Easy Cardigan Knitting Patterns

After sharing the pattern for a super simple boxy cardigan yesterday, I got to thinking more about cardigan knitting. I used to say that I didn’t like cardigans, but now I have a “house cardigan” that I wear as an extra layer around the house pretty much every day.

I’ve been meaning to upgrade it to a handmade version for a long time now, so this collection of easy cardigan knitting patterns is as much for me as it is for you. Let’s all be cozy at home or anywhere else in these cute and easy to knit cardigan.

The Knit Coat pattern from Mama in a Stitch is a literally large project, but it’s not at all difficult to make. Worked in super bulky yarn, it’s made in panels knit flat with minimal shaping. You don’t even have to make buttonholes; just stick the button between two stitches if you want to close up your coat. It even has a hood! This one is available in 5 sizes and is meant to be work with positive ease.

The Carefree Cardigan from Premier Yarns would be a great first garment project. It’s worked in garter stitch from side to side using two colorways of a self-striping yarn to make it look scrappy without the work (though of course you could use leftovers for this project, too). It uses DK weight yarn and you can get the free pattern from Premier Yarns.

Use all sorts of fun stitches (and all your leftover sock yarn) to make the Pockets Full Cardigan from Tina Tse. This one uses two strands of yarn held together so it’s perfect for using up leftovers to get that scrappy look. It also uses lots of different (but still easy) stitch patterns to give it tons of texture. And have you seen those giant pockets? This one has 10 size options and you can grab a copy on Ravelry.

If your idea of a good cardigan is slouchy and cozy, look no further than Ozetta’s Field Day Jacket. This classic “grandpa” style cardigan has buttons up the front, which can be made with snap buttons if you don’t want to work buttonholes. It uses worsted weight yarn, comes in 9 sizes, and you can buy it on Etsy.

Ready to try a raglan? The Let’s Boogie Raglan from A Honey Knits on Etsy is super easy to knit in worsted weight yarn held double. It’s a great introduction to top-down knitting and a sweater you’ll reach for all the time. Nine sizes are available.

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Use All Your Yarn Scraps on This Great Cardigan Knitting Pattern

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If you’re looking for a fun project to play with brioche knitting, check out the My Buddy knitting pattern/recipe from Casuarinagirl on Ravelry.

This project doesn’t include a brioche tutorial, so it’s good to know the basics, including how to increase and decrease, but you can always practice on a swatch before you start the project if you want.

The design is meant to be flexible for the yarn you have and what size and shape of project you want to make, from a skinny neck scarf to a asymmetrical triangle or a more classic triangular shape.

The shape you end up with will depend on how often you increase (and then decrease on the other side). The pattern mentions increasing every fourth, fifth or six row (and the one shown increases and decreases every sixth row) but you can do it even more or less often depending on the shape you’re looking for an how much yarn you want to use.

You can work to whatever depth you would like, or use almost half of the yarn you have set aside for the project and begin decreasing.

When it comes to yarn, she used three strands of yarn held together to make a super fluffy shawl, but you can work it with whatever yarn and needles you like to make a wrap that’s all your own.

If you are new to brioche (or to increasing and decreasing in brioche) it might be a good idea to make a little scarf or head wrap first before diving in to the bigger pattern, just so you’re more comfortable with the technique. Or just give it a go; nothing about brioche knitting is that difficult. (But you might want to use a lifeline because I find brioche hard to rip out or fix mistakes in properly.)

You can grab the free pattern for the Buddy Wrap on Ravelry.

[Photo: Casuarinagirl]

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