Knit the Perfect Argyle Cardigan

Confession time: I have had the yarn to knit an argyle vest for longer than my daughter (who is about to be 14) has been alive.

It’s a pattern from the book Picture Perfect Knits by Laura Birek, which came out the year before she was born. I know I bought the yarn around the same time because it’s the actual yarn called for in the pattern (and even some of the same colors the designer used).

I don’t know why I haven’t knit it.

I just unearthed the yarn the other day because I’ve been cleaning out my yarn cabinet. Maybe this is the year I actually knit it.

This project is on my mind not just because I just found the yarn again, but also because I recently came across this super cute argyle cardigan knitting pattern, which also might need to be on my to-knit list.

It’s a pattern from Marly Bird, and it’s a great one if you’ve never done an argyle pattern before, because it has a lot of detailed instructions and links to videos to help you with the intarsia if you haven’t used that technique before.

Intarsia is different from Fair Isle or stranded knitting because, instead of carrying the unused yarn across the row, you work a section in a color with one piece of yarn, then pick up a new ball for the next section and leave the old yarn where you finished working with it. Because of this it’s easiest to work intarsia in flat pieces rather than in the round, so a cardigan is perfect for that.

This one uses four colors, and the back and sleeves are plain knitting and a solid color, so the cardigan fronts are the only colorful bit. The pattern comes in seven sizes, with a finished chest measurement of 40 to 70 inches, and is meant to be worn with 4-6 inches of positive ease.

You can grab the free pattern on Marly’s website.

[Photo: Marly Bird]

Knit a Single Color Argyle-Style Vest

Adding a bit of knitting to your fall decor is a lot of fun, whether it’s knit pumpkins or a bunch of adorable knit ghosts like these.

Knit ghosts can be super simple like this free ghost knitting pattern from Trixie Zynch on Ravelry. Using about 50 yards of worsted weight yarn, they’re worked from the bottom up and are super cute as a pair.

This fuzzy little ghost from Forest Knitting Toys is holding a pumpkin and wearing a witch hat, though of course the accessories are optional, as is the fuzzy yarn. The main yarn is chunky and the ghost measures about 10 cm/4 inches tall. It’s worked in the round.

Another fuzzy ghost in more of a Pacman style is this ghost plushie form South Stitch Girls. It’s worked in the round with bulky yarn and includes a sweet little bow you can make in whatever color you like.

The ghost doll from Edith Grace Designs has little arms and a curl at the top of its head. The body is worked flat using DK weight yarn and you could also work it in glow in the dark yarn for extra fun. The body and head are worked in one piece with the arms knit separately.

The Grim Grinning Ghosts from Susan Claudino are super cute and you can knit them in any yarn and gauge you like to make ghosts of different sizes. These are worked in the round with the body done in one piece and the arms are knit separately. The ghosts shown were knit in sock yarn, DK and worsted weight yarn. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

Make a ghost with funny striped legs with this ghost shelf sitter design from Claire Fairall Designs. It’s worked in three colors of DK weight yarn, and the letters spelling out boo are made with strips of garter stitch sewn into shape.

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