Get Cozy with the Granny Cardigan

I’m sure you’ve heard of a grandpa cardigan, which I imagine as a kind of shapeless, probably oversized, V-neck, button up cardigan you might find on an old man or Mister Rogers. There’s nothing wrong with that style, but where are the grandmothers in all that? Don’t you think they’d have better sweaters?

Enter the Granny Cardigan from Joji Locatelli. This cabled cardigan retains some of the boxy shape of the grandpa version, as well as the V neck and buttons, but on the whole it’s a more refined version, like a hug from your granny.

The design is worked from the top down and involves minimal finishing since the sleeves are picked up from the shoulders and worked in the round from the top down and the button bands is knit in one piece all the way around the body.

There are 10 size options with a chest measurement ranging from 38.5 inches (that’s 96 cm) to 69.25 inches (or 173 cm). It’s meant to be worn with 5-10 inches (13-25 cm) of positive ease, but she worked in a little less ease on the smaller sizes so little frames won’t feel like they are totally swallowed up in the sweater. Unless you want to be, in which case choose the amount of ease that you prefer.

The pattern calls for a DK or light worsted wool, so make sure you check your gauge before getting started.

You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

Looking for more fun cable knitting projects? Check out this collection of cable knitting patterns to help boost your skills and confidence with cable knitting. And if you’re looking for more great cozy cardigan knitting patterns, I’ve got you covered with these easy cardigan knitting patterns. Or maybe grab another one of Joji’s patterns, perhaps for some fun cabled socks to go with your cabled sweater?

[Photo: Joji Locatelli]

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I feel like when it comes to things that people are afraid to knit, socks probably top the list. I’ve heard people say they would never knit socks because they look too hard, but really you just need to know a few basic things (and trust the pattern even though it sounds wrong the first time you do it) to master socks.

Denise DeSantis aims to take the worry out of knitting socks with No Fear Sock Knitting. Based on a class on her YouTube channel, it includes all the basic information you need to make sock knitting feel easier, along with eight patterns for both top down and toe up socks.

The book generally covers types of needles and yarn you might use to knit socks, as well as other supplies you will need. It looks at the parts of the sock, different knitting needle configurations used to knit socks, how to read a pattern (including abbreviations and terms you might find in sock patterns), discussion of ease, how to measure your foot and choosing the correct size to knit.

It includes two options each for casting on cuff down and toe up socks, as well as four options for cuff treatment. It explores the heel flap and turn method for top down and toe up socks, as well as short row heels using a shadow wrap (worked with a leg from the stitch below) and a square heel. There’s a discussion of avoiding holes and fixing other problems in heels.

Likewise with toes there are several options, including a wedge toe, round toe and anatomical toe (different on each foot) for both cuff down and toe up socks. There are also tutorials for grafting and Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind off, depending on which direction you’re going. There’s also a tips section that covers things like avoiding ladders, changing colors. matching stripes and more.

After all that preparation, there are eight patterns to choose from: short socks worked from the top down that are a perfect first-sock sock, a basic ankle-length toe-up sock, a DK weight sock worked from the top down with different length options, a “vanilla” sock with a short row heel worked top down, an ankle sock with a garter stitch cuff, one with a leg worked in alternating colors with a contrasting heel and toe, a sock worked in a helical stripe pattern and a striped sock with a garter stitch heel.

Three of the patterns are rated at skill level two on a scale of three, while the rest are level one. They’re all pretty straightforward, they just use different techniques you might not have tried before. Since only one is made to be toe up, there are also tips for converting the other patterns to toe up if you’d rather work that way. Each pattern includes three size options.

This book is a nice introduction to sock knitting, with lots of techniques to reference and simple patterns to take the fear out of the process. I’m not sure these are patterns you’ll come back to time and again but they are a good place to start if you’ve never knit socks before.

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 8 patterns. Published 2025 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.

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