Cardigan knitting pattern for your measurements
A cardigan is a sweater with an opening at the front, bands and buttons. Most mistakes happen in the width of the fronts and in buttonholes that end up unevenly spaced. Here is the calculation on a top-down raglan.
Construction: seamless top-down raglan
The cardigan is worked flat from the neck: both fronts, the back and the sleeve tops at once, increasing along four raglan lines. After the yoke the sleeves go on hold, the body is worked to the hem and the sleeves are knit in the round. No seams, and you can try it on at any point.
Worked example: top-down raglan cardigan
This is real output from the builder for size M (bust 92 cm, neck 35.5 cm, upper arm 29 cm, length 60 cm) at a gauge of 22 sts and 30 rows per 10 cm (4 in).
Key numbers
- Cast-on
- 86
- Yoke rounds/rows
- 58
- Set-up: sleeve / front
- 16 / 30
- Increases A / B
- 25 / 12
- Yoke sts at end
- 334
- Cast on at underarm
- 8
- Body sts
- 218
- Sleeve sts
- 74
- Cuff sts
- 44
- Body rounds
- 94
Finished garment
- Bust circumference
- 101.8 cm
- Ease
- +9.8 cm
- Neckline
- 39.1 cm
- Collar
- 2.5 cm ribbing, 2.7 cm
- Yoke depth
- 19 cm
- Sleeve circumference
- 33.6 cm
- Cuff
- 20 cm
- Yarn (estimate)
- 1120–1430 m
Numbers for size M
- Neck cast-on: 86 sts, yoke rows: 58
- Set-up: sleeve / front — 16 / 30 sts
- Body stitches after the split: 218
- Yarn: 1120–1430 m
Bands and buttons
Bands are picked up along the front edges at roughly 3 stitches for every 4 rows, so they neither pull in nor ripple. Buttonholes are spaced evenly between the first (1–1.5 cm below the neck) and the last (1–2 cm above the hem) — the builder works out how many stitches apart each one goes and writes it into the pattern. On a women’s cardigan the buttonholes go on the right front band.
The technique is in the buttonholes lesson.
Ease for a cardigan
A cardigan is worn over other clothes, so add 2–4 cm more ease than for a pullover: classic — 10–12 cm, relaxed — 18–20 cm. The band width is part of the chest: both fronts plus one band should equal half the chest.
FAQ
How many buttons does a cardigan need?
Usually 5–8 for a 55–65 cm length, 7–9 cm apart. Set the number in the builder and it spaces the buttonholes evenly.
How do I stop the button band from rippling?
Pick up about 3 stitches for every 4 rows rather than one per row, and knit the band in 1×1 rib on needles 0.5 mm smaller.
Can I knit a drop-shoulder cardigan?
Yes — the builder also does drop-shoulder, set-in-sleeve and Japanese-shoulder cardigans in pieces, with fronts and bands.