I love knitting patterns that keep me interested. Cables are my favourite, lace is also up my alley, but if you would like to torture me, make me knit a whole garment in stockinette stitch. However, many friends have asked me to design an “easier pattern” - something that an advanced beginner would be able to do. Whilst it is not a “mindless” knitting project, my stitch pattern choice for this very casual, every day kind of cardigan was this easy combination of knit and purl with a slipped stitch column and an easy 20 row repeat.

The cardigan’s back and left front are worked from the bottom up, with sloped shoulders achieved by staggered bind-offs; the right front is worked from the side, starting at the shoulder and ending at the neckline shaping. It is shorter than the left front and the shoulder slope comes from increases; the button holes are done as part of the piece. There are no button bands, but the left front has a 2 stitch garter band with the first stitch slipped on the wrong side.

After sewing the shoulders in mattress stitch, sleeve stitches are picked up from the edges of the front and back panels and worked flat. The neck-band is picked up at the end and worked in stockinette stitch.

Whilst this gorgeous yarn is DK 8ply, I think it’s closer to the thickness and yardage of a 10ply, worsted weight. I am by no means an expert in yarns but I had this feeling while knitting with it, and many testers of the pattern used a 10 ply equivalent.

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Errata: in the printed version that was available at Bendigo Wool Show there are some rows missing in the Left Sleeve section. The pattern should look like this:
“Left Sleeve
All sizes: pick up 71 (79, 87, 95) (103, 111, 119)(127, 135)sts from the edge of front and back,
with RS facing you; about 2sts for every 3 rows.
Work the next row (establishing row, WS) as follows: k1, work row 2 of chart once starting on st 8 (4, 12, 8)(4, 12, 8)(4, 12) and ending on st 1, work row 2 of chart 5 (6, 6, 7)(8, 8, 9)(10, 10)times, k2. Row 1 (RS): p2, work row 1 of chart 5 (6, 6, 7)(8, 8, 9)(10, 10)times, work row 1 of chart one more time ending on st 8 (4, 12, 8)(4, 12, 8)(4, 12), p1. Continue working in pattern for another 9 (7, 5, 5) (3, 3, 3)(3, 3) rows.
Sleeve decrease.
Size 1: Row 11 (RS): p2tog, work as established to last 2 sts, p2tog. Repeat the decreases at each end of every 10th row 5 times then every 8th row 7 times; 26 stitches decreased (45sts on your needles). Work another 7 rows and bind-off in pattern.”

Apologies to everyone that has that copy. Please get in touch on Instagram so I can send you the correct version.