R make 1 right (lift strand from back to front, knit through front) • p purl • pm place marker • RS right side • sm slip marker • ssk slip, slip, knit • St st stockinette stitch • st(s) stitch(es) • WS wrong side • wyif with yarn in front

Raglan increase (RS): Work to 1 st before M, M1R, k1, sm, k1, M1L.
Each RS raglan row adds 8 sts (2 at each of 4 lines). ✓

Pattern notes

• Cardigan is worked flat through yoke and body (two fronts + back). Sleeves are worked in the round.
• Slip the first st of every body row wyif for a neat pickup edge (optional but recommended).
• Buttonholes are on the right front as worn (left band as you look at RS). Reverse if desired.

Neckband

With smaller circular needle, CO 64 (68, 72, 76, 80) sts.

Rib setup (WS): P1, *k1, p1; rep from * to last st, k1 (or p1 to keep 1×1 rib even if your CO is even — work 1×1 rib as established).

Work 6 rows 1×1 rib, ending after a WS row.

Change to larger needles.

Yoke (raglan)

Set-up row (RS):
K 12 (13, 14, 15, 16) (Left Front), pm,
k 8 (8, 8, 8, 8) (Left Sleeve), pm,
k 24 (26, 28, 30, 32) (Back), pm,
k 8 (8, 8, 8, 8) (Right Sleeve), pm,
k 12 (13, 14, 15, 16) (Right Front).
64 (68, 72, 76, 80) sts ✓

Next row (WS): Purl, slipping markers.

Inc row (RS): *Knit to 1 st before M, M1R, k1, sm, k1, M1L; rep from * 3 more times, knit to end. 8 sts increased.

WS: Purl.

Rep last 2 rows 29 (31, 33, 35, 37) more times — 30 (32, 34, 36, 38) raglan increase rows total.

Stitch count after yoke increases:

Check: start 64 + (30 × 8) = 64 + 240 = 304 ✓
M: 68 + 32×8 = 68+256 = 324 ✓
L: 72 + 34×8 = 72+272 = 344 ✓
XL: 76 + 36×8 = 76+288 = 364 ✓
2XL: 80 + 38×8 = 80+304 = 384 ✓

Work 1 WS row even (purl). Yoke depth is about 10 (10¾, 11¼, 12, 12¾)" / 25.5 (27.5, 28.5, 30.5, 32.5) cm from CO, including neckband.

Divide body and sleeves

Next row (RS):
Knit Left Front sts,
place 68 (72, 76, 80, 84) Left Sleeve sts on waste yarn,
CO 4 (6, 8, 10, 12) underarm sts,
knit Back sts,
place 68 (72, 76, 80, 84) Right Sleeve sts on waste yarn,
CO 4 (6, 8, 10, 12) underarm sts,
knit Right Front sts.

Body sts: 42+4+84+4+42 = 176 (S) ✓
M: 45+6+90+6+45 = 192 ✓
L: 48+8+96+8+48 = 208 ✓
XL: 51+10+102+10+51 = 224 ✓
2XL: 54+12+108+12+54 = 240 ✓

Body

Work even in St st (knit RS, purl WS) until body measures 13 (13, 13, 13, 13)" / 33 cm from underarm, or 2" / 5 cm less than desired length, ending after a WS row.

Hem: Change to smaller needle. Work 1×1 rib for 2" / 5 cm (about 12 rows). BO in rib.

Sleeves

Return 68 (72, 76, 80, 84) held sts to larger DPNs or short circular. With RS facing, pick up and knit 4 (6, 8, 10, 12) sts across underarm CO. Pm for BOR at center of underarm.

Sleeve sts: 68+4 = 72 (S) ✓; 72+6=78; 76+8=84; 80+10=90; 84+12=96.

Note: Medium/XL/2XL pickup yields 78/90/96. Knit 1 round even, decreasing 2 (2, 4, 6, 8) sts evenly on this round only if you prefer 76 (76, 80, 84, 88) — pattern proceeds with 72 (76, 80, 84, 88) as target: on the pickup round, pick up 4 underarm sts for all sizes and k2tog twice (or as needed) across underarm to land on:

72 (76, 80, 84, 88) sts. ✓

Work in St st in the round until sleeve measures 2" / 5 cm from underarm.

Shape sleeve:
Dec rnd: K1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts, ssk, k1. 2 sts dec.

Work dec rnd every 8th (7th, 6th, 6th, 5th) round 10 (11, 12, 13, 14) times.

Remaining sts:
S: 72 − 20 = 52 ✓
M: 76 − 22 = 54 ✓
L: 80 − 24 = 56 ✓
XL: 84 − 26 = 58 ✓
2XL: 88 − 28 = 60 ✓

Work even until sleeve measures 17 (17½, 18, 18, 18½)" / 43 (44.5, 45.5, 45.5, 47) cm from underarm, or 2" / 5 cm less than desired length.

Cuff: Change to smaller needles. Work 1×1 rib for 2" / 5 cm. BO in rib.

Repeat for second sleeve.

Button bands

With smaller 32" needle and RS facing, beginning at right-front hem, pick up and knit 3 sts per 4 rows along right front, around neckband (1 st per CO st along original neck), and down left front to hem. Count as you go; adjust by 1–2 sts if needed so total is odd for 1×1 rib starting and ending with k1 on RS.

Typical pickup: about 110 (114, 118, 122, 126) sts per front edge plus neck sts — do not force a number; even pickup and an odd total matter more.

Work 3 rows 1×1 rib (k1, p1), ending with a WS row.

Buttonhole row (RS) — on the right front portion only (from hem up to start of neck):
Work rib for about 1" / 2.5 cm, *yo, k2tog (or p2tog to stay in rib), rib until the next interval; rep from * until 6 buttonholes are placed, with the top hole just below the neckband. Space holes evenly (about 3–3½" / 7.5–9 cm apart). Continue rib around neck and left front with no holes.

Work 3 more rows rib. BO in rib.

Finishing

Weave in ends. Block to measurements:
Bust 38 (42, 46, 50, 54)"; length 24 (24½, 25, 25½, 26)"; sleeve length as given.

Sew 6 buttons to the left band opposite the buttonholes. Steam bands lightly if they flare.

Schematic (blocked)

• Back neck width (between raglan lines at CO): about 5¼ (5¾, 6¼, 6¾, 7)"
• Yoke depth: 10 (10¾, 11¼, 12, 12¾)"
• Body length from underarm: 15" including hem
• Sleeve length from underarm: 19 (19½, 20, 20, 20½)" including cuff

Enjoy your cardigan.