Folded Squares Cardigan
I recently visited one of my favorite sources of inspiration: Kinokuniya, a remarkable Japanese bookstore in midtown Manhattan. There, I unearthed Tomoko Nakamichi’s beautiful and aptly titled sewing book, “Pattern Magic 2.” And at that moment, the seed for our Folded Squares Cardigan was planted!
Under the intriguing heading, “Wearing a Square,” Nakamichi outlines a pattern for a cardigan that consists of a big “T” with its outer top corners folded inward. Gears turning, I set out to try the template in knitted form, using garter stitch and Habu Textile’s incredible Dyed Bamboo.
The pattern may seem a bit like origami, but instead of crisp, angular paper, Dyed Bamboo is more like a jellyfish! As lovely as it is amorphous, this yarn tends to expand and shift and have a life of its own.
And although this makes securing exact measurements a bit challenging, I encourage you to embrace this yarn and silhouette for what it is: an easy-to-make, incredibly slinky, soft, and elegant affair! – Kristy
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Kristina McGowan. Click here to see even more of Kristina’s designs!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoFoldedSquaresCardigan, and #PurlSohoBurnish. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 2 skeins of Habu’s Dyed Bamboo, 100% bamboo; approximately 850, (930, 1090, 1180, 1275, 1375) yards required. I used the color Silver.
OR
- 3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4) skeins of Purl Soho’s Burnish, 100% rayon from bamboo; approximately 850, (930, 1090, 1180, 1275, 1375) yards required.
You will also need…
- US 4 (3.5 mm), 24, 32- or 47-inch circular needles
Please Note: Habu’s Dyed Bamboo and Burnish are no longer available but choose from one of our other sport weight yarns. And be sure to check your gauge!
Gauge
Before blocking: 24 stitches and 44 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
After blocking: 20 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
Stitch and row counts given in the pattern reflect final measurements after blocking.
Note: Whatever yarn you use to make this pattern, be sure to block your swatch and make sure you’re getting the correct ‘after blocking’ gauge.
Sizes
NOTE For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Size Tutorial!
34 (38, 42, 46, 50, 54)
- Finished Chest Circumference: 34 (38, 42, 46, 50, 54) inches
- Length from Underarm to Bottom Edge: 9 (9, 9 ½, 9 ½, 9 ½, 9 ½) inches
- Length from Underarm to Bottom Sleeve Edge: 6 ¾ (6 ¾, 7 ¼, 7 ¼, 7 ¼, 7 ¼) inches
SAMPLE: Size 38
Notes
A garter stitch “ridge” is a horizontal corrugation formed by knitting two rows. Counting ridges is an easy way to determine how many rows you have knit without having to count as you work. If you find this confusing, just multiply the number of ridges given by two, and that is how many rows you should knit. For example, 40 ridges is 80 rows.
Bind off all stitches as follows: *K2tog tbl (through the back loop), place stitch back on left needle, repeat from *.
Pattern
Fronts and Back
Cast on 260 (270, 290, 300, 310, 320) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Knit every row until you have 40 (45, 50, 54, 58, 63) garter stitch ridges [see Notes, above].
Divide Fronts and Back
Bind off 90 (90, 95, 95, 95, 95) stitches for Left Front, knit until there are 80 (90, 100, 110, 120, 130) stitches on right needle for Back, join second ball of yarn and bind off remaining 90 (90, 95, 95, 95, 95) stitches for Right Front. Cut the yarn and pull it through the remaining stitch.
Continue Back
Knit every row over center 80 (90, 100, 110, 120, 130) stitches until you have 81 (81, 85, 85, 85, 85) garter ridges from the bind-off rows.
Bind off all stitches. Cut yarn and pull it through the remaining stitch.
Sleeves
Note: Make two identical sleeves.
Cast on 60 (60, 66, 66, 66, 66) stitches.
Knit every row until you have 30 (30, 33, 33, 33, 33) garter ridges.
Row 1 (right side): K1, slip 1, k1, psso (pass slipped stitch over), knit to last 2 stitches, slip stitch just worked back to left needle and pass second-to-last stitch over and off needle, slip stitch back to right needle, knit last stitch. [2 stitches decreased]
Row 2: Knit.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until 4 stitches remain.
Next Row (right side): K1, k2tog, k1. [3 stitches]
Next Row: K1, k2tog. [2 stitches]
Next Row: k2tog. [1 stitch]
Cut yarn and pull it through last stitch.
Finish
Weave in ends and block all three pieces. Block by submerging them fully in water, gently squeezing out the excess water, and laying them flat to dry (shaping to finished measurements).
With the wrong sides facing up, position the top points of each Sleeve under each side of the “T,” as shown in the schematic in the Notes section, above.
Starting at the base of one Sleeve point, whipstitch the Sleeve’s top point to the underside of the T-shape, shown in the schematic as a bold line.
Sew the Sleeve’s underside seams together. For tips, visit our Seaming Garter Stitch Tutorial.
Fold the Cardigan along the schematic’s dotted lines and whipstitch the body’s side seams to finish.
Weave in the ends and enjoy your Folded Squares Cardigan!
Hi! I love this pattern however I am a basic knitter and find the bamboo yarn a little too expensive for experimenting. Would the Cotton Pure work? https://www.purlsoho.com/cotton-pure.html
If not, which other more affordable yarn and the quantity required for this project?
Thanks!
Hello Yiping,
Thank you for reaching out! I would definitely recommend checking your gauge since Cotton Pure is slightly heavier than Habu Dyed Bamboo – however, if your gauge does end up slightly bigger- however since the piece is all in garter stitch, it shouldn’t be too hard to adjust.
I hope this helps and let us know if you have any additional questions!
-Marilla
Hi, lovely pattern, can it be made shorter in length?
Hello Sandi,
Thank you for reaching out! You can crop this cardigan to make it shorter in length. Because this is knit side to side you will just cast on less stitches to achieve this.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello,
I recently purchased the Super Soft Merino for a blanket and I just love the wool so much that I decided to change projet so I could wear it!
As a beginner knitter, I would love a simple cardigan. Could this be adapted so I could use a heavier size wool and needles? If so, how many skeins of Super Soft do you think I would need (I currently have 7)?
Thank you.
Hi Maude,
Thanks for reaching out! Scaling this sweater up to use a super bulky yarn like Super Soft Merino is quite a jump, but it is doable if you are willing to do a bit of math – fortunately this sweater is mostly rectangles, which makes this possible. You will need to knit a gauge swatch using Super Soft Merino on US 13 or US 15 needles, whichever you find gives you a fabric that is drapey without being too loose, and measure your stitches per inch. You can then use the diagram and multiply your stitches per inch by the various measurements for your size to figure out how many stitches to cast on and cast off for the body and sleeves.
Determining how much yarn you will need when making such a big change is unfortunately not so simple. Since it is quite an oversized sweater, I would guess you will need between 10 and 15 skeins total, but you will have a better idea once you start knitting and see how far each skein goes. I would recommend purchasing more than you think you need to be on the safe side, and any unwound yarns can be returned for store credit. You can view our full return policy here.
I hope that helps, and please do let us know how it turns out!
Julianna
Thank you Julianna! My gauge was exactly 50% larger so maths are quite simple. However, I’m having a hard time figuring out how long the sleeves should be from bottom edge to top on the triangle part, and from bottom edge to just before we start decreasing. The pattern says 6 3/4in but that seems rather short. I’m making the sample size 38. thank you!
Hi Maude,
That does actually sound like the right measurement. If you look at the modeled pictures of the cardigan, you can see that the sleeves are quite dropped – the underarm where the sleeve meets the body of the sweater hits the model right about at her elbow or a little lower, so that 6 3/4 inches is measured from there. However, knowing that, you can modify the sleeve length if you prefer a longer or shorter sleeve!
Best,
Julianna
Hi. Unsure if you’ve answered this.
I’m making this now and I’m on the sleeves. I’ve noticed they are short. If I want it to go to my wrist how much should I add?
On your pic is comes up short on her wrist.
Hi Elle,
Thanks for writing in! You can certainly adjust the length of the sleeves if you wish! It’s hard to say exactly how long to make them since everyone’s arms are a different length, but if you look at the modeled pictures of the cardigan, you can see that the sleeves are quite dropped – the underarm where the sleeve meets the body of the sweater hits the model right about at her elbow or a little lower. In the pattern, the sleeve is 6 3/4 inches before beginning the shaping, so you can modify this length if you prefer a longer or shorter sleeve!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hello, I have 2 skeins of Cattail silk at home, do you think this would work out similarly?
Thanx!
Hi Katra,
Thanks for reaching out! Cattail Silk is a bit thinner than Habu Dyed Bamboo, so you might be able to get the correct gauge for this pattern, but you would definitely need to knit and block a swatch or two to find the right needle size. It would be a lovely, drapey, lightweight option for this cardigan!
Best,
Julianna
Thank you so much, I will try it! 🙂
Hi, it appears that this cardigan is on the cover of the “Purl Soho Classics” book in Japanese. I would love to make that cropped version with the mid-length sleeves. Can you tell me what yarn was used for the version in the book? Is this version available in pattern form? Thanks!
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for reaching out! All of the projects in the Purl Soho Classics book, including the Folded Squares Cardigan, are knit out of Line Weight. Unfortunately an English version of the book is not available; however, all of the patterns were knit without modifications other than substituting Line Weight held either single or double, so I suspect the cropped sleeves and length are simply due to the gauge difference of knitting the pattern above in Line Weight, which is thinner and less drapey than the original bamboo.
Best of luck, and I hope that helps!
Julianna
I have just completed this pattern using Mulberry Merino. The yarn is lovely and drapes beautifully, however the sweater is shorter overall but still a good look. I blocked according to the measurements but the fit is different. Not sure if it is the difference in yarn or if I should go to the next size when making in the bamboo yarn (I love the pattern and plan to make another). There doesn’t seem to be much difference in measurements going from 34 to 38, but I realize the yarns are very different. I sued size 6 needles with the merino.
Thank you!
Hello Joy,
Thank you for reaching out and for sharing your experience! It sounds like your gauge might have been on the tight side. I would definitely knit up a gauge swatch before jumping into your next cardigan.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Thank you – I thought that might be the case. Looking forward to working with the bamboo yarn!
Would really love to make this sweater for myself, but the only color left is blue. Is there another similar yarn in silver you could recommend or one that would work?
Thanks,
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for writing in! Yes, I think this cardigan would be just lovely knit out of Burnish in Gray Willow! You will need 3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 5) skeins of Burnish.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Could Burnish work on this patter? What is the yardage needed? Thanks!
Hi Mary,
Thanks for writing in! Yes, Burnish is an ideal yarn to use for this cardigan! You will need 3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 5) skeins of Burnish for each size.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi can u use dk wool ty.
Hi Tracey,
Thanks for writing in! We wrote this pattern for a fingering weight yarn, so I would recommend using a fingering weight if possible. If you would like to try a DK weight yarn, I would strongly recommend knitting a gauge swatch to make sure you will be able to match our gauge.
Best,
Julianna
How much ease is built into this pattern? Really like the look.
Hi Marilyn,
Thanks for reaching out! Our sizes are the actual finished measurements of the cardigan, so there isn’t any ease built in. Our model is wearing a size 38 with 4 inches of positive ease, so for a similar fit, I would recommend choosing a size about 4 inches larger than your actual bust measurement.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Hello, I really love the look of this pattern but am a really large size. How would I go about making the pattern larger to do this please? I read where you recommend 4inches larger than your bust size, I really don’t want to mention it in the forum!
Many thanks, Christine
Hi Christine,
Thanks for reaching out! I am so sorry that this cardigan doesn’t currently come in your size, but I am happy to help you figure out how to make it fit – no need to share your measurements! It will probably be helpful to sketch or print the schematic to write in your customized dimensions. You will need to start by adding 2 to 4 inches to your bust measurement, depending on how loosely you would like the cardigan to fit, to determine what the finished measurement of your cardigan should be. Next, divide this number by two, subtract two inches, and write this number in as the second dimension from the left along the top of the diagram. This will be the width of the cardigan across the back, which will be slightly less than half your total finished chest measurement. Next, go back to the finished chest measurement, subtract the back width that you just wrote down, and divide what is left by two to figure out what the width of each front should be, and write this number in as the top number on the right side of the diagram. You will probably also want to adjust the sleeve circumference, which is the number along the diagonal line, and the length of the cardigan below the armhole, which is both the 1st and 4th numbers from the left along the top and the bottom number on the right. (You can more or less disregard the 3rd number from the left along the top and middle number on the right, which is the height of the armhole, as you don’t have much control over it – it’s determined by the width of your sleeve piece) If you need to, you can round all of these dimensions to the nearest inch – just make sure the three length measurements are the same!
Once you have everything the way you would like it, you can use your gauge to determine how many stitches to cast on for each piece – the arrows in the diagram show you which direction you will be knitting. For instance, for the body, you will cast on the entire width at the top of the diagram, which you can figure out by adding together the 1st, 2nd, and 4th dimensions, and multiplying that number by your stitches per inch. As long as you keep an eye on your diagram to adjust cast ons, cast offs, and lengths, you can follow along with the rest of the pattern!
Since last spring, all of our new sweaters fit at least a 60-inch chest. We have also been updating older patterns with the same, but I’m so sorry that this pattern hasn’t been graded to our new size range yet! If you like, you can view a gallery of our new and updated sweaters by clicking right here!
Best,
Julianna
What style of cast on would you recommend for this project?
Hi Kerry,
Thanks for asking about this! We used a long-tail cast on for this cardigan.
Happy Knitting!
Cassandra
Hi Julianna, Marilla and Cassandra…
Gorgeous pattern! Seriously considering making this… looks so simply elegant.
My question is… and you do Not have to answer this….
I wonder if you ever get tired of having to answer questions over and over, when we could just read through the questions and answers already dealth with? I don’t know if I would have the patience… 😉
Hi Sandy,
You are too kind! It’s really our pleasure to everyone’s questions to make sure their knitting is a success! No matter how minor the question, we just hope we can give knitters the confidence they need to keep on knitting!
All the best,
Julianna
There is a Habu dyed bamboo on the Habu web site is this the right yarn? It’s lace weight.Thanks!
Hi Gina,
Thanks for reaching out! The bamboo yarn that Habu currently carries is too fine for this cardigan, unfortunately. The original dyed bamboo was fingering weight, while the current one is lace weight. Our Burnish, however, is also 100% bamboo and makes an excellent substitute!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi Julianna,
Thank you so much for answering all our questions which such patience! I’d like to make this in a more longline version — where do I add stitches to add length to the sweater?
Bonus question: has anyone tried adding color blocks or stripes to this?
Thank you for the beautiful pattern!
Hi Brooke,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words, I will be sure to pass this along to Julianna! Since this pattern is knit vertically instead of horizontally, to lengthen it you would need to cast on more stitches for the FRONT AND BACK section. I haven’t heard of anyone working this pattern with color-blocking or stripes but I think it would be fairly easy to work either of those in!
All the best,
Gianna
Good morning. I just discovered your Folded Squares cardigan. I’d like to make it using Patons Classic Double Knitting. Would 1400 yds be enough for the larger size, or was that just the amount required to make the sweater shown? What do you suggest? Thanks
Hi Kathryn,
Thanks for reaching out! Since this pattern was written for the Habu’s Dyed Bamboo and each skein was 700 yards you only needed 2 skeins to make any of the sizes! If you are planning on making the larger size I would recommend definitely getting around 1400 yards!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi,
As the bamboo yarn is no longer available. How many yards are required for this model? I plan to use the Burnish yarn you recommend, but Im not sure how many to order for a size 34. Please advise. Thanks,
Sandra from Quebec.
Hi Sandra,
Thanks for reaching out! One skein of Habu’s Dyed Bamboo contains 700 yards (2 skeins was plenty for all of the sizes) so this project would require 3 skeins of Burnish for a size 34! I do recommend double checking your gauge whenever working with yarn substitutions!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
Can your Linen Quill yarn be used for this pattern ( Folded Squares Cardigan). Thank you!
Hi Katie,
Thanks for writing in! Linen Quill would be a great option for the cardigan! I would recommend double-checking that your gauge by working a swatch to ensure it is consistent with the pattern prior to beginning!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
How many skeins would be needed?
Hi Mia,
The number of skeins would depend on what size you’re making! You can figure that out by dividing the total yardage of your size by the yardage per skein of whichever yarn you choose to use as a substitute and rounding up to the nearest whole number. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Don’t know if this was asked but could double stranded mineral silk work and would 6 skeins be enough
Hi Denise,
Thanks for writing in! I think using two strands of Mineral Silk would be beautiful for this cardigan! The gauge should work up similarly, but I do recommend working a gauge swatch prior to beginning to make sure you are consistent or determine if you need to make any adjustments!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Gianna
Do you suppose a ribbed cuff would work on the sleeves?
Hi Sunsprout,
Thanks for reaching out! I think you could certainly add a 2×2 ribbed cuff to this pattern!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hello!
What bind-off do you recommend for the DIVIDE FRONT AND BACK bind-off? As this bind-off (horizontal) edge will be sewn to the selvage (vertical) edge, I’d like the two edges to be of comparable stretchiness. And oh yes, did I mention I’m doing this in Good Wool, and substituted moss stitch for garter stitch? (This of course involved swatching and recalculating the pattern to reflect gauge, but it’s such an adaptable design, I just had to play with it, and so far, it’s looking great!) Thank you for your recommendation on best bind-off technique.
Hi Penelope,
How exciting, it sounds like you’re going to have quite a beautiful version of this wonderful sweater! For the bind off in the DIVIDE FRONT AND BACK section, I’d say that you could stick with the Basic Bind Off and if you’re a naturally tight knitter you might want to use a needle that’s a size or two larger than the one you’ve been using to ensure that your bind off edge isn’t too snug. If you wanted to try a different technique, you might take a look at the Better Bind Off, though I would encourage you to work up a swatch to test it out on first, before you work it on your sweater (just to ensure you are comfortable with the technique and to see if it will work for your purposes)!
Warmly,
Kelsey
Thank you! I experimented on a swatch, trying the two techniques you suggested in your reply as well as several different bind-off techniques I found online, and finally went with an Elastic Bind-Off. In the end, it seemed to work best for my knitting style, with more stretch than I could achieve with a larger needle, but not as much stretch as something like Jeny’s Super Stretchy Bind-Off, which I typically use for binding off socks.
BTW, I love your patterns – there’s always something new to learn, and the results are consistently excellent – and I love the quality and variety of your yarns, which now make up about 90% of my stash!
Thanks again for the reply!
You’re very welcome, Penelope! I’m so glad you found a bind-off that works for you, and thank you so much for your kind words! We’d love to see photos of your cardigan when it’s all finished, if you’d like to share – you can send them to customerservice@purlsoho.com anytime!
Happy Knitting,
Kelsey
Hello, I need help with gauge. I see in prior comments that Burnish a natural fiber “tightens up” when it is blocked. So I do not understand why the # of stitches per inch goes from 6 to 5. That seems to me that it is less “tight”. I am about crazy thinking about this and so ready to start knitting this lovely sweater. I have “swatted and swatted” and so confused!!!! I do appreciate any help you can give me.
Hi Kay,
Thanks for reaching out. You’re right, the blocked gauge is looser than the unblocked gauge! I did see the previous comment that mentioned natural fibers tightening up when washed, and I’m honestly not sure why we mentioned that. In our sample, the gauge did grow from 24 stitches to 20 stitches in 4 inches after blocking. As long as you’re able to get the correct blocked gauge with your swatch, you’ll be all set to start knitting the sweater!
All the best,
Lili
Hello Lili, thank you for your response to my gauge question. I am now knitting. I started with sleeves. 30 garter ridges = 60 rows and per the given gauge 11 rows = 1 inch. If I knit 60 rows I would have about 5.5 knitted sleeve. But 2-15-19 note states sleeve is 6.75 inches when you start decreasing. thank you so much for your patience and your help.
Hi Kay,
That measurement was likely taken using the gauge after blocking, where the row gauge is 9 rows per inch. So, 9 * 6.75 = 60.75, which, rounded to the nearest even number, is 60 rows. Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Hi! I see that the Burnish link no longer works, which I assume means it was discontinued. Is there another yarn that still follows the pattern exactly?
Also, is this cardigan good for a beginner who has never made a wearable?
Thanks!
Hi Mia,
Thanks for reaching out. For a substitute yarn that’s similar to Burnish, I’d recommend Santolina, since it also has some bamboo in its fiber content! It will have a fairly similar texture and drape to Burnish.
As always, we recommend knitting a gauge swatch before casting on your project, especially when you are substituting yarns. You may need to size up or down your needles in order to get the correct gauge! If you would like to learn more about this, we have a handy tutorial called All About Gauge.
I’d say that this is a great pattern for a beginner! And if you run into any issues along the way, we’re always happy to help clarify the patttern!
All the best,
Lili
I’d love some clarification on the substitution of Santolina yarn for the original yarn suggestion.
Is this based on the same needle size? I’m seeing that I might need to add an additional skein to get the same number of yards but I’d like to make sure I order the right number of skeins and needles (I’m getting restarted in knitting and thought this would be a great project).
Thanks so much for your reply and all of the clarifications in the previous comments. I’ve been a fan for years and I’ve lost count of how many people I have sent your way and to your (now closed) shop in NYC. Your customer service is A+
P.S. and I’m assuming that the Santolina yarn isn’t as slippery so I would be more concerned about the after blocking gauge. But can you suggest a before/after gauge for the Santolina yarn?
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for writing in! We recommend Santolina for this project because it is a similar weight/thickness to the original yarn used, Habu’s Dyed Bamboo. That means that it should be easy to achieve the same gauge (20 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch), since the yarn is about the same size! You may need to size up or down your needles in order to get the correct gauge, so we highly recommend knitting up a gauge swatch. To determine if your gauge will be correct after blocking, you can block your gauge swatch and take the measurements after it dries!
All the best,
Lili
Hiya
I recently discovered this pattern and I hope my question isn’t too stupid but I am a beginner. On your pattern it says KNIT EVERY ROW OVER CENTER. Please can you explain that to me.
Hi Joanna,
Thanks for reaching out! That phrase is actually part of a longer instruction that reads “Knit every row over center 80 (90, 100, 110, 120, 130) stitches.” This wording is unusual, so I can certainly see how it’s confusing, but all this means is to knit across the live stitches currently on your needles (and not the ones you’ve just bound off)! So for example, if you were knitting the largest size, you would knit across the center 130 stitches.
I hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Lili
Thank you so much for explaining this to me.
Kindest regards
Joanna
Does this sweater wrap in front or must you wear it as pictured?
Hi Gwen!
Thank you for writing in! You can absolutely wear this cardigan any way you’d like. If you would like to style it as a wrapped cardigan, where one front side crosses over the other when pulled together, there is enough fabric to do this! To create even more fabric for the front panels of the garment, you can knit every row after casting on for as many extra garter ridges as you would like. It may help to refer to your gauge swatch when determining how many extra rows you will need to add your desired amount of fabric to this front section.
I hope this helps make it easier to wrap up in your cardigan!
All the best,
Margaret
Hi —
Would you recommend Simply Camel for this project? And how many skeins (I am a size 8.)
Thank you,
Polly
Hi Polly,
Simply Camel would be a wonderful choice for this pattern! Can you let me know which size you’d like to make? The pattern sizes are 34 (38, 42, 46, 50, 54), which are based on your chest circumference. If you’d like guidance picking a size, I’d recommend checking out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Size Tutorial!
All the best,
Lili