Cardigan with Ribbing Pattern and Fantasy Stitch
How to knit the cardigan with fantasy stitch:
Sizes: US 2–6 and 8–10 / 6–10 and 12–14.
Needle equivalents:
– 4.5–5 mm → US 7–8 / UK 7–6,
– 5–5.5 mm → US 8–9 / UK 6–5
Materials:
650 (700) g yarn (100% merino wool, 105 m/50 g); knitting needles 4.5–5 mm and 5–5.5 mm
(US 7–8 / 8–9; UK 7–6 / 6–5).
Ribbing Pattern: work *2 knit stitches, 2 purl stitches* throughout.
Fantasy Stitch:
Work according to the chart, where only right-side rows are shown.
On wrong-side rows, work the stitches as they appear.
Repeat rows 1–58 throughout.
Gauge:
With 5–5.5 mm needles in ribbing pattern (unstretched): 27 stitches and 28 rows = 10 × 10 cm.
Fantasy stitch: 22–23 stitches and 30 rows = 10 × 10 cm.
Back and Left Front:
This piece is worked in one piece sideways, beginning from the right edge.
Using 4.5–5 mm needles (US 7–8 / UK 7–6), cast on 82 stitches and work in ribbing:
on the first wrong-side row start with 1 edge stitch, 2 purl stitches, end symmetrically.
Then continue working with 5–5.5 mm needles (US 8–9 / UK 6–5).
At 4 cm height, on the right side (in a wrong-side row), cast on 52 new stitches once for the armhole = 134 stitches.
At 40 (48) cm height, bind off 52 stitches on the right side for the armhole and, after 4 cm, cast on 52 stitches again for the left front = 134 stitches.
At 64 (76) cm height, switch to 4.5–5 mm needles and work 1 wrong-side row in purl stitches.
In the next right-side row, decrease 26 stitches evenly (work every 2 purl stitches together as purl) = 108 stitches.
Work 1 more wrong-side row, then 1 right-side row, and bind off all stitches knitwise.
Right Front:
Using 5–5.5 mm needles, cast on 79 (97) stitches and work 1 wrong-side row in purl stitches.
Work as for the back: 1 edge stitch, 1 purl stitch, 2 knit stitches, ending symmetrically.
Then continue as for the back, but in fantasy stitch following the chart: begin as indicated, work 4 (5) repeats of 18 stitches each, and finish as shown.
At 48.5 cm height, after 2.5 repeats in height or on row 30, bind off all stitches.
Sleeves:
Using 5–5.5 mm needles, cast on 68 (76) stitches and work in ribbing.
In the first wrong-side row begin with 1 edge stitch, 1 purl stitch, 1 knit stitch, and end symmetrically.
Increase 1 stitch at each sleeve edge after 32 rows, then increase 1 stitch at each side every 10th row 7 times = 83 (92) stitches.
At 40 cm height shape the sleeve cap: bind off 3 stitches once at each side, then decrease 1 stitch at each side every 2nd row 20 times.
For the decrease: slip the edge stitch, work 1 knit stitch, slip 1 stitch knitwise, work the next stitch knitwise and pass the slipped stitch over; then work 1 purl stitch, 4 knit stitches; repeat these decreases until 4 stitches remain on the needle: work 2 stitches together knitwise, 1 knit stitch, edge stitch.
In the next wrong-side row bind off the remaining 38 (46) stitches.
Total length = 55 cm.
Work the second sleeve in the same way.
Finishing:
Sew the shoulder seams over approx. 2 cm and set in the sleeves.
Sew the left side edge of the right front, then sew in the sleeves.
Along the inner edge of the upper part of the cardigan pick up approx. 180 stitches with 4.5–5 mm needles and work in ribbing; in the first wrong-side row start with 1 edge stitch and 2 purl stitches, ending symmetrically.
At 8 cm height finish with a wrong-side row and bind off all stitches in purl.
Fold the edging outward.
Sew the side edges of the edgings.
Lay the edging of the right front 15 cm over the edging of the left front and secure along the sides with a few stitches (see photo).
