In my opinion, this is a perfect date night cardigan. It can be dressed up or down and has thoughtful details that make it a staple in my wardrobe:

• set in sleeves that leave a freedom of movement without being constricting (thanks to changing rates of short rows!)
• small cable detail at the front
• double knit button bands that are finished at the same time as the collar and body for seamlessness
• welts before the collar and sleeve ribbing to create a nice transition for the saddles

Construction
This sweater is worked top down. We start by making two saddles that create the shoulders. Then we pick up stitches along the sides of the saddles and shape the back and back neckline with short rows. The back is then worked straight until armhole increases. The fronts are shaped in similar way (with additional increases for the neckline) and are worked separately until we’re ready to join them with the back. The rest of the cardigan’s body is worked flat with small cable details on the front. The body is finished with 2x2 ribbing.

Then we pick up stitches for the neckline and finish the inside edges with a small welt. The rest of the neckline is made in 2x2 ribbing.

Next up is a double knit button band which is added to both sides of the front. The ends are then finished at the same time as the neckline and body ribbing with a rolled edge.

Lastly, we pick up stitches for the sleeves. The cap is shaped with short rows and the rest of the sleeve is knit in the round. The saddle design continues on the sleeves until the ribbing. The sleeve is finished with a welt and 2x2 ribbing.

Options:

• Two widths of the button band (for 12 and 8 buttons)
• Two saddle options (thick cables as on the green cardigan and lace+cables as on the red cardigan)
• Two sleeves - more (red cardigan) and less tapered (green cardigan)

Sizes:
This is a #sizeinclusive design graded for 11 sizes with 67-178 cm / 26.4-71.2 inches in recommended chest circumference (designed to be worn with 8-17 cm (3-6.7 in) of positive ease at the bust). Full schematic with finished measurements can be viewed here: link to the schematic.
There are also optional (horizontal) bust darts adding 3/6/10 cm (1.1/2.3/4 in) in length on the front only.

Please note that unfortunately I haven’t been able to find testers for sizes 10-11. If your chest measurements fit into the recommended range for those sizes, please email me (crochetedbybogusia@gmail.com). I’ll be happy to offer this pattern for free in exchange for the feedback.

Gauge:
22 sts and 30 rows per 10 cm in stockinette worked flat (blocked). Suggested needle size: 4 mm but use whatever size necessary to reach gauge.

Needles:
Main needle: 4 mm circular needle (US size 6) - any length for the body and your preferred way of working small circumference in the round for sleeves
Note: Some people find that their tension is tighter when working small circumferences in the round (like sleeves). In that case I recommend using bigger needles for this portion of the pattern.
Ribbing needle: 3.5 mm (US size 4)
Double knitting needle: 3.25 mm (US size 3)

Yarn:
You will need approx. 1170, 1243, 1354, (1445, 1564, 1662), 1758, 1883, 1971, (2082, 2205) m / 1279, 1359, 1480, (1580, 1710, 1817), 1922, 2059, 2155, (2276, 2411) yd of dk weight yarn or the alternative yarns held together. Red sample is made with fingering weight yarn held together with lace weight (mohair) and the green sample used dk yarn. The approximations above include a 5% buffer and one 15x15 cm / 6x6 in swatch.
Additional yardage for:

• less tapered sleeves: 58, 58, 44, (43, 55, 42), 41, 35, 44, (44, 32) m / 63, 63, 48, (47, 60, 45), 44, 38, 48, (48, 34) yd
• cup 1 bust darts: 11, 12, 14, (15, 17, 18), 19, 21, 22, (24, 25) m / 12, 13, 15, (16, 18, 19), 20, 22, 24, (26, 27) yd
• cup 2 bust darts: 22, 25, 28, (31, 34, 36), 39, 42, 45, (48, 50) m / 24, 27, 30, (33, 37, 39), 42, 45, 49, (52, 54) yd
• cup 3 bust darts: -, -, -, (37, 42, 46), 52, 57, 61, (65, 70) m / -, -, -, (40, 45, 50), 56, 62, 66, (71, 76) yd

If using two or three yarns held together, you’ll need the same quantity of each of those yarns. Please note that these are just approximations. Total yarn usage will depend on the yarn you use (fiber content, ply, etc.), your personal gauge and any modifications you may make.

My yarn
Red sample: Sandnes Garn Tynn Peer Gynt (100% wool, 205 m / 224 yd per 50 g) in 4255 held with Pascuali Manada (45% mohair, 25% silk, 15% yak wool, 15% merino wool, 200 m / 218 yd per 25 g) in 227
Green sample: Gepard yarn Pura Lana (50% wool, 50% alpaca, 115 m / 126 yd per 50 g) in 814

If you’d like to see testers’ versions of this sweater, check out my instagram at @knitsbybogusia.

As a bonus, this pattern comes with two calculators I made:

• sleeve length calculator (calculating the perfect decrease rate based on you sleeve length and size)

• spacing buttons calculator (calculating how you should place buttons so they are evenly spaced) Both can be used for this project but also for other ones!