How can you not love a top down cardigan? Even newer knitters should be able to tackle this pattern. Here are the tricks involved:

1. Basics (knit, purl, cast on, bind off, weaving in ends)
2. increase: Yarn over (yo), knit front & back (kfb)
3. binding off in the middle of the row, casting on in the middle of the row (creates armholes)
4. pattern reading/garments

DungarEASE is a cotton acrylic yarn and pretty durable. I like knitting with it; it feels great on the needles. I also put the finished cardi in the wash and…. no shrinkage, no damage, no anything (gauge was same before & after). This is a great yarn for summer garments, baby blankets and sensitive skin projects (like chemo caps).

Working Notes:
1. I used stitch markers to help keep count of stitches during increase rows - I found it prevented me from adding too many stitches. I also used stitch markers to separate garter stitch button bands and main portion of garment (often worked in stockinette).

1. In Cap Sleeves section: Designer states to “continue work in stockinette stitch, maintaining button bands…”. Button bands = garter stitch section. Additionally, I’ve just finished row 30 and she says this before instructing on Pos 31….. Ack. Not sure what this meant and the comments she made (Comments tab of pattern) are confusing. However, since the next row is a RS and the Row 31 instructions are a WS, I’m hoping it’s safe to assume that you do 5 rows in stockinette body/garter stitch band before starting Row 31….. and that Row 31 is actually row 36, at least for the 0-6 mo size. Since each size has different number of rows of stockinette here, that’s probably why she didn’t give them row #s. Logic, meet hope. :) (Whether I was right or not, it turned out fine.)

2. Moving on! Designer clarifies Row 31 instructions in the comments section on pattern page: “You should alternate rows 31 and 32 for a total of three additional times. So, do row 31 and 32, then row 31 and 32 again, and finally, end after you complete row 31. Does that make sense? I hope it helps!”

3. Have reached cast on edge of armholes, row 34 nad have used 56 g or 140 yards.

4. Many thanks to Judi Toohey (Yarnivore!) for offering up the following (also in the comments section on the pattern): “I didn’t like the long floater under the arm either. What I did is this: To the number of CO stitches, I added two more. I CO one stitch, placed the marker, then CO the number of stitches in the pattern, placed marker, then CO one more stitch. I did that for both sleeves. Then on the next row, I K2tog right before the markers and right after the markers. That tightened up the loops under the arm.” Adding this to mine version next. :) (Worked out nicely!)

5. I wasn’t worried about gauge (this is a shop sample so size is flexible….) and clearly, I’ve knit a larger size than 0-6 mo, it looks to be a 2T-3T. I used all but a few inches (!) of the DungarEase, which is 250 yards….. and only made it to the end by modifying. Instead of doing 6 rows garter, 4 rows stockinette, 6 rows garter, and binding off; I did 12 rows garter and bound off (skipped the 4 rows stockinette).

Pics!

1. Finished, dried (need to add buttons and weave in ends…. do you see how short the tail is?)
2. Top of neckline
3. Row 33, bound off sleeves