Juniper Cardigan Knitting Pattern By Norah Gaughan

From legendary knitwear designer Norah Gaughan, our Juniper Cardigan pattern is a warm, woodsy beauty at the intersection of traditional and contemporary… True to form for Norah! And our Yonder is a perfect match for her design, a robust and earthy yarn that brings the plush, pebbly stitch pattern into beautiful relief.

Norah Gaughan for Purl Soho: Juniper Cardigan | Purl Soho

You knit the Juniper Cardigan from the shoulders down, working the upper back followed by the fronts, then joining all three sections below the armholes and continuing the body to a just-right high-hip length. Next, you pick up stitches and knit the generous sleeves down to the ribbed cuffs. Your last satisfying step is to work the densely ribbed buttonband and collar in one piece, joining it to the body of the cardigan as you go.

Norah is one of knitting’s great creative minds, known for considering every element of a design. This cardigan is no exception, packed with irresistible details that make it utterly absorbing to knit. We love how the shaping is worked on the tops of the sleeves rather than the undersides, putting your craftsmanship on display. Every transition is beautifully resolved—don’t miss the crisp purl ridges at the shoulders and armholes and the decreases that frame the edge of the shawl collar. Italian Bind Offs carry the ribbing of the cuffs and hem through to a beautifully polished finish.

Yonder’s lofty spin and plump worsted weight work together to turn the waffle-y stitch pattern into an incredibly squishy and cozy fabric. A mix of 50% highland wool and 50% alpaca, this yarn blooms as you knit, with a resilience in the hand that comes from the highland wool’s bounce alongside alpaca’s supple softness.

Choose your favorite from Yonder’s heathered palette—each color dyed over the warm natural colors of the sheep and alpaca—and cast on for your own Juniper Cardigan, the evergreen layer you’ll reach for every time you want to wrap yourself in natural beauty!

Designed for Purl Soho by Norah Gaughan. A knit-design legend, Norah is known for her fearless embrace of texture and innovative construction. Often rooted in the mathematics of naturally occurring patterns, her designs are smart, inspiring, and always special. Norah describes her Juniper Cardigan as the perfect layer for her New Hampshire home and studio!

Story written by Andrea Lotz for Purl Soho.

Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!

Materials

(9, 10, 11, 11) (12, 13, 14, 15) skeins of Purl Soho’s Yonder, 50% highland wool and 50% alpaca. Each skein of this worsted-weight yarn is 140 yds/ 100 grams; approximately 1075 (1175, 1300, 1410, 1500) (1615, 1755, 1855, 1970) total yards required. We used the color Reed Gray.
US 7 (4.5 mm), 24- and 47-inch circular knitting needles
US 5 (3.75 mm), 47-inch circular needles
A set of US 7 double pointed needles
A set of US 5 double pointed needles
Removable stitch markers, including one unique
Four 13/16- to 1-inch buttons. We used Purl Soho’s Horn Button, 13/16 inch (20mm, 32L) in the color Dark Brown.
A Juniper Cardigan Pattern PDF

GAUGE

18 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches in Texture Stitch, Flat (see Notes) on larger needles

28 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches in 1×1 Rib on smaller needles

SIZES

NOTE: For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Your Size Tutorial!

43½ (47, 51, 54½ 60) (63, 67, 70½, 74½)

To fit actual chest circumference of 29–33 (33–37, 37–41, 41–45, 45–49) (49–53, 53–57, 57–61, 61–65) inches chest, with 10–14 inches of ease

Finished Chest Circumference: 43½ (47, 51, 54½, 60) (63, 67, 70½, 74½) inches, buttoned
Finished Length from High Shoulder to Bottom Hem: 18½ (19, 19½, 20¼, 20¼)(20¾, 21¼, 21¾, 22½) inches
Finished Length from Underarm to Bottom Hem: 9 inches
Finished Sleeve Length: 16 (16, 16, 16, 16)(15½, 15½, 14½, 13½) inches

Sample: The sweater shown here is size 47, worn with 12½ inches of ease.

PATTERN

The Juniper Cardigan Pattern is available as a PDF download.

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!

LEARN ABOUT YONDER + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS

Yonder has all the qualities that will touch your knitter’s heart! 50% highland wool and 50% alpaca, this worsted/aran-weight yarn has a robust and earthy feel that breathes and blooms while you knit… Very satisfying! Pick from a palette of earthy, heathered colors dyed over the natural colors grown by the animals themselves and cast on for a project that takes you wherever you want to go.

More Knitting Patterns

Be sure to explore our growing collection of mostly free Yonder knitting patterns and cast on!

More Worsted/Aran-Weight Yarns

Shop our entire collection of worsted/aran-weight yarn (What does worsted-weight yarn mean, really? Our guide to worsted-weight yarn will answer your questions and more!)
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, our Yarn Substitution article, and our Complete Guide To Yarn for lots of helpful information.

More Yarns With Similar Fibers

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