Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

I did it. I finally designed something just for me. Rosemary Cardigan is essentially my dream sweater. It’s so rare that mom’s do anything for themselves but I took the time to create everything I’ve ever wanted in a sweater and I have to admit, I love it!

Rosemary Cardigan is oversized. I wanted something I could wrap up in on chilly days. She’s also open-front because I’ve had 8 kids and need all the slimming I can get, can I get an amen! She is also long. My plan from day one was to wear Rosemary Cardigan with leggings or skinny jeans so I wanted my rear end covered. Not everyone needs to or wants to see my mom rump.

The most important feature is… drum roll please… pockets! Yes, Rosemary Cardigan has pockets. Because despite what most designers think, women want pockets. Am I right or am I right.

Honestly, the biggest challenge of this entire sweater was pocket placement. I had never designed a sweater with pockets so figuring out where to put them involved measuring several sweaters I own, lots of frogging, and several retries. I wanted to make sure they were both wide and deep enough to be actually functional. There’s nothing worse than pockets with no way to use them. It’s like false hope.

I’m so glad I persevered. It was worth it. It truly was. Now I never want to take Rosemary Cardigan off and I pray you will love her as much as I do.

To purchase the yarn for this project click here. If that yarn is no longer available, click here for a great replacement.

Make sure to check out the Youth Version of this pattern here.

Materials and Info

Size: XS, S (M, L) XL, 2X (3X, 4X)

Materials: Approximately 8, 8 (9, 10) 11, 12 (13, 14) balls of KnitPick Upcycle Alpaca Blend Worsted in Latte (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: 74, 78 (82, 90) 98, 107, (119, 131) 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.

Rosemary Cardigan Pattern

YOKE

Cast on with U.S. 7 circular needle: 58, 58 (60, 62) 64, 66 (70, 72) sts

Do not join.

Set up row (wrong side) – p2, pm, 6, pm, p42, 42 (44, 46) 48, 50 (54, 56), 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 19, 19 (20, 21) 22, 23 (25, 26) times.

RAGLAN SHAPING

Work raglan increases as described in METHOD section each following row 0, 0 (0, 0) 0, 0 (14, 20) then each following right-side row only 19, 21, (20, 27) 33, 37 (31, 29) times, then every other right-side row 6, 5 (6, 3) 0, 0 (0, 0) times

STITCH COUNT CHECK

Once all the raglan and neck increases have been completed you will have 288, 304 (308, 344) 372, 408 (480, 516) sts on your needles divided as follows: 45, 47 (48, 53) 57, 62 (72, 77) sts (front), 54, 58 (58, 66) 72, 80 (96, 104) sts (sleeve), 90, 94 (96, 106) 114, 124 (144, 154) sts (back), 54, 58 (58, 66) 72, 80 (96, 104) sts (sleeve), 45, 47 (48, 53) 57, 62 (72, 77) sts (front)

DIVIDE FOR SLEEVES

Remove markers as you get to them. Knit across the 45, 47 (48, 53) 57, 62 (72, 77) left front sts, place the next 54, 58 (58, 66) 72, 80 (96, 104) sts on a holder or waste yarn (left sleeve), cast on using the backwards loop method 8, 8 (10, 10) 10, 10 (10, 10) sts (left underarm), knit 90, 94 (96, 106) 114, 124 (144, 154) sts (back), place the next 54, 58 (58, 66) 72, 80 (96, 104) sts on a holder or waste yarn (right sleeve), cast on using the backwards loop method 8, 8 (10, 10) 10, 10 (10, 10) sts (right underarm), knit 45, 47 (48, 53) 57, 62 (72, 77) sts (right front). 196, 204 (212, 232) 248, 268 (308, 328) sts

SWEATER BODY

Work in stockinette until piece measures 30, 30 (31, 31) 31, 31 (32, 32) cm measuring from underarm.

POCKETS

Knit 20, pm, place the next 35 stitches on a holder, cast on 35 using knit cast on, pm knit 86, 94 (102, 122) 138, 158 (198, 218), pm, place the next 35 stitches on a holder, cast on 35 using knit cast on, pm, knit the remaining 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 53, 53, (54, 54) 54, 54 (55, 55) cm or until desired length measuring from underarm removing pocket markers.

Work in 1×1 rib for 5 cm. Bind off all sts in pattern.

SLEEVES

Work each sleeve one at a time as follows: Pick up 4, 4 (5, 5) 5, 5 (5,5) sts from underarm, knit 54, 58 (58, 66) 72, 80 (96, 104) sts of the sleeve on the holder, pick up 4, 4 (5, 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. 62, 66 (68, 76) 82, 90 (106, 114) sts

DECREASES

Decrease 1 st at each side of marker every 10th round 8, 10 (10, 3) 0, 0 (0, 0) times, then every 8th round 0, 0, (0, 10) 10, 2 (0, 0) then every 6th round 0, 0 (0, 0) 5, 16, (8, 2) then every 4th round 0, 0 (0, 0) 0, 0 (16, 25) [46, 46 (48, 50) 52, 54 (58, 60) sts].

Continue without increasing in stockinette st until sleeve measures 37, 37.5 (38, 39) 40, (41 cm or desired length measuring from underarm.

CUFF

Work in 1×1 rib for 5 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 35 stitches on hold.

Work in stockinette stitch for 16cms.

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 Rosemary Cardigan PDF