Incline Decline Cardigan
The lines and planes of our Incline Decline Cardigan form their own hibernal landscape, like spare slopes converging in a valley or branches stretching from a bare tree… Quiet details and big gestures.
Garter stitch is put to good use here in a multi-directional design that features bands of stockinette at the seams. These simple stitches are the perfect language for the unconventional construction of this very fascinating knit.
It is composed of four pieces: two fronts and two backs. Each piece is knit on the bias, which, technically, means that the grain of the fabric is on the diagonal and, practically, means that you increase, decrease, or both at the beginning and end of each row…. Pretty cool and kind of an adventure!
Once you’ve knit the two back pieces (starting at each cuff), you join them up the center of the back, then you throw the two fronts into the mix and sew the seams along the shoulders, sleeves, and sides. Lastly, you’ll pick up stitches to knit the garter stitch band and collar.
And to give a beautiful drape and super-soft feel to the whole thing, we used our gorgeous Cashmere Merino Bloom. It’s a wonderful yarn to accompany you on this winter knitting excursion!
Designed for Purl Soho by Mary Anne Benedetto.
Materials
- 6 (7, 7, 8, 9, 10) skeins of Purl Soho’s Cashmere Merino Bloom, 75% extra fine merino wool and 25% cashmere. Each skein is approximately 218 yards/100g; approximately 1225 (1335, 1510, 1685, 1895, 2025) yards required. We used Dove Gray (and Blue Rust for a sample shown in some of the photos up top).
- US 7, 32-inch circular needles
- A set of US 7 double pointed needles
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
- Stitch markers
- Removable stitch markers
- An Incline Decline Cardigan Pattern
Gauge
20 stitches and 40 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
Sizes
39 (42, 47, 51, 55, 59)
To fit actual chest circumference of 31–34 (34–38, 39–43, 43–47, 47–51, 51–55) inches, with approximately 4–8 inches of ease
- Finished Chest Circumference: 39 (42, 47, 51, 55, 59) inches
- Finished Length From Shoulder To Bottom Edge: 20¾ (21½, 22¾, 24, 25¾, 26¼) inches
- Finished Length From Underarm To Bottom Edge: 14 (14, 15, 15, 16, 16) inches
- Finished Sleeve Length From Cuff To Underarm: 18 (18, 18½, 18½, 18¾, 18¾) inches
SAMPLE: The Dove Gray sweater pictured here is size 42, worn with 8 inches of ease.
Pattern
The Incline Decline Cardigan Pattern is available for purchase as a PDF download only.
PRINT
Having put my knitting down for a couple of weeks I have returned to this sweater and am now confused about grafting the neck stitches together. I have three stitches on either side of the center back on do needles and wondering what I’m supposed to graft them to?
I will email photos of my situation. Thanks so much!
Hi Jill,
Thanks for reaching out and for sending over the photos! So for those 6 total stitches you will be grafting them together using the Kitchener Stitch (you can click that and it will take you to our wonderful tutorial!) This will close up the back of the neck seamlessly!
I hope this helps and best of luck finishing off your cardigan!
Warmly,
Gianna
On page 2 of the pattern, when finishing the left front sleeve it says “place stitches on st holder or scrap yarn. Do not cut yarn.” Then… you go on to start the Left front body, and it says “Cast 3 stitches onto circular needles”… but it does not say “with new ball/skein of yarn”. So… I did not cut the yarn, and then used the same yarn I did the left front sleeve with, and cast on, and the two have been joined the whole time. I can now see this may not have been what was meant! Could you please confirm, that I was supposed to start the Left front body with a NEW, SEPARATE ball of yarn. And if so, you may want to update the pattern. And.. I will now have to cut that yarn, so hopefully that won’t cause too much consternation.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for reaching out! You will not be cutting the yarn after completing the Left Front Sleeve and will be putting that piece to the side along with the yarn (since you will be picking this back up later.) You will then start off the next sleeve with a new skein to cast on the 3 stitches since you are starting a new piece of the pattern!
I hope this clears things up!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi,
I’m trying to knit the shape sleeve section.
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I followed the steps, but I’m only at 54 stitches, and the width is already at 9 inch, and I’m supposed to be doing 64 inches. The length is still super short.
The pieces diagram shows that the sleeves should be gradually increased in wide, but my sleeve is square at the end and then quite quickly it expands to 9 inch.
Please help!
Hi Ariel,
Thanks for reaching out! Please send a photo of your sleeve to our email customerservice@purlsoho.com and we can troubleshoot further from there!
Warmly,
Gianna
I have thoughts now about frogging this entire sweater! I have written to you twice before for explanations and here I am questioning again! Are the back shoulders square? I have frogged and knitted this area again because I couldn’t imaging that it was correct and it came out square again. As I sew the sleeves together now there is an awkward “bump” created by the square shoulder that I’m not sure I can block out. Is this right or wrong?
Many thanks!
Hi Jill,
Thanks for reaching out again! That should be correct, but you can absolutely send us a few photos of your work to customerservice@purlsoho.com and we can make sure everything is looking alright or troubleshoot what may be going on further from there!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi Jill,
Thank you for sending over the photos! To me it doesn’t look like you did anything wrong and this is something that can absolutely be fixed when you block the sweater! My only question is did you block the individual pieces before sewing them together like we suggested in the pattern? That would be my best guess for why things looking a bit bumpy/twisting! So for future reference, with a sweater like this we always recommend blocking the pieces before putting the sweater together, this will make sewing it much easier. Luckily you can block the sweater now and get the same even look!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
Thanks so much for your continued guidance! I did block the pieces first but I didn’t try to “round out” the square shoulder. So happy to know that this will block out properly. 🤗
After reading the comments and replies, I am still confused about the left front sleeve as to whether the yarn should have been cut after transferring the stitches to scrap yarn even though the instructions say “Do not cut yarn”. Should the cast on 3 stitches on the circular needles for the left front body have been started with new yarn or a continuation of the yarn from the sleeve.
Hi Sandra,
Thanks for reaching out! You will not be cutting the yarn after completing the Left Front Sleeve! You will be putting that piece to the side along with the yarn (since you will be picking this back up later.) You will then start off the next sleeve with a new skein to cast on the 3 stitches since you are starting a new piece of the pattern!
I hope this clears things up!
Warmly,
Gianna