Low-V Cardigan
Taking a note from college professors everywhere, our Low-V Cardigan gives that classic layering staple a bit of a dusting off with an infusion of fresh details: soft rolled-under edges along the front openings, a streamlined finish for the hem and cuffs, and our Mulberry Merino for a little extra polish.
Knit in one piece from the bottom up, you’ll divide stitches at the underarms, then knit the fronts and back separately. You’ll join the stitches at the shoulders, and pick up and knit each sleeve in the round down to the cuff. Pretty decreases at the V make their mark, and features like set-in sleeves and short rows give the Low-V Cardigan fit-like-a-glove tailoring.
Our Mulberry Merino is a sportweight silk and merino wool blend with a classic ply and a lovely finish. Now with 17 new colors added to the collection, including this heathery, from-the-deep Inlet Blue, you can choose the perfect color to pair with your tweeds… or maybe just your basic tee!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Adam Aronowitz.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoLowVCardigan. We can’t wait to see what you make!
MATERIALS
- 6 (6, 7, 7, 8) (9, 9, 10, 10) skeins of Purl Soho’s Mulberry Merino, 80% extra fine merino wool and 20% mulberry silk. Each skein is approximately 247 yards/ 100 grams; or approximately 1260 (1370, 1545, 1690, 1900) (2040, 2215, 2340, 2455) total yards required. We used Inlet Blue.
- US 4 (3.5 mm), 40-inch circular needles
- US 4, 16-inch circular needles
- A set of US 4 double pointed needles
- Stitch markers
- 4 removable stitch markers or scrap yarn
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
- Four ½-inch buttons. We used our Fish-Eye Corozo Buttons.
- Please Note: The Low-V Cardigan Pattern is no longer available for purchase. For assistance, please contact us at customerservice@purlsoho.com.
GAUGE
24 stitches and 37 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
SIZES
NOTE For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Size Tutorial!
37½ (41½, 45½, 49½, 53½) (57½, 61½, 65½, 69½)
To fit actual chest circumference of 30–33 (34–37, 38–41, 42–45, 46–49) (50–53, 54–57, 58–61, 62–65) inches, with approximately 4–7 inches of ease
- Finished Chest Circumference (buttoned): 37½ (41½, 45½, 49½, 53½) (57½, 61½, 65½, 69½) inches
- Finished Length From Top Of Shoulder: 23½ (24, 25½, 26, 27½) (28, 28¾, 29, 29¼) inches
- Finished Sleeve Length From Underarm: 17 (17, 17½, 17½, 17¾) (17¾, 18, 18, 18¼) inches
SAMPLE: The sweater pictured here is size 37½ inches, worn with 6 inches of ease.
PATTERN
NOTE: The Low-V Cardigan is no longer available for purchase.
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
Love this pattern. How would I modify it for a man? The v-neck is usually less open in men’s sweaters.
Hello Claudia,
Thank you for reaching out! Because there is no waist shaping in this pattern it can be knit up for any gender. If you want to make your v-neck not quite so deep you could change the spacing of your decreases. This would give you a shallower angle.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Is there a men’s sizing available?
Hi Dina,
Thanks for reaching out! Like many of our patterns, since this cardigan is knit without waist shaping, it can be knit for either men or women without any modifications! The sizes are given as the finished chest measurement of the sweater so you can select whatever size will fit the person you are knitting for, regardless of their gender. We recommend choosing a size with 4 to 7 inches of positive ease, or a size 4 to 7 inches larger than the wearer’s actual chest measurement, for a comfortable fit.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
and for children ?
my daughter is 9 but I would make her a 12y, because she’s so tall …
Hello Nele,
Thank you for reaching out! We don’t currently have children’s sizing for this pattern, but I will certainly pass along your suggestion.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hi thr, question on the right and left sides on this sweater, buttonhole row and neckline shaping, did you tack down the edges on the wrong side or was it left to row under.
Hi Tracy,
Great question! Although a very small edging is added to the front edges and back neckline when finishing the sweater, the edges are otherwise left to roll under naturally and are not tacked down.
Best,
Julianna
Hi! Love this simple looking pattern. Two questions:
1. I have in stash some Madeline Tosh DK. 20-22 sts = 4 inch. Will this work?
2. I just finished your pattern Hoover’s Olson and am rather tired of short rows. I mean it was almost the whole sweater! I need an easy project for TV. I can do some Short rows if needed around neck, but is that it? You say, in the above, the waist is not shaped, so I assume it is pretty much straight knitting to underarms. Correct?
Thank you,
Ellen
Hello Ellen,
Thank you for reaching out! You can certainly use Madeline Tosh DK, I would, of course, knit up a gauge swatch before jumping in. This project has short row shaping in the upper back and on each sleeve, for your shoulders. However all of these short row sections are fairly brief.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Beautiful classic design! Is the button band folded over or reinforced at all? It looks like it might be curling in the photos, is it just a single layer of stockinette?
Hello Helen,
Thank you for reaching out! The bottom edge is a single layer of stockinette with a slightly curled edge, but front edges and neckline’s edge is created by picking up and binding off. This gives you a lovely structured edge.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I purchased the Low-V Cardigan and Mulberry Merino in Red Plum. I have two questions:
1. I find that the pattern does not print out very clearly. Is there a way to get a better hard copy from you?
2. Are there specific buttons that you would recommend that are close to the Red Plum color?
Hello Anne,
Thank you for reaching out! What is happening with to the pattern when you print it? I think that the Burgundy color of the Medium Round Buttons.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hi team,
Adore this cardigan! Looks so beautiful.
However, pretty sure I’d go crazy knitting this in sport weight – would you consider doing a similar pattern in worsted or aran weight?
Thanks so much!
Alana
Hello Alana,
Thank you for reaching out! Thank you for this great suggestion, I will pass it along!
Best,
Marilla
Very well-knitted beautiful hand made a cardigan. Thank you for sharing all the tips.
thank you purlsoho for giving me wonderful information
Could you please give me an idea of the difficulty level? I finished last month the Nature’s Palette blanket and gifted it to my son so now I’m looking for something for myself but not sure I’m advanced enough for the sleeves and buttons, etc.
Thanks,
Amanda
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for writing in! Please know that we don’t rate the difficulty of our patterns. We want people to feel free to try things that are “too hard” for them and to encourage people to discover that learning new techniques enriches the process of making. I can certainly describe the techniques involved in the pattern so you have an idea of what you are getting into, but ultimately, we hope that you will take little leaps into the unknown and find that the satisfaction was worth the challenge!
This pattern includes short rows, decreases, picking up stitches, three needle bind offs, and knitting both flat and in the round. The buttonholes are surprisingly easy! We have tutorials for all of these techniques, and if you run into any issues, we are always here to help!
Best,
Julianna
I have question about gauge: I have done many swatches, switching needles, going down a needle size, everything, and I’m still coming up with only 32 rows/4″ instead of 37 rows. My stitch gauge is perfect, but my rows are off. What do you suggest? Using wooden needles has helped get me to 32– the Addi’s were giving me 30 rows, so I am just not sure what to do now! Thanks!
Hi Julie
That’s a great question! Most of the time, stitch gauge is more important than row gauge, but its ideal to get both stitch and row gauge correct. Since both the body and sleeves are knit to a measurement, rather than for a specific number of rows, your sweater should still turn out the correct length. I would also recommend rechecking your gauge on your sweater when you get a few inches in. I hope this helps!
Happy Knitting
Jessica
I love the design of this–just wish it had the option of adding hidden side pockets!
Hi Michelle
Thanks for writing in! That’s a great idea! With some adjusting for pocket size and figuring the exact placement, I think you could add pockets similar to the one in Knit T-Shirt . Please let us know if you try this!
Happy Knitting
Jessica
Hi,
Is there any french translation ?! Or at least measures in cm (centimètres) – versus inches – ?
Hi Gwenolee,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately this pattern is currently only available in english. We totally hear you regarding metric sizes and measurements. This is something that we are currently working on.
When I need to translate a pattern from US imperial to metric, I like to use Google’s conversion tools. I type “convert inches to CM” into Google and a purpose-built calculator will appear. The same thing in reverse will convert all of the measurements you seek into US Imperial!
Hope this help!
Gianna
Regarding the edging and and that side NOTE to puck up and bind off around right, back and front, can’t I do all these with one pass, so that I start at the back neck and work all the way around until I return to the back neck from the other side?
Thanks
Hi Val,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, you will pick up and bind off up the Right Front selvage, along Back Neckline, and then down Left Front selvage. Then Along Front
selvages you will pick up and knit every other stitch, and along Back Neckline, pick and knit every stitch. Be sure to work these steps in order as listed!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hello,
I’m so sorry if this has been asked already, but can this be done with line weight yarn and if so, how does the gauge compare to the mulberry merino and how many skeins do you think would be sufficient for a size s of the line weight?
Thanks so much!
Hi Jaclyn,
Thanks for reaching out! Line Weight is a light fingering weight and Mulberry Merino is a sport weight, so it is quite a bit lighter. I wouldn’t recommend using Line Weight for this pattern since it would require quite a bit of re-writing to get down to such a smaller gauge! If you don’t want to use Mulberry Merino I would instead recommend Good Wool, Season Alpaca or even Cotton Pure!
Warmly,
Gianna
I really love the clean bottom edge on this cardigan. In my experience though, this type of edge rolls up a lot. Is their tips with the pattern for making it fall so flat?
Thanks for creating such a beautiful pattern.
Hi Louly,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! Edges like this do have the tendency to roll, so with our sample we heavily blocked it maintain a clean, flat edge!
All the best,
Gianna
I’ve cast on the Mulberry Merino in the smallest pattern size (37.5). 231 total stiches. It’s huge! No where near 37 inches — it’s over 50 inches long. I’ve even gone down a needle size.
Am I missing something?
Hi Pam,
Thanks for reaching out! The first thing I would check is your gauge; if your personal gauge is different than the gauge called for in the pattern, then your measurements will be off and the garment won’t fit as it was designed to! The pattern calls for 24 stitches and 37 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch, so if you haven’t already I’d recommend knitting up a swatch in stockinette and making sure that you’re working at the same gauge.
I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Kelsey
Hello,
I am looking for a tutorial for the final edging. Could you please point me to one? I cannot find anything under “edging”, so what terminology should I look up for this technique?
Thank you!
Hi Caroline,
Thanks for reaching out! We don’t currently have a tutorial for the edging used in this pattern, but thank you for expressing your interest! I will be sure to pass this along to the rest of the team!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi Gianna,
How do I look this technique up though? I do not understand the instruction… The edge looks hemmed, but I’m not sure how to do this based on the instruction provided. If the technique has another name, I could look for a tutorial online.
Thank you for your help
Caroline
Hi Caroline,
Thanks for reaching out! The edging directions are basically just asking you to pick up stitches and bind them off as you go. You can look at our tutorial for Picking Up Stitches for clarity; the only difference is that instead of just picking up the entire row (as is demonstrated in the tutorial), you’ll pick up two stitches, pass the first stitch over the second to bind it off, and then repeat that for the rest of the row. You should only ever have 2 stitches at most on your needle at a time. I hope this helps clarify that section of the pattern, but please let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Kelsey
Thank you very much Kelsey. Your explanation helps clarify the instructions. I’ll try it, and will let you know if I run into any issues
Caroline
I’ve just finished this cardigan, trying to block it, and it is curling madly. I’m trying to work through the comments about the edging, starting with “Val” on 1/31/21. It seems to me that two passes are made around the right front, neck edge, left front. First is pick up and bind off, the second is pick up and knit. Please confirm this.
As to the horizontal edge at the bottom of the body and the bottom of the sleeves, I’m defeated by the curl. I’m unclear as to what heavy blocking is. My plan is to tape the edge down using clear plastic to hold it. Any other methods you can share would be appreciated.
This is a beautiful design and an interesting sleeve. Knitting it was a pleasure. Now for some buttons.
Hi MaryAlice,
Thanks for reaching out! So you will start off by picking up and binding off up the Right Front selvage, along Back Neckline, and then down Left Front selvage. Along Front selvages, pick up and knit every other stitch, and along Back Neckline, pick and knit every stitch. You can follow the edging instructions as written: With right side facing you and starting at Right Front bottom corner, use double pointed needles and new ball of yarn to pick up and knit one stitch in from edge, *pick up and knit one stitch, pass first stitch over second, repeat from * to Left Front bottom corner. Cut yarn.
“Heavy blocking” essentially means that you will be soaking the garment, then laying it out and using something like pins to hold the pieces down flat while drying! I would recommend looking at out excellent Blocking tutorial, it is great resource to use and will walk you through the process of how we like to block!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
I knitted this pattern in Posy, and really like the cardigan. Would Flax Down work if I use smaller needles to get 6 st/inch?
Thank you!
Caroline
Hi Caroline,
Thanks for reaching out. As long as you get 6 stitches per inch, then you can absolutely use Flax Down! Hope this confirms your question!
All the best,
Lili
How about Santolina for this cardigan?
Hi Kay!
Thank you for your question. Since Santolina is a fingering weight yarn, it might be too thin to achieve gauge with the sport weight yarn used in this sweater. Instead, I suggest taking a look at Wigeon, Good Wool, Season Alpaca, or Cotton Pure for some sport weight options.
I hope this helps with your project planning!
All the best,
Margaret