Youth Judah Zipped Cardigan was inspired 100% by my 6th child. He had a very specific sweater design in his mind that he wanted. He had a list of things that needed to be checked off.

• It HAD to be zipped. Period. No exceptions.
• He wanted a 1×1 rib or as he called it “That stripy thing like Eli’s hat” (the ribbed beanie in worsted)
• The neck had to be a folded over mock turtleneck.
• It had to be a little baggy.
• It had to be brown or green.
• It had to be soft and not itchy.

I had never sewn zipper on before so I was SCARED! I wanted to do it right if I was going to do it at all. I researched for weeks how to put a zipper in well. I didn’t want it to look homemade. I wanted it to look so good that people would ask where we bought it. I poured over different tutorials and found one that used blocking wires to make the most sense and be the easiest. You can find the tutorial I landed on and used here.

All in all, I feel like I checked all the boxes. I used the new Upcycle Alpaca Blend yarn from KnitPicks and was SO PLEASED with it that I ordered enough to make myself 2 sweaters with it. It’s incredibly soft but has the strength of acrylic with the bound of wool. It may be my new favorite worsted yarn and you will definitely see me using it a lot.

My kiddo absolutely loves it. He was showing it off at church the very first chance he got. His only complaint is that it’s so warm. Honestly, for a Montana winter, there’s no such thing as too warm so I’ll take it as a compliment. It has already become his favorite. He asks to wear it all the time. It does a mama’s heart good when they love and appreciate your work.

I pray this sweater becomes your kiddo’s favorite too.

You can purchase the yarn for this project here.

You can purchase the AD FREE version of this pattern here.

Materials and Info

MATERIALS AND INFO

Size: 3, 4 (5, 6) 7, 8, (9, 10) 11, 12 (13, 14)

Materials: Approximately 3, 4 (4, 5) 5, 5 (6, 6) 7, 7 (7, 8) balls of KnitPick Upcycle Alpaca Blend Worsted in Latte (219y/100g),  15, 15 (16, 17) 18 19 (20, 20) 21, 21 (23, 25) inch separating zipper, yarn needle, stitch markers

Needle Size: 7(US) 4.5mm straight needle 6(US) 4mm 24in circular needle

Gauge (tension): 20sts & 35 rows to make 10cm square, using size 7(US) 4.5mm needles

Chest Measurement: 55, 57 (59, 61) 64, 67 (70, 73) 76, 79 (82, 90) cm

METHOD

This Youth Judah Zipped Cardigan is a drop sleeve style that is worked flat from the bottom up with 10cm of ease. The main body is knit in a broken rib pattern while the edges are worked in a 1×1 rib pattern.

BROKEN RIB PATTERN

Row 1(right side row) – knit across

Row 2 – (k1, p1) across

1X1 RIB PATTERN

Row 1 (right side row) – (k1, p1) across

Row 2 – knit all the knit stitches, purl all the purl stitches.

Youth Judah Zipped Cardigan Pattern

BACK

Cast on 74, 76 (78, 80) 84, 86 (90, 94) 96, 100 (104, 112) sts using the cast on of your choice.

Work 4 cms of 1×1 rib.

Work in broken rib pattern until your work measures 23, 24 (25.5, 27) 28, 29.5 (30.5, 32) 33, 34 (35.5, 38.5) cm measured from the cast-on edge. Place markers on each end of the row to mark armhole.

Continue working in broken rib pattern until work measures 35, 37 (39, 41) 43, 45 (47, 49) 51, 53 (55, 60) cms from cast on edge ending after completing a wrong side row.

SHOULDERS

Bind off 8, 8 (8, 8) 9, 9 (9, 10) 10, 10 (11, 11) sts at the beginning of the next 2 rows.

Bind off 8, 8 (8, 8) 9, 9 (9, 10) 10, 10 (11, 11) sts then work in broken rib pattern until you have 11, 12 (12, 13) 12, 12 (14, 13) 13, 15 (14, 16) sts on your right needle. Put remaining sts on a stitch holder.

Turn and bind off 3 sts, work to end of row.

Turn and bind off the remaining 8, 9 (9, 10) 9, 9 (11, 10) 10, 12 (11, 13) sts.

With right side facing rejoin yarn to the sts on the st holder.

Bind off the first 20, 20 (22, 22) 24, 26 (26, 28) 30, 30 (32, 36) sts, then work the remaining 19, 20 (20, 21) 21, 21 (23, 23) 23, 25 (25, 27) sts in broken rib pattern already established.

Turn and bind off the first 8, 8 (8, 8) 9, 9 (9, 10) 10, 10 (11, 11) sts, work in broken rib pattern across.

Turn and bind off 3 sts, work to end of row in broken rib pattern.

Bind off the remaining 8, 9 (9, 10) 9, 9 (11, 10) 10, 12 (11, 13) sts.

LEFT FRONT

Cast on 36, 37 (38, 39) 41, 42 (44, 46) 47, 49 (51, 55) sts using the same cast on as the back

Work 4 cms of 1×1 rib.

Work in broken rib pattern until your work measures 23, 24 (25.5, 27) 28, 29.5 (30.5, 32) 33, 34 (35.5, 38.5) cm measured from the cast-on edge. Place markers on each end of the row to mark armhole.

Continue working in broken rib pattern until work measures 32, 34 (36, 39) 39.5, 42.5 (43.5, 45) 47, 48.5 (50, 55) cms from cast on edge ending after completing a right side row.

NECK

Next row – Bind off 8, 8 (9, 9) 10, 10 (10, 11) 12, 12 (10, 12) sts, work to end of row [28, 29 (29, 30) 31, 32 (34, 35) 35, 37 (41, 43) sts]

Decrease 1 sts at the neck edge of the next 2, 2 (2, 2) 2, 3 (3, 3) 3, 3 (5, 5) rows. [26, 27 (27, 28) 29, 29 (31, 32) 32, 34 (35, 38) sts]

Decrease 1 sts at neck edge on right side only 2, 2 (2, 2) 2, 2 (2, 2) 2, 2 (3, 3) times [24, 25 (25, 26) 27, 27 (29, 30) 30, 32 (33, 33) sts]

Continue in broken rib pattern until work measures 35, 37 (39, 41) 43, 45 (47, 49) 51, 53 (55, 60) cms from cast on edge, ending after completing a wrong side row

SHOULDERS

Bind off 8, 8 (8, 8) 9, 9 (9, 10) 10, 10 (11, 11) sts, work to end of row

Work the next row without shaping

Bind off 8, 8 (8, 8) 9, 9 (9, 10) 10, 10 (11, 11) sts, work to end of row

Work the next row without shaping

Bind off remaining 8, 9 (9, 10) 8, 9 (11, 10) 10, 12 (11, 13) sts

RIGHT FRONT

Cast on 36, 37 (38, 39) 41, 42 (44, 46) 47, 49 (51, 55) sts using the same cast on as the back

Work 4 cms of 1×1 rib.

Work in broken rib pattern until your work measures 23, 24 (25.5, 27) 28, 29.5 (30.5, 32) 33, 34 (35.5, 38.5) cm measured from the cast-on edge. Place markers on each end of the row to mark armhole.

Continue working in broken rib pattern until work measures 32, 34 (36, 39) 39.5, 42 (43.5, 45) 47, 48.5 (50, 55) cms from cast on edge ending after completing a wrong side row.

NECK

Next row – Bind off 8, 8 (9, 9) 10, 10 (10, 11) 12, 12 (10, 12) sts, work to end of row [28, 29 (29, 30) 31, 32 (34, 35) 35, 37 (41, 43) sts]

Decrease 1 sts at the neck edge of the next 2, 2 (2, 2) 2, 3 (3, 3) 3, 3 (5, 5) rows. [26, 27 (27, 28) 29, 29 (31, 32) 32, 34 (36, 38) sts]

Decrease 1 sts at neck edge on right side only 2, 2 (2, 2) 2, 2 (2, 2) 2, 2 (3, 3) times [24, 25 (25, 26) 27, 27 (29, 30) 30, 32 (33, 35) sts]

Continue in broken rib pattern until work measures 35, 37 (39, 41) 43, 45 (47, 49) 51, 53 (55, 60) cms from cast on edge, ending after completing a right side row

SHOULDERS

Bind off 8, 8 (8, 8) 9, 9 (9, 10) 10, 10 (11, 11) sts, work to end of row

Work the next row without shaping

Bind off 8, 8 (8, 8) 9, 9 (9, 10)10, 10 (11, 11) sts, work to end of row

Work the next row without shaping

Bind off remaining 8, 9 (9, 10) 9, 9 (11, 10) 10, 12 (11, 13) sts

SLEEVES (MAKE 2)

Cast on now 38, 38 (38, 38) 44, 46 (46, 48) 48, 48 (46, 52) sts

Work 4 cms of 1×1 rib.

Work 4 rows of broken rib pattern.

Increase rows – inc 1 st at each end of next and each following 4^th row 6, 9 (10, 10) 6, 7 (11, 8) 11, 15 (17, 23) times, then every 6^th row 4, 3 (3, 4) 7, 7 (5, 8) 7, 5 (4, 1) times to 60, 64 (66, 68) 72, 76 (80, 82) 86, 90 (94, 102) sts.

Continue working in broken rib pattern until your work measures 24, 26.5 (28, 29) 28, 29.5 (31.5, 33) 34.5, 38 (39, 40.5) cms or length desired (I like to make a sweater fit longer by adding extra length to the sleeve so the cuff can be folded over as seen in model images), finishing after completing a wrong side row.

Bind off all sts evenly.

NECK

Join both shoulder seams, using yarn on a tapestry/yarn needle.

With right side facing pick up and knit 8, 8 (9, 9) 10, 10 (10, 11) 12, 12 (10, 12) sts along right from bind off edge, 9, 11 (11, 11) 11, 12 (12, 12) 14, 14 (16, 16) sts up right front of neck, 26, 26 (28, 28) 30, 32 (32, 34) 36, 36 (38, 42) sts from back neck, 9, 11 (11, 11) 11, 12 (12, 12) 14, 14 (16, 16) sts up left front and side of neck, 8, 8 (9, 9) 10, 10 (10, 11) 12, 12 (10, 12) sts along left from bind off edge. [60, 64 (68, 68) 72, 76 (76, 80) 88, 88 (90, 98) sts]

Work 10, 10 (10, 10) 13, 13 (13, 13) 15, 15 (15, 15) cms of 1×1 rib.

Bind off all sts in pattern. Fold over (toward the wrong side) the neck and sew it down.

FRONT BANDS (REPEAT FOR BOTH BANDS)

Pick up 1 stitch for each row along front and neck using the size 6 circular needle.

Cast on 7 sts, turn (wrong side now facing) work 1×1 ribbing for 6sts 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, leaving a long enough tail to sew the band down the length of the front and neck. (60-90cms)

FINISHING

Sew the sleeves on, side seams and sleeve seams. I prefer to use the mattress stitch because it almost appears seamless. Weave in all ends. Sew the separating zipper on. I like to use blocking wires to hold my work flat as I baste my zipper on. It helps keep the zipper from being wavy.

Abbreviations

K – knit                                                P – purl

PM – place marker                                INC – increase

K2tog -knit 2 stitches together             YO – yarn over

ST – stitch                                           STS – stitches

SSK – slip, slip, knit the slipped sts together