Brandi Cheyenne Harper For Purl Soho: Gentle Cardigan
Designing a simple knit is often harder than it looks, and what may seem obvious was actually born from real engineering rigor. Knitwear designer Brandi Cheyenne Harper is a master of this behind-the-scenes brainwork, and her gorgeous Gentle Cardigan, designed especially for Purl Soho, is high-concept simplicity at its best.
A slip-on stockinette cardi without a lick of fuss? How do you stop the edges from curling? How do you elevate such a thing from twin-set blah to feeling-super wowza? Brandi solved these problems with details you hardly know are there and which, together, create a sweater with real drama and flair.
Brandi describes designing as “a quest to find new ways of constructing familiar shapes.” In this case, her I-cord edging is the feat. Not laboriously attached at the end when you’re ready to be done, this I-cord is knit-in as you go, traveling continuously from bottom hem to collar… Trickier than it looks to conceive, but as easy as it looks to knit!
A bottom-up seamless construction, subtle waist shaping, converging raglan decreases, and a pop-up collar that never quits… This attention to fit and style are magnified by our oversize Gentle Giant merino. A single-ply super bulky, Gentle Giant rewards good design with modern brio.
The Gentle Cardigan is what knitting sweaters for yourself is all about: fun surprises and fine points along the way and, in the end, the joy of feeling so good in something you made with your own two hands!
Designed (and modeled!) for Purl Soho by Brandi Cheyenne Harper.
Share your progress + connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoGentleCardigan, and #PurlSohoGentleGiant. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 8 (8, 10, 10) (12, 13, 14, 15) skeins of Purl Soho’s Gentle Giant, 100% merino wool. Each skein is approximately 48 yards/125 grams; approximately 355 (385, 445, 480) (555, 610, 645, 695) yards required. We used the color Pigeon Gray.
- US 15 (10 mm), 16-inch circular needles
- US 15, 40-inch circular needles
- A set of US 15 double pointed needles
- US 17 (12 mm), 16-inch circular needles
- US 17, 40-inch circular needles
- A set of US 17 double pointed needles
- Stitch markers
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
NOTE: Looking to knit your sleeves in double-time? Swap the double pointed needles for 32-inch or longer circular needles, and check out our Magic Loop: Two At A Time Tutorial!
Gauge
6½ stitches and 11 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch using larger needles
Sizes
NOTE For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Size Tutorial!
36¾ (41½, 46½, 51½) (56½, 61¼, 66¼, 71¼)
To fit actual chest circumference of 29–33 (34–38, 39–43, 44–48) (49–53, 54–58, 59–63, 64–68) inches, with approximately 3–7 inches of ease
- Finished Chest Circumference: 36¾ (41½, 46½, 51½) (56½, 61¼, 66¼, 71¼) inches
- Finished Length From Shoulder: 24¼ (24¼, 25¾, 26½) (29¼, 29¾, 30½, 32) inches
- Finished Sleeve Length From Underarm: 20½ (20½, 20½, 20) (19, 18½, 18½, 18) inches
Sample: The sweater pictured here is size 46½ worn with 2-3 inches of ease.
Pattern
Download the Gentle Cardigan Pattern here!
I have a long torso and would love to make this, but would need it a bit longer. How hard would it be to add length to the body. I am an experienced knitter, but I have never made a sweater or cardigan before.
Thanks!
Hi Mindi,
Great question! For a sweater like this, it actually isn’t too hard to increase the length of the body! I would first consult the schematic at the end of the pattern to see how long the body will be for your chosen size and decide how much length you need to add. You can add the length by working a few rows of stockinette either before or after the waist shaping – or both! Once the body is your desired length, you can move on to the Divide Fronts + Back instructions. I would also recommend getting an extra skein of yarn just to be on the safe side!
Best,
Julianna
Hello, I would call myself an advanced beginner knitter… who loves a challenge. Do you think this pattern would be in my reach? It is gorgeous. Thank you!
Hi Gina,
Great question! We don’t rate the difficulty of our patterns because we want people to feel free to try things that are “too hard” for them and discover that learning new techniques enriches the process of making, but I am happy to describe the skills in the pattern so you know what you are getting into! The cardigan includes basic increases and decreases, knit i-cord, picking up stitches, working in the round and flat, and a tiny bit of kitchener stitch at the end. You can find tutorials for all these techniques, and we are always here to help if you have any questions!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Will you be bringing this set for sale to VKL next week?
Hi Shelly,
Thanks for reaching out! We won’t be vending at Vogue Knitting Live, but our store will be open our regular hours all weekend if you would like to stop by and pick up everything you need for the Gentle Cardigan!
Best,
Julianna
Thank you for sending me this email with this gorgeous pattern shown off with such a beautiful model! I would love to start this sweater, as it is absolutely lovely. I have plenty of “wants” from your site. I will put this on my list.
Thanks again,
Bev
Looks like such a fun knit to create and wear! Quick question-does the back edge of this sweater have the ability to be made longer by the use of short rows or would this not be feasible with the i-cord as you go construction. If not I assume one could knit the whole sweater slightly longer, correct ?!
Thank you
Hi Mary,
Thank you so much for reaching out and for the kind words! If you are familiar with how to lengthen or curve the back hem of a sweater with short rows, you could certainly do so with this sweater! Usually short rows for this purpose do not extend all the way to the front of a sweater, so they shouldn’t interfere with the i-cord edging. It would also be possible to add some length to the body either before or after working the waist shaping!
Best,
Julianna
I really LOVE the Brandi cardi! I would love to see the pattern written for dk weight yarn… i know it changes the essence of the look but I am having issues with chunky weight yarn and yet love the styling at the neck/shoulders.
Regardless, brandicheyenneharper, you are very talented.
Hi Christine,
Thanks so much for the kind words and for reaching out! I will certainly pass your request – and compliments! – along to Brandi!
Best,
Julianna
Hello Julianna,
I’m with Christine. I love this design but also have a preference for DK weight yarns as I typically work in cottons. I love the style of this this cardigan very much. Keeping my fingers crossed for a 4.0-4.5mm conversion 🙂
Thanks…Robbie
I too love the shaping of this sweater but would prefer it in a worsted or even chunky weight 😊
I the cardigan looks great. The yarn used looks likes it doesnt have much of a twist. Does it shed/fuzz much?
Hello Katika,
Thanks for reaching out! Like all animal fibers there is some shedding this yarn can be easily maintained with a fabric de-piller or Gleener. I would suggest checking out the “Ultimate Fuzz Remover”.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
I’d consider adding pockets in the side seam, if there are any. Are the fronts and back knit totally separately?
Hi Shelly,
Thanks for reaching out! The fronts and back of the body are actually knit all in one piece without side seams. If you wanted to add pockets, I would suggest starting the body of the cardigan as written, and when you are ready to start your pockets, separating the fronts and backs for a few inches, then rejoining them back into one piece once your pocket openings are as long as you need them to be, making sure to follow all waist shaping instructions while doing so.
I hope that helps, and please do let us know how it turns out!
Julianna
I’m loving the start of creating this wonderful piece. I am just curious why the right and left I cord cast on are separate rather than on long piece? Will this come into play later?
Thanks!
Hello Alexis,
Thanks for reaching out! In the end you will join your I-Cord at back neck using Kitchener Stitch, this creates a seamless bind off.
I hope this makes sense and let us know if you have any further questions!
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Consider myself a fairly knowledgeable knitter but am totally confused. Are you starting at the collarin the back?
Hi Ann,
Thanks for reaching out! This sweater is knit from the bottom up, so you will be starting with the back bottom hem.
Best,
Julianna
Is there a tutorial somewhere that demonstrates how to do the i-cord selvedge on both the RS and WS rows of this pattern?
Hi Steffanie,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately we don’t have a tutorial for this technique, but the instructions to work it are written out in the pattern. I’ll be sure to pass your request for a tutorial along to the design team!
Best,
Julianna
So excited about this sweater, it’s going to be a chunky ray of sunshine in parakeet yellow!
I’ve hit a speed bump early on though. I don’t understand how joining the Left and Right sides (page 3 of pattern) works? After picking up the purl stitches into the Left Side i-cord, I’m looking at the wrong side (purl stitches) with the yarn on the right. Shouldn’t this then be turned to the right side (knit stitches) and then continue knitting across right side of Right Side stitches picked up from i-cord? If I have the wrong side of the Right Side facing me, and continue across in purl, won’t that look like rows go from knit to purl midway? I’m stumped! I knit continental, if that happens to be relevant.
As I type this out, I wonder if I picked up the purl stitches on the wrong side of the i-cord? Hmmm… Time to go re-watch the tutorial video.
Oh, I DID pick up the purl stitches on the wrong side of the i-cord! Picking them up on the other side now and it all makes sense. Mystery solved! Apparently all it took was writing it out as a comment to figure out what I was missing 🙂
I still wonder why the designer wouldn’t make one long i-cord, rather than two halves to join? So there’s still some mystery out there in the world… if you know why I’m super curious.
Thanks!
~s
Hi Sue,
Thanks for reaching out, and I’m so glad you were able to figure out this step! Too keep everything as seamless as possible, the two halves of the i-cord are done from the center of the back out, so you can join them together later in the center of the back hem. If you were to work just one i-cord for the entire back hem, you would have to then cast on extra stitches for one of the front i-cord edgings and would have a jog or spot to seam at the front corner, which would be much harder to disguise!
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
This is such a rookie question, but it’s my first time knitting i-cord. I’m confused about the right and wrong sides for picking up the stitches in the cast-on section. After completing the i-cord, is the right side the side with the working yarn to my left? Also, do I knit the 3 stitches before picking up the additional stitches?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Heather,
Great questions! You are correct that the working yarn will be coming form the leftmost stitch when the right side of the i-cord is facing you, so you will not need to knit the three stitches before beginning to pick up the stitches. Instead, you will rotate the i-cord clockwise so that you can beginning picking up stitches from right to left, starting with the top leg of the stitch immediately below the last stitch of the i-cord.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Julianna,
Thank you. That does help, but I have a follow up question: for the purl stitches on the left I-cord, do I rotate the I-cord clockwise, and it becomes the wrong side because I’m purling, or do I rotate it counter clockwise?
Also, apologies for the double post on the above question. My content had been showing “awaiting moderation,” but then it disappeared!
Heather
Hi Heather,
The second i-cord pick up is a bit trickier to explain! After finishing the last row of the i-cord, you will flip your needle over so that you can see the purl bumps of the last row facing you and your yarn will be coming off of the rightmost stitch. You will then rotate the i-cord clockwise and begin picking up purlwise from right to left starting with the second stitch below the stitch that is now at the top of the i-cord. And don’t worry about the double comment, it happens all the time! If you have any other questions just let us know!
Best,
Julianna
Thanks, Juliana!
I did figure out the pick up. Now, though, I’m afraid I’ve messed up joining the two sides. I have more rows of stitches on the left hand side than on the right. I’ve re-read the pattern several times, and I’m certain that I followed it correctly, but it just doesn’t look right. Can you confirm that it’s correct, or help me figure out what I did wrong?
Thanks again,
Heather
Hi Heather,
It’s hard to say what might have gone wrong, but if you send a picture of your work to customerservice@purlsoho.com, we would be happy to see if we can help troubleshoot this!
Best,
Julianna
Hello,
I also have this problem. Was there any resolution from Heather’s post?
Cheers,
Melanie
Hi Melanie,
Thanks for reaching out! Please send our team a photo of your work to customerservice@purlsoho.com and we can trouble shoot further from there!
Warmly,
Gianna
I can’t knit with wool. Is there another yarn I can use? I would love to make this for our daughter for Christmas. It’s a beautiful cardigan!!
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks for reaching out! While we don’t have a Purl Soho non-wool yarn that knits up at this gauge, you might look into doubling a cotton yarn like Blue Sky Worsted, or any yarn that singly or held double would give you the gauge requirement for the sweater, at 6.5 stitches over 4 inches. I hope this helps!
Happy Knitting!
Cassandra
I have reached a point in the body of the cardigan where I begin decreasing and did the first Decrease Row. Then I work in stockinette and repeat the Row every 6th row 2 more times. But the Decrease Row instructions only call for the decrease at one point — on one side. Am I supposed to decrease on both sides near my marker? I see that I am supposed to end up with an equal number of stitches for each Front — 19. But how can I do that if I don’t decrease on both Fronts?
Hi Gerry,
Thank you for writing in! Yes, you are supposed to follow the decreases on both sides of the front to get the correct amount of stitches on each side!
Hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
I’ve purchased the pattern but need a recommendation for an alternative yarn. I have a skin reaction to 100% wool and if there is a blend substitute (a little wool is ok) you can recommend, I’d appreciate it!
Hi Ann,
Thanks for writing in! Unfortunately since Gentle Giant is a unique Super Bulky/Jumbo weight yarn we don’t have anything that is comparable in size that is not 100% wool or less than 70% wool. One that may work is Jade Sapphire Genghis but it is a bit more fine than Gentle Giant so you may have to adjust the gauge slightly so I definitely recommend working up a gauge swatch before beginning the pattern!
All the best,
Gianna
Can you make this brandi cardigan without the i-cord – sounds tricky so can you leave it out?
Hi Robin,
Thanks for reaching out! If you don’t mind having a different effect on the bottom edges of the sweater you can certainly choose a different cast on method if you are not comfortable working the i-cord method!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Can you please explain the “4 stitches decreased”–I can only count 3.
DECREASE
Decrease Row (right side): K3, slip 1 purlwise wyib, [knit to 3 stitches before next marker, knit 2 together (k2tog), k1, slip marker (sm), k1, skp (see Special Instructions)] 2 times, knit to last 3 stitches, slip 3 purlwise wyif. [4 stitches decreased]
Working in stockinette stitch and maintaining I-Cord Selvage (see Special Instructions), repeat Decrease Row every 6th (6th, 6th, 6th) (8th, 8th, 8th, 8th) row 2 more times. [52 (60, 68, 76) (84, 92, 100, 108) stitches remain: 15 (17, 19, 21) (23, 25, 27, 29) stitches for each Front and 22 (26, 30, 34) (38, 42, 46, 50) stitches for Back]
Work 3 rows even, ending with a wrong-side row.
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for reaching out! You will be repeating what is in the bracket sections twice: [knit to 3 stitches before next marker, knit
2 together (k2tog, 1 stitch decreased), k1, slip marker (sm), k1, skp (see Special Instructions, 1 stitch decreased)] leaving you with 4 stitches decreased after repeating this section!
I hope this clarifies things, happy knitting!
Gianna
Has anyone else run out of yarn at the end? I am knitting the smallest size, ordered the 8 skeins and about at the bottom of the collar and worried that I won’t have enough.
Just curious.
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for reaching out! I haven’t heard of anyone running out of yarn working the size small! Did you check your gauge prior to beginning the pattern to make sure it is consistent?
All the best,
Gianna
stunning. It really stands out. Is any modification necessary to knit it for a man?
Hi Emilio,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! Since it is a cardigan the sizing should be fairly versatile and suitable for unisex!
All the best,
Gianna
Hai, knitting the icord selvage.. it looks nice but also shrinks a bit of the rest knitting (sides).. it looks a bit tighter than the rest knit.. Will it solve itself after gentle cardigan is finished?
Hi Grazina,
Thanks for reaching out! Hmm, it shouldn’t be shrinking the sides too much. Did you check your gauge prior to starting the cardigan? I would double check your gauge and if it looks right with the pattern than it should be ok one you finish and block the cardigan!
All the best,
Gianna
Thanks.
And it looks you must be very right. I took the yarn quite very bulky thick but not as the advised for the pattern.. so I try after finishing to block it well! Regards
On the 4 stitch decrease, I wonder if I’m following correctly, so 3 stitches before marker I k2tog, k1, move marker then, skp, then knit to 3 before marker and repeat k2tog, k1, move marker then k1, skp.
WONDERED IF I was suppose to reverse second marker instructions to skp, k1, move marker k1, k2tog to be identical to the first part of the decrease. To match pattern. Or am I thinking too much.
Thank you.
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for reaching out! No need to reverse the instructions, the pattern is written out exactly how they should be followed! For the first row in the Decrease section you should K3, slip 1 purlwise wyib, [knit to 3 stitches before next marker, knit 2 together (k2tog), k1, slip marker (sm), k1, skp (see Special Instructions)] 2 times, and then knit the rest of the row to the last 3 stitches, slip 3 purlwise wyif. [4 stitches decreased] and then you can move directly on to the next step!
I hope this clarifies things!
All the best,
Gianna
Thank you for the response. I shall proceed that way. Anxious to work on it as it will be a gift.
I have done the k2tog decrease, however the SKP decrease leaves a longer leg on the knit side. Is it suppose to look like that? The k2tog is cleaner. Tempted to just do that, would that change the pattern?
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for reaching out! The SKP decrease shouldn’t have an extremely long leg, it is actually a pretty compact decrease unless the stitches are getting overly stretched! You could try the k2tog and see how it looks, I don’t think it will have a major change on the pattern.
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
I’m stuck on the very first step, like the pro I am. I’ve knit the right side i-cord and have 3 live stitches on (now) my circular needles. I’m looking at the right side of the cord, and I can conceive of how to proceed if I bound off the first two live stitches and the headed back up the cord picking up the top stitches using the needle that holds the live stitches, but it doesn’t say to do that so that can’t be right. What I can’t figure out is what happens to the live stitches in relation to stitches I’m picking up.
Hi Heather,
Thanks for reaching out! So for the I-Cord cast on you will not be casting off any of the stitches, you will transfer all 3 to your smaller circular needles and then repeat the process for the left side! Our I-Cord Cast On tutorial is an excellent resource to use for this cardigan!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Do I really need all those needles for size 41? Or are some of these needles for larger sizes? I really like this cardigan but want to check what needles I really need before purchasing pattern.
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for reaching out! we used US 15, 16-inch circular needles, US 15, 40-inch circular needles, A set of US 15 double pointed needles, US 17, 16-inch circular needles, US 17, 40-inch circular needles, and A set of US 17 double pointed needles for all the sizes!
All the best,
Gianna
I started knitting up the body and made my first decrease. Then it says to continue in stockinette using the I-cord salvage special instructions. I’m a little bit confused since prior to this as well as with the decrease row there was a slipping of the 4th stitch after the I-cord edge. But in the special instructions for the I-cord salvage there is no slipped 4th stitch and I will need to repeat the decrease row 2 more times which does include a slipped 4th stitch. Could you please clarify. Thank you
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for reaching out! So for the decrease row you are following the instructions as written for the decrease round (which is written in conjunction with the special instructions for the I-Cord Salvage.) You should work to last 3 stitches and slip those 3 stitches purlwise wyif! just as we state in the special instructions (Right- and Wrong-Side Rows: K3, work to last 3 stitches, slip 3 purlwise wyif.) In other words you should be slipping the last 3 stitches purlwise never 4 stitches!
I hope this clarifies things, happy knitting!
Gianna
Good morning,
I love this pattern; however, I need a little clarification on the Special Instructions for the I-Cord Salvage. The way I read the instructions, you knit the first three stitches on BOTH the wrong and right side and you always slip the last three stitches purl wise on both sides with the yarn in the front. This puts the yarn three stitches before the end of the row. Is that correct?
My problem is when I knit the first three stitches purl side – when I do this, the right side does not look correct. However, if I simply purl all stitches on the purl side and knit all the stitches on the knit side, the sweater looks like the picture. Am I missing something here? Thanks for your help.
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes that is correct, for the I-Cord Salvage you will be following the same instructions for the right side and wrong side rows. You should be K3, work to last 3 stitches, slip 3 purlwise wyif. So the yarn should be based 3 stitches from the end but since you slip the 3 stitches with the yarn in front, the yarn will be at the front of the row ready to work with!
I hope this clears things up!
Warmly,
Gianna
I love the style of the pattern and enjoyed the knitting. I am however very disappointed in the yarn. I have never seen a sweater, either purchased or hand-knitted, that pills so much. The sweater looks old even though I’ve only worn it a dozen times. (The sweater was knit to gauge.)
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for reaching out! I am sorry to hear that you are disappointed with how your sweater turned out! Please feel free to send us a photo to our email customerservice@purlsoho.com
Warmly,
Gianna
Hello!
This pattern is the first time I have ever knitted a sleeved item and I have reached the “Divide Fronts and Back section. I’m confused about how to carry on purling after slipping my stitches onto a stitch holder. I have three ideas and I don’t know if any of them are correct:
Do I pull the yarn taught to continue purling after the slipped stitches, creating a short float but a bunching effect in the underarm?
Do I relax the yarn to continue purling after the slipped stitches, creating a very long float?
Do I cut the yarn, slip the stitches and then start up again on the other side of the stitch holder?
Do I….something else?
Hi Madeline,
Thanks for reaching out! That is an excellent questions- When you come to the point where you are slipping next 2 (2, 2, 4) (4, 4, 8, 8) stitches onto the stitch holder or scrap yarn for Underarm 2 times, you will cut the yarn and then re join the yarn to purl to last 3 stitches, slip 3 purlwise wyif.
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
I just bought gentle giant to make this pattern. I would like to accent the edges of the neck, bottom and sleeves with patterned knit collage yarn of similar weight. Would you recommend incorporating it into the pattern, or adding it on at the end?
Hi Gina,
Thanks for reaching out! I love the idea of adding an accent edge, that sounds so fun! To avoid any confusion, or adding any complications to the pattern I believe it would be easiest to add the accents at the end!
Please let us know how this turns out, and when you finish we would love to see your finished project! Please feel free to email us photos to customerservice@purlsoho.com or tag us on Instagram at @purlsohobusyhands or use the hashtag #purlsohobusyhands
Happy knitting!
Gianna
My brain needs to understand the decrease waist section spatially. The decreases are ONLY happening on one side (right). There is no mirror decrease on the left side. Am I understanding this correctly?
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks for reaching out. I can absolutely help you visualize this part of the pattern! There are two stitch markers, each an equal distance away from each edge of the cardigan. On the decrease row, you’ll work a 1-stitch decrease (either a k2tog or a skp) on either side of each marker. This way, all the decreases for both the left and right sides of the cardigan are worked on this row, and they’ll be evenly distributed across the body of the garment! I hope this helps clarify things for you.
All the best,
Lili
Hi there!
I have 8 skeins of your super soft merino in super bulky weight. I’d love to use it for this pattern but I’m not sure how to make the adjustments based on the difference in yarn weight. Can you provide guidance?
Hi Mari,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, I would not recommend Super Soft Merino for this pattern, since it is considerably thinner than Gentle Giant you would need to make quite a few adjustments to the pattern and it would get pretty complicated. I would recommend looking for a different pattern that uses a super bulky weight yarn as opposed to a jumbo!
Sorry I couldn’t be of more assistance here, but I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Gianna
This will be my first sweater and I really want it to last. I have heard that single ply yarn is more likely to pill. Any other yarn recommendations?
Hi Shen,
Thanks for reaching out! You are correct that single ply yarns like Gentle Giant are more prone to pilling; this is an unfortunate reality for those extra thick, extra soft yarns. I’m afraid we currently don’t offer any super bulky yarns that are not single ply, so most of the options available will still likely pill after wear. You could take a look at our Wooly Wool, which is another single ply super bulky yarn, but is a touch denser than Gentle Giant and might stand up a bit more to pilling. It’s also close in gauge the Gentle Giant, so you should still be able to get the necessary gauge called for in the pattern.
While we don’t carry any bulkier yarns that aren’t single ply, we do have several useful tools for de-pilling that will ensure that your knits stay fresh and beautiful! I’d recommend taking a look at the Gleener Ultimate Fuzz Remover, or our Sweater Rake as good options for removing pills. I use a Gleener regularly myself and it’s been a lifesaver for my hand knits!
I hope this helps you with your sweater planning, and please let us know if you have any other questions!
Warmly,
Kelsey
I am approaching the end of the sleeves of this sweater (my practice one while I wait for my purl yarn to arrive). I did more increases than the pattern called for to make looser sleeves. I am not sure how I will need to adjust the pattern to accommodate the change. Is there a formula like if I did 10 extra stitches then should I pick up stitches on the stitch marker for the sleeves? Where do I need to make the adjustment? Any guidance would be great appreciated.
Hi Shen,
Thanks for writing in. Bottum-up garments are definitely tricker to modify, but I can absolutely give you some suggestions! Because you’re only adding stitches to the sleeves, and not to the body, then what will happen is that you’ll end up with more stitches within the two sleeve/shoulder areas in Yoke section. This impacts the design a bit, since the sleeves are meant to eventually decrease to 0 stitches. So what I would suggest to do in order to make this part of the pattern still work out is decrease more stitches on each row within the sleeve/shoulder areas until your stitch count matches what the pattern indicates for your size. For example, you could work two decrease stitches back-to-back within the sleeve/shoulder areas while doing the raglan decrease rows. I hope this helps give you a sense of what you’ll need to modify!
All the best,
Lili
Silly question but my brain is stuck. Die decrease, where it says I’m supposed to decrease every 6th row, does that mean I work 5 rows then the 6th is a decrease? I’m confused as how the decrease will always end up on the right side since the decrease row is workload on the right side? What am I missing? Thanks !
Loving the sweater so far!
Hi Haley,
Thanks for reaching out. You’re absolutely correct, you will work 5 rows in pattern, and then work a decrease row! In this part of the pattern, every even-numbered row is a right side row, and every odd-numbered row is a wrong side row. Since the decrease row falls on an even-numbered row (6), then it will always occur on the right side. I hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
As so many have said before me, I love this sweater, love the chunky yarn and the collar.
But I wonder how difficult it would be to make the two front panels wider so you can pull them together when we get those cold winter winds in Colorado…
Thank you – as soon as I find it’s possible, I will order the yarn, etc. (while it’s on sale please :-D)
Hi Elaine,
Thanks for reaching out! Even though this garment is designed to hang open, it comes with 3-7 inches of positive ease so you could add buttonholes on one side and have a bit of an overlap. You could also easily add a zipper!
All the best,
Lili
Hello, I am new to working with i-cord and there is a step early on in this pattern that I cannot figure out. I can’t visualize what part of the sweater is created by joining the left and right side i-cord at the very beginning of this pattern. Is it the bottom of the sweater? Will the two i-cords be joined in the middle back?
Hi Britt,
Thanks for reaching out about this! You’re visualizing everything correctly so far. You will create the bottom of the right side of the body first, and then do the same for the left. Then you join these i-cord cast-ons together and knit the rest of the body as one piece. Finally, when you’re completely done with the cardigan, you’ll seam up the gap at the middle back with one of the tails from the original cast-ons! I hope this helps clarify the design of this pattern.
All the best,
Lili
Hi – I’ve reached out to the oattern designer with no luck. I’ve started knitting this sweater multiple times, get about 6 or 7 inches up from the bottom, make a mistake, and unravel that row – but I can never get the icord selvage to behave properly again after that. Is there a tutorial or help online to show how to unravel a row or two without the selvage getting screwed up?
Hi Brooke,
Thanks for reaching out! Since the designer published this pattern through us specifically, we’re also taking on the responsibility of answering any questions about it.
I would recommend adding in a lifeline before undoing your work. We don’t have a tutorial for lifelines, but there are plenty of really good ones out on the internet! Once you have all the stitches on that row secured on the scrap yarn, you can safely unravel without the fear of the i-cord stitches getting messed up!
All the best,
Lili
Ok, great. Any chance you can add that to the pattern (and hee follow-up Sea Sweater pattern) to save people like me Googling endlessly? And maybe do a tutorial on a lifeline? This was meant to be a fairly easy pattern. I bought both of hee patterns, thinking they looked beautiful and should be somewhat easy to follow. I also bought tons of yarn from Purl Soho to make the patterns. Imagine my dismay. Please make it right.
Hi Brooke,
I’m so sorry to hear that this project has given you so much difficulty! I agree that it would be very useful for us to make a tutorial on adding a lifeline, so I’ll pass along that idea to our design team. Since the lifeline is a technique that’s applicable to any pattern, it’s unlikely that we would add it to this one specifically, but the tutorial would live on our Knitting Tutorials page, should we create it!
Going forward, I also wanted to let you know about all the avenues in which we offer pattern support! If you have any questions about any of our patterns, you can send us an email at customerservice@purlsoho.com or even sign up for a free 1-On-1 Project Help session, where a team member would be happy to chat or demonstrate techniques in real time for you over video!
All the best,
Lili
Unless I’ve missed something, the directions say nothing about what to do with the working yarn from the sleeves (the sleeves aren’t bound off as far as I understand it), so I’m wondering what I’m supposed to do with the yarn used to knit up the sleeves. Thanks!
Hi Sadie,
Thanks for writing in! After you’ve completed the sleeves, you can cut the working yarn. That’s because, on the next step, you will be using the working yarn from the body to join it to both sleeves and continue onto the yoke of the cardigan!
All the best,
Lili
Would knitting this pattern with your Wooly Wool yarn instead of Gentle Giant yarn, be reasonable and doable?
Hi Susan,
Yes, you can absolutely use Woolly Wool for this pattern, since it’s just about the same weight as Gentle Giant!
As always though, 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.
All the best,
Lili
Disappointed to find the Errata for the Gentle Cardigan AFTER I started the sweater. So many mistakes in the pattern. Anyone who purchased this pattern should have been notified of the updates. Now I will need to go back and start again. Will think twice before purchasing another expensive Purl Soho pattern.
Hi Rene,
We’re so sorry you weren’t aware of any previous errors we’ve found (and since corrected) on this pattern! I wanted to assure you that whenever a correction is made it is recorded on our errata page for posterity, but the PDF you download most recently will always include the latest updates, if you’re ever in doubt.
We completely understand the frustration if you’ve downloaded a copy at a previous date though and apologize that we don’t have a method for generating alerts through email yet. This is possible through Ravelry, but we’re still looking into notices for patterns purchased directly through our website.
Going forward, we highly recommend reaching out to us if you notice anything unusual or aren’t sure if you have the latest copy. We’re happy to verify that and investigate any potential new mistakes! We have a knowledgable team of tech editors that can then go through the pattern again with a fine tooth comb as well.
Above all, we want to make sure you can continue on in your project with confidence, so please don’t hesitate to reach out!
All the best,
Lili
Can this be adjusted for a child? My 8yo wants something warm and snuggly to wear.
Thanks!
Hi Julie,
I’m afraid that this pattern will be very difficult to modify for a different size. But there’s another way! If you use a thinner yarn, you can knit one of the original sizes at a smaller gauge, which will create a smaller sized cardigan. Once you’ve chosen a yarn (I’m happy to help out with that if you’d like!), then here’s how to figure out which size to make:
First, make a gauge swatch in pattern with your intended yarn and needles. Once you know how many stitches you’re getting per inch, multiply that number by your child’s chest circumference plus 3 – 7 inches of positive ease. Then, compare the resulting number to the stitch counts around the body of each size (64 (72, 80, 88) (96, 104, 112, 120) total stitches). The size that comes closest is the one you should make!
All the best,
Lili
Hi Lili,
Thank you for your response. I ordered some super soft merino to make this pattern for my son. Are there any modifications I’ll need to make with this pattern?
Thanks,
Julie
Hi Julie,
That’s a great yarn choice! The only modification I’d recommend making is choosing the size as I described in my previous comment. (Or I guess that might not really count as a modification at all, since you’ll just be following the pattern as written!)
All the best,
Lili