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If you’ve been around for a little bit, you know I made my dream sweater, Rosemary Cardigan, not too long ago. Well, when I tried it on, my oldest daughter fell in love. She asked for an EXACT copy, color and all, for herself. How could I say no? I had some yarn left over and after doing the math, only had to order 1 more skein. PERFECT!
The beauty of this sweater is how easy it is. It’s easy to make and wear. The pattern is not too complicated. I’d call it an advanced beginner. If you can do a m1l, m1r, knit in the round, cast on and bind of, k2tog and ssk, pick up sts, you can make this sweater. I think that’s the beauty of it really: simplicity. It’s not meant to be a knitting wonder, but something you’ll love wearing so much that it becomes the sweater you reach for most in your closet. Because, honestly, what is the point of spending all that time if you’re too afraid to wear it?
I do wonder though, if the reason my daughter wanted that sweater was the pockets. Every time she puts it on she gets all giddy and says, “And I have POCKETS!!!!” Let’s face it, women’s clothes are sorely lacking in the pocket department so whenever she gets something that has them she is thrilled. Should we tell her it doesn’t get any better as you become an adult? Nah…
Materials and Info
Size: 3, 4 (5, 6) 7, 8 (9, 10) 11, 12 (13, 14)
Materials: Approximately 4, 4 (4, 4) 5, 5 (6, 6) 7, 7 (7, 8) balls of KnitPick Upcycle Alpaca Blend Worsted (219y/100g), needle, stitch markers
Needle Size: 7(US) 4.5mm circular needles and dpn, 6(US) 4mm dpn and a long (36in or more) circular needle
Gauge (tension): 22sts & 32 rows to make 10cm square, using size 7(US) 4.5mm needles working in stockinette stitch
Chest Measurement: 55, 57 (59, 61) 63, 66 (69, 72) 75, 78 (81, 84) cm
METHOD
This pattern a v-neck raglan worked flat from the top down with 15cm of ease. The sleeves are held and then picked up and worked in the round. The main body is knit in stockinette stitch while the edges are worked in a 1×1 rib pattern.
1X1 RIB PATTERN
Row 1 (right side row) – (k1, p1) across Row 2 – knit all the knit stitches, purl all the purl stitches.
RAGLAN INCREASES Inc row – [knit to 1 st before next marker, m1r, k1, sm, k1, m1l] repeat [to] 3 more times, then knit to the end of the row. 8sts increased.
Youth Rosemary Cardigan
YOKE
Cast on with U.S. 7 circular needle: 48, 50 (50, 52) 52, 54 (54, 56) 58, 58 (60, 60) sts
Do not join.
Set up row (wrong side) – p2, pm, 6, pm, p32, 34 (34, 36) 36, 38 (38, 40) 42, 42 (44, 44) pm, p6, pm, p2
Raglan shaping and neckline shaping are worked AT THE SAME TIME so make sure to read both sections before moving forward.
NECKLINE SHAPING
Sts are increased at the beginning and end of each row to shape the front neck as follows: k1, m1l, work across to last st, m1r, k1 Start front neck shaping after working 2 rows (after the set-up row). Increase 1 st as above every following right-side row for a total of 14, 15 (15, 16) 16, 17 (17, 18) 19, 19 (20, 20) times.
RAGLAN SHAPING
Work raglan increases as described in METHOD section each following right-side row only 19, 17 (18, 17) 18, 19 (20, 19) 20, 20 (21, 22) times, then every other right-side row 0, 2 (2, 3) 3, 3 (3, 4) 4, 5 (5, 5) times
Work 3 rows without raglan shaping.
STITCH COUNT CHECK
Once all the raglan and neck increases have been completed you will have 228, 232 (240, 244) 252, 264 (272, 276) 288, 296 (308, 316) sts on your needles divided as follows:
35, 36 (37, 38) 39, 41 (42, 43) 45, 46 (48, 49) sts (front),
44, 44 (46, 46) 48, 50 (52, 52) 54, 56 (58, 60) sts (sleeve),
70, 72 (74, 76) 78, 82 (84, 86) 90, 92 (96, 98) sts (back),
44, 44 (46, 46) 48, 50 (52, 52) 54, 56 (58, 60) sts (sleeve),
35, 36 (37, 38) 39, 41 (42, 43) 45, 46 (48, 49) sts (front)
DIVIDE FOR SLEEVES
Remove markers as you get to them.
Knit across the 35, 36, (37, 38) 39, 41 (42, 43) 45, 46 (48, 49) left front sts,
place the next 44, 44 (46, 46) 48, 50 (52, 52) 54, 56 (58, 60) sts on a holder or waste yarn (left sleeve),
cast on using the backwards loop method 8, 8 (8, 8) 8, 8 (8, 10) 10, 10 (10, 10) sts (left underarm),
knit 70, 72 (74, 76) 78, 82 (84, 86) 90, 92 (96, 98) sts (back),
place the next 44, 44 (46, 46) 48, 50 (52, 52) 54, 56 (58, 60) sts on a holder or waste yarn (right sleeve),
cast on using the backwards loop method 8, 8 (8, 8) 8, 8 (8, 10) 10, 10 (10, 10) sts (right underarm),
knit 35, 36 (37, 38) 39, 41 (42, 43) 45, 46 (48, 49) sts (right front).
156, 160 (164, 168) 172, 180 (184, 192) 200, 204 (212, 216) sts
SWEATER BODY
Work in stockinette until piece measures 19, 20 (21.5, 23) 24.5, 26 (27, 28) 29.5, 31 (32.5, 33.5) cm measuring from underarm.
POCKETS
Knit 10, 10 (10, 10) 15, 15 (15, 15) 15, 15 (20, 20) pm,
place the next 25, 25 (25, 25) 30, 30 (30, 30) 30, 30 (35, 35) stitches on a holder,
cast on 25, 25 (25, 25) 30, 30 (30, 30) 30, 30 (35, 35) using knit cast on,
pm, knit 86, 90 (94, 98) 82, 90 (94, 102) 110, 114 (102, 106) pm,
place the next 25, 25 (25, 25) 30, 30 (30, 30) 30, 30 (35, 35) stitches on a holder,
cast on 25, 25 (25, 25) 30, 30 (30, 30) 30, 30 (35, 35) using knit cast on,
pm, knit the remaining 10, 10 (10, 10) 15, 15 (15, 15) 15, 15 (20, 20) stitches.
Work in stockinette st to marker, sm, work in k1p1 ribbing to marker, sm, work in stockinette stitch to marker, sm, work in k1p1 ribbing to marker, sm, work in stockinette stitch across.
Continue as above until you have 2cms of ribbing on the pockets.
Work to 33, 34, (35, 36) 38, 40 (42, 44) 46, 48 (50, 52) cm or until desired length measuring from underarm removing pocket markers.
Work in 1×1 rib for 4 cm. Bind off all sts in pattern.
SLEEVES
Work each sleeve one at a time as follows:
Pick up 4, 4 (4, 4) 4, 4 (4, 5) 5, 5 (5, 5) sts from underarm,
knit 44, 44 (46, 46) 48, 50 (52, 52) 54, 56 (58, 60) sts of the sleeve on the holder,
pick up 4, 4 (4, 4) 4, 4 (4, 5) 5, 5 (5, 5) sts from underarm on to U.S. 7 double pointed needles.
Place marker at center underarm to keep track of the beginning of round.
52, 52 (54, 54) 56, 58 (60, 62) 64, 66 (68, 70) sts
Knit for 3, 11 (11, 11) 13, 13 (15, 15) 15, 17 (15, 17) rounds
DECREASES
Decrease 1 st at each side of marker every 10th round 0, 0 (0, 0) 0, 0 (3, 4) 2, 0 (2, 0) ,then every 8th round 0, 2 (2, 4) 7, 8 (6, 5) 8, 10 (9, 11) times then every 6th round 8, 6 (7, 5) 0, 0 (0, 0) 0, 1 (0, 1) [36, 36 (36, 36) 42, 42 (42, 44) 44, 44 (46, 46) sts].
Continue without decreasing in stockinette st until sleeve measures 18, 20 (21.5, 23.5) 24.5, 25.5 (27, 29) 30.5, 32 (32.5, 35) cm or desired length measuring from underarm.
CUFF
Work in 1×1 rib for 4 cm. Bind off in pattern.
APPLIED RIBBED EDGING
Pick up 1 stitch for each row along front and neck using the size 6 circular needle.
Cast on 9 sts, turn (wrong side now facing) work 1×1 ribbing for 8sts starting with purl, purl together the last cast on band stitch with the first picked up stitch. Turn, knit together the next picked up stitch with the first cast on band stitch. Continue in this pattern until all picked up stitches have been worked.
I have a short on youtube to show I how I did this BUT I am left handed so it may appear backwards to you. It will give you a better idea of how to do this if you haven’t made an applied band though. You can find it here.
Bind off in established rib pattern.
POCKETS (MAKE 2)
Pick up the 25, 25 (25, 25) 30, 30 (30, 30) 30, 35 (35, 35) stitches on hold.
Work in stockinette stitch for 12, 12, (12, 12) 14, 14 (14, 14) 14, 14 (16, 16) cms.
Bind off.
FINISHING
Sew pockets down. Weave in all ends and block as desired.
Abbreviations
k – knit
P – purl
pm – place marker
sm – slip marker
k2tog -knit 2 stitches together
ssk – slip next st knitwise, slip next st knitwise, place stitches back onto left needle, knit both slipped sts together
m1l – pick up from front to back the strand between the 2sts on your needles, knit through back loop
m1r – pick up from back to front the strand between the 2sts on your needles, knit through the front loop
Download Youth Rosemary Cardigan PDF
