Crafted Cardigan
Our Crafted Cardigan pattern is as artful as it is inviting. Knit up in our absolutely gorgeous new Note yarn, this simple knit exudes easy elegance, and you will feel such pride in having made something so beautifully crafted.
A mix of baby alpaca and the softest extra fine merino in the world, Note makes this cardigan’s garter stitch fabric fabulously soft and sumptuous, while a roomy fit gives relaxed vibes. Thoughtful details, like creatively shaped bracelet-length sleeves and a generous collar that can stand up or lie down, add to the feeling of effortless grace.
To craft your Crafted Cardigan, you’ll start by casting on for the whole front edge, meaning the neckline and both fronts, and then work simple short rows to build the deep shawl collar.
And since you knit this entire cardigan in one flat garter-stitch piece, you only knit, never purl, which makes those short rows easier, too. In fact, this project is so intuitive it would be a great introduction to knitting short rows, with the pattern’s clear instructions and our Short Row Tutorial by your side to completely demystify them!
Once the collar is complete, you’ll leave the stitches for the fronts on hold in order to knit a rectangular panel down the center back. You’ll then pick up stitches along one edge of the back panel and rejoin one set of front stitches, and with those stitches, finish the back and front and work the sleeve… Then you’ll do it all on the other side!
You can see above what your cardigan looks like before you join the sides and seam the sleeves. Kind of wonky if you’ve never knit a cardigan this way before, but even if you can’t wrap your head around the engineering, the actual pattern is so straightforward, you’ll be able to just relax into the knitting and enjoy the surprise of how your Crafted Cardigan comes together!
The ease of the Crafted Cardigan is complemented by the beauty of Note. The same yarn you may know and love from our Nine-Note Bundle, Note has the same high-twist spin and multi-ply structure that gives this yarn incredible body and dimension and that makes it practically leap off your needles. It is a light worsted/DK-weight yarn made with 80% extra fine merino and 20% baby alpaca, so it’s toasty warm and next-to-skin soft… Altogether amazing!
Note‘s palette of earthy primaries and soft neutrals gives you so many painterly colors to choose from. We took inspiration from timeless mineral-based pigments, such as ochres, iron oxides, and mineral blues, to create 17 colors, each masterfully heathered as if mixed on a palette.
Cast on with Note for this form-meets-function beauty. You’ll reach for your Crafted Cardigan again and again… It’s the perfect accompaniment to whatever pursuits the day holds and a testament to the beauty you can create with your own hands!
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 founder and co-owner, Joelle Hoverson.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoCraftedCardigan, and #PurlSohoNote. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 8 (9, 10, 10) (11, 12, 12, 13) skeins of Purl Soho’s Note, 80% extra fine merino wool and 20% baby alpaca. Each skein of this light worsted/dk-weight yarn is 200 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1555 (1680, 1830, 1970) (2090, 2220, 2395, 2550) yards required. We used the colors Stillwater Blue and Raw Sienna.
- US 7 (4.5 mm), 32-inch circular knitting needles
- A spare US 7 knitting needle, any kind
- Stitch markers
- Scrap yarn
- A Crafted Cardigan Pattern
GAUGE
18½ stitches and 37 rows (18½ ridges) = 4 inches in garter stitch
SIZES
51 (55, 59, 63) (67, 71, 75½, 79½)
To fit actual chest circumference of 30–33 (34–37, 38–41, 42–45) (46–49, 50–53, 54–57, 58–61) inches, with approximately 18–21 inches of ease
- Finished Chest Circumference: 51 (55, 59, 63) (67, 71, 75½, 79½) inches
- Finished Length from Shoulder to Back Bottom Edge: 20¼ (20½, 21, 21½) (21½, 22, 22¼, 22¾) inches
- Finished Sleeve Length: 12 (12, 12, 12) (12, 11½, 11½, 10½) inches
Samples: The sweaters shown here are size 55, worn with 21 inches of ease.
PATTERN
The Crafted Cardigan Pattern is available as a PDF download.
Learn About Note + All Our Beautiful Yarns
The incredible softness, bounce, and dimension of Note makes this project sing! The same beloved yarn as our gradient Nine-Note Bundle, Note is double the size per skein, with its own unique palette of painterly heathered colors. This light worsted/DK-weight yarn is made with 80% the softest extra fine merino wool in the world and 20% baby alpaca, spun into a round multi-ply yarn with a characteristic high twist that adds body and wards off pilling. Absolutely amazing in every way… You simply have to feel it to believe it!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our growing collection of Note + Nine-Note Bundle knitting patterns and cast on!
More Light Worsted/DK-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of light worsted/DK-weight yarns
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
- Shop merino wool yarn
- Shop alpaca yarn
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!
Hello,
Would you please tell me what Note yarn colors are used in the two Crafted Sweaters shown online (one on a model and the other not modelled).
Thanks!
Hi Joelle,
Thanks for writing in! We used the colors Stillwater Blue and Raw Sienna.
All the best,
Lili
Thank you for identifying the colors for me.
Hi, I purchased this pattern. can I replace with Partridge Superwash? If so, how many skeins of Partridge would I need for size 55, with 21 inches of ease?
Thanks,
Pami
Hi Pami,
I’m afraid that this pattern was designed for a much thinner yarn (DK weight), so Partridge Superwash would not be a good match. If you’re interested in using a superwash yarn for this project though, then I would recommend Daily Wool! While we categorize this yarn as a worsted weight, you’ll definitely be able to match the gauge of the pattern, so it would be a great choice.
All the best,
Lili
How crazy would it be to knit this with two Nine Note bundles in stripes, like the throw? I need to sketch what the collar would look like because of the short rows, but it might be cool!
Hi Leslie,
That would be so incredible!!! Please share a photo of your cardigan if you end up trying this–we’d love to see how it comes out!
All the best,
Lili
How difficult is this pattern? Thank you!
Hi Christa,
Thanks for writing in! Instead of assigning a difficulty level, we prefer to describe the skills involved with a pattern to help knitters learn more about what’s ahead. We know that learning new techniques enriches the process of making! Below, I’ve included a list of skills that this pattern requires, as well as links to any tutorials we have on them:
How To Read A Knitting Pattern
Short Rows: Wrap + Turn
Long Tail Cast-On
Picking Up Stitches
Knit Two Together (k2tog)
Slip Slip Knit (ssk)
3-Needle Bind-Off
Seaming Garter Stitch
Ultimately, we hope that you will take little leaps into the unknown and find that the satisfaction was worth the challenge. If these techniques are daunting, I would recommend trying them out with some scrap yarn before beginning the cardigan. And as always, we are happy to help answer any questions you may have along the way!
All the best,
Lili
Your pattern is intriguing, but I’m not able to wear any wool yarns. What would you suggest as a substitute?
Hi Dorothy,
Thanks for writing in! I would recommend Morning as a non-wool option for this pattern. Like Note, Morning is a DK weight yarn, so it will work for the gauge for the pattern. And it’s made from a mix of cotton and yak fiber, so it’s super soft and durable. Plus, it’s even machine washable!
All the best,
Lili
Wow. Just wow.
Hello,
I mistakenly thought the sweater was longer, judging by the cover photo. I’d like it to be about 25″ from shoulder to bottom edge. Could you please advise making this adjustment?
Thanks!
Hi Linda,
Thanks for writing in! The construction of this pattern is pretty complicated, so it will require some modifications to alter the length of the body and sleeves. But it is possible! Here are some tips on making those modifications:
– First, you’ll need to adjust your cast-on number for the Collar to account for the difference in stitch count for the Back + Front sections. This will also impact the number of stitches you knit to do the shaping of the Collar, so make sure to take any changes into account there!
– Then, just knit the Back to however long you want it! You should knit it slightly shorter than the length of the Collar sides, since that’s how it is in the pattern.
– Overall, just keep track of any stitch count adjustments you make, as these will impact all the stitch counts going forward!
I hope these tips are useful!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks so much!
Would you please recommend a non-wool (or low percentage wool) yarn to use in the Crafted Cardigan pattern?
Hi Pat,
Thanks for writing in! I would recommend Morning as a non-wool option for this pattern. Like Note, Morning is a DK weight yarn, so it will work for the gauge for the pattern. And it’s made from a mix of cotton and yak fiber, so it’s super soft and durable. Plus, it’s even machine washable!
All the best,
Lili
Hello. The photo of the model wearing the cardigan shows the garment’s length near her hips. But the photo of the 2 cardigans not modeled looks more like shrugs. Is the actual finished garment intended to fall to or near the hips, like a traditional cardigan? I saw someone else ask about adjusting this for more length, but I’m wondering if it’s actually designed as a true cardigan or a shrug. Thank you.
Hi Mary,
Thanks for writing in! This cardigan is designed to fall at the hips, as worn by our model. I’d recommend checking the measurements against your own measurements to see where the size you want to make will fall on your own body. But yes, the design is intended to fall at the hips!
All the best,
Lili
I’d like to make this sweater, but ask if you could recommend a yarn that’s a bit less expensive and would still be soft as the result with the merino wool and baby alpaca would be. Thanks!
Hi Joelle,
I would recommend Knitting Yarn or Plein Air as great alternatives. I’d recommend just being sure to gauge swatch first to be sure you can match the same tension. I hope this helps!
All the best,
Gavriella
Thanks!
I am confused, The crafted cardigan do you ignore the wrap stitches on the short rows and just do in garter stitch?
Hi Diane,
That is correct. Since this pattern is worked completely in garter stitch, those wraps will blend right in!
All the best,
Gavriella
Thank you
I am confused by the sizing on this, is 51(55,59,63)(67, 71, 75 1/2, 79 1/2). Do they represent Small, Medium, Large?
Hi Erin,
Thanks for writing in! Our sizes are based on the wearer’s chest circumference. I’d recommend taking a look at our Understanding Ease + Selecting Your Size tutorial to learn more about this! That tutorial is a super helpful tool for figuring out what size to make, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any other questions about this!
All the best,
Lili
On the Crafted Cardigan, PS used the Stillwater Blue colorway, but that does not appear to be available now. Will it be available later? Thank you.
Hi Heather,
Thanks for writing in! Stillwater Blue is currently available, and you can find it on the product page for Note. It’s the last color in the thumbnails!
All the best,
Lili
Hmm, this pattern looks like it could easily accommodate adding a zipper down the front after construction is complete. Thoughts on the validity of this idea?
Hi Maria,
That’s a great idea! We’d love to see your zippered cardigan if you try that out!
All the best,
Lili
Bonjour,
Serait-il possible d’avoir les explications en français sur Ravelry ? En vous remerciant. Cordialement.
Fine.
Hi Fine,
Thank you so much for reaching out! I’m afraid we currently are unable to offer our patterns in French, but we would recommend using tools like Google Translate to translate this pattern! There’s an option to translate PDFs as well via Google Translate; if you’re interested in doing that, you can upload the full PDF to Google Translate to be translated.
All the best,
Lili
Would Cashmere Merino Bloom work for Crafted Cardigan?
Hi Eloise,
Cashmere Merino Bloom is a great choice for this pattern! Like Note, it’s a DK weight yarn, so it’ll be easy to achieve the gauge of the pattern. 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!
All the best,
Lili
I’m curious about how well the sweater wears; my impression is that garter stitch stretches out a lot. Does the twist of the Note yarn help prevent that?
Hi Liana,
Thanks for writing in! The gauge of this project is tight enough to mitigate a lot of the stretching. It’s also primarily designed so that the garter stitch runs vertically, which doesn’t stretch nearly as much as horizontal garter stitch!
All the best,
Lili
Considering making the cardigan. I am familiar with German short rows, which are practically unnoticeable. How different is your short row, method I believe it’s a wrap and turn? Could I switch to German short row instead?
Hi Annick,
You could definitely use german short rows if you prefer! Just remember you will work 1 additional stitch than you would with wrap and turns!
All the best,
Gavriella
Hi! If I were to knit this using the 9-note bundle, any advice for where to insert each color stop?
Hi Erin,
That sounds like such a fun idea! I’m afraid we don’t have notes on how to separate your colors for this pattern due to the construction but I’d recommend going through the pattern and marking your notes on which sections you’d like to separate your colors into. This could help you better plan your cardigan. I hope this helps and happy making!
All the best,
Gavriella
I am knitting the Crafted Cardigan pattern and I have gotten to the Right Back + Front instructions. I did my bind off on the right side (per the last instruction on the Back Panel) and I find myself picking up stitches down the left back instead of the right back. Any suggestions?
Hi Donna,
Thanks for writing in! It sounds like you may have bound off on the wrong side instead of the right side. I’d recommend undoing the bind-off row, one more row, and then you should be on the right side again. Once you bind off with the right side of your work facing you, you’ll be picking up stitches for the right side of the cardigan, instead of the left!
All the best,
Lili
Hi. Would you ever consider publishing the pattern with measurements in cm as well? I find it so cumbersome to convert each and every measurement as I knit.
Hi Gudrun,
Because we are a US-based company, I’m afraid that we probably will not publish our patterns in metric units. I’m more than happy to help out with any conversions you need though!
All the best,
Lili
I LOVE this pattern and it’s classic modern look. I find it easy to knit (short-rows are actually easy). Its only downside is that once you are fairly far along, it is hard to travel with since it is formed in one piece.
I guarantee I will be using a new yarn to use this pattern again. I’m using Heirloom White for the first one and it is gorgeous.
How hard would it be to adjust sleeve length on the Crafted Cardigan? I always have to make my sleeves a couple of inches shorter.
Hi Christina,
You can absolutely change the length of the sleeves! To make them shorter, just knit fewer rows before beginning the SHAPE SLEEVE section.
All the best,
Lili
Trying to visualize the all in one pattern with three changes. If measurements are in inches, a 55″ chest is 10″ wider than needed. So, on the flat, making the body 5″ narrower front and back, beginning the underarm about 4″ higher up, and the sleeves about 4″ narrower are the changes I’d like. Is that a matter of checking the gauge and less rows before beginning sleeve shaping? For the sleeves, I think, knitting the body 4″ longer before starting the sleeve on front and back…is this making sense? I haven’t knitted a garment in one.
Hi Celest,
Thanks for writing in! I would actually recommend knitting the pattern as written. This pattern fits best with approximately 18 – 21 inches of positive ease (our model is wearing it with 21 inches of ease, for reference). While you can modify the fit if you’d like, we think this cardigan fits best as we’ve designed it!
All the best,
Lili
Good Morning,
I have super bulky wool yarn (Blue Sky North Woolen?). Is it possible to use this yarn? I love the pattern but need to know if I can use my yarn that is 2.5 sets/inch.
Thank you!
Chriss
Hi Chriss,
I’m afraid that this pattern was designed for a much thinner yarn (DK weight), so the yarn you have would not be a good match. We have, however, designed many patterns for super bulky weight yarn, and I’d recommend giving those a look!
All the best,
Lili
What is the level of difficulty for this pattern? Thanks.
Hi Sophie,
Thanks for writing in! Instead of assigning a difficulty level, we prefer to describe the skills involved with a pattern to help knitters learn more about what’s ahead. We know that learning new techniques enriches the process of making! Below, I’ve included a list of skills that this pattern requires, as well as links to any tutorials we have on them:
How To Read A Knitting Pattern
Short Rows: Wrap + Turn
Long Tail Cast-On
Picking Up Stitches
Knit Two Together (k2tog)
Slip Slip Knit (ssk)
3-Needle Bind-Off
Seaming Garter Stitch
Ultimately, we hope that you will take little leaps into the unknown and find that the satisfaction was worth the challenge. If these techniques are daunting, I would recommend trying them out with some scrap yarn before beginning the cardigan. And as always, we are happy to help answer any questions you may have along the way!
All the best,
Lili
Hi there! I would like to try the pattern using an i-cord cast on. Would you recommend the same number of stitches to cast on, or perhaps a little more or a little less so that it will still drape well around the collar? Thanks!
Hi Manuela,
Sounds like a fun idea! You can cast on the same number of stitches to create a simple i-cord edge that just goes up and down the collar. Alternatively, if you want to extend the i-cord edge all the way around the bottom edge of the sweater as well, then you can cast on 6 extra stitches and leave 3 stitches on hold on either end of the collar stitches. Once you’ve completed the entire sweater, then you can work an attached i-cord along the bottom edge, connecting to the on-hold stitches at the bottom corner of the collar!
All the best,
Lili