• Home
  • Suggest A Craft
  • DIY Newsletter

Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

  • About CraftGossip
  • Our Network
    • Bath & Body Crafts
    • Candle Making Ideas
    • Crochet Ideas
    • Cross Stitch
    • Edible Crafts
    • Felting Patterns
    • Glass Art
    • Home & Garden Ideas
    • Indie Crafts
    • Jewelry Making
    • Kids Crafts
    • Knitting Patterns
    • Lesson Plans
    • Needlework
    • Party Ideas
    • Polymer Clay
    • Quilting Ideas
    • Recycled Crafts
    • Scrapbooking
    • Sewing Patterns
    • Card Making
    • DIY Weddings
    • Not Craft Ideas
  • Giveaways
  • Roundups
  • Store
  • Search

Mirror Colors for a Fun Cardigan Knitting Pattern

August 19, 2024 by Sarah White

I do love basic knitting patterns that don’t take a lot of thought to knit, things that are useful and wearable and get the job done without a lot of fuss, effort or knitting time.

But there are some relatively easy ways to make even a simple pattern a little more interesting. You can throw in a stripe or a little bit of colorwork, or try some color blocking to make the project more visually appealing (not to mention more fun to knit).

This intarsia sweater from Bigger than Life Knits (the real name of the sweater is Phakama) uses color blocking with two colors on the body that are inverted on the sleeves.

This is done, as the description explains, with intarisa, but this is as easy as intarsia gets. All you have to do is remember to lock the strands of yarn together when you change colors, otherwise you’ll be knitting two separate pieces.

If you’ve never done intarsia before this is a great way to start because you don’t have to follow a chart or deal with multiple balls of yarn. It’s not any more difficult than knitting regular stripes, but gives a much more interesting effect.

I’ve actually been working on a blanket style cardigan using the same technique but with three color blocks, and it is almost as mindless as straight stockinette in a single color.

This pattern has drop shoulders and a V-neck and is worked from the top down. It calls for worsted weight wool yarn and come sin 11 sizes. The bust measurement ranges from 32.5 to 72.5 inches or 82.5 to 184 cm when the sweater is buttoned. The button bands are worked in double knitting to make them extra smooth.

You can grab the pattern from Bigger than Life Knits on Etsy.

[Photo: Bigger than Life Knits]

Add a Little Intarsia to Your Summer Top

Checked Snood a Simple Lesson in Intarsia

Knitting Tip: Intarsia in the Round

Faux Intarsia

Next Pattern:

  • Mix Your Colors for a Fun Cardigan
  • Bring on the Colors with the Last Cardigan Knitting Pattern
  • Blocky Yoke Gives Summer Cardigan a Fun Twist
«
»

Have you read?

A Sweet Skater Dress to Knit

I know knitting a dress sounds like a major time commitment. And that’s before I even tell you that this particular dress, the Sixth Ave Skater Dress by Briana Luppino, is worked in light fingering weight yarn. 

But would you just take a moment to look at it and tell me if it doesn’t look like it would be worth all the time you would spend knitting it? And it’s miles of stockinette stitch so it’s actually beginner friendly and a great semi-mindless knit you can take with you on your travels this summer and wear when it is done. 

The dress is worked from the top down with tank straps, a scoop neck, waist shaping and a flowy skirt for a fun and comfortable fit. 

The pattern has 10 sizes, with finished bust measurements ranging from 28 to 64 inches, or 71.5 to 163 cm. The sample shown was worked with 4 inches/10 cm of negative ease at the bust, and the designer says most people like between 2 and 6 inches/5 to 15 cm of negative ease in the bust and around 10 inches/25.4 cm positive ease in the hips. 

(To refresh your memory, negative ease means the measurement of the garment is smaller than your actual body measurement, while positive ease is bigger than your body.)

To pick a size you’d work from the bust measurement because you can always add more or fewer decreases as you need to get your desired fit at the waist and hips. And because it’s worked from the top down you can try it on as often as you like to make sure it’s the perfect fit. 

The I-cord edgings give the dress a super casual feel, and I think this would be a great one to add to your summer rotation. (Yes, even with a wool blend yarn.)

You can see lots of cute finished versions and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself on Ravelry. 

[Photo: Briana Luppino]

Book Review – Knitted Tanks and Tunics

How to Knit a Simple Sweater Dress

Categories

baby hat Baby Patterns Beginner Book Reviews cardigan Christmas CraftGossip Giveaways Craft News and Events Free Kntting Patterns Giveaways! Hats Knitting Articles Of Interest Knitting Patterns Knitting Technique & Ideas mittens Quick scarf shawl patterns socks Sweaters

RSS More Articles

  • Achieve The Perfect Quarter Inch Seam With This Tutorial
  • How to make Curried Eggs – Classic Curried Eggs with Keen’s Curry Powder
  • How to Make Your Own Taco Seasoning (Better Than the Packet!)
  • Amazon Deal Roundup – CraftGossip Picks!
  • Chats on Needlework by Emily Leigh Lowes – A Vintage Stitcher’s Treasure Trove
  • Designer Spotlight: Haunted Frames
  • Press Bubble Animals Crochet Kit with keychain
  • Build Big Memories on a Budget: DIY Cubby House Using Recycled Pallets
  • 12 Handmade Stamped Card Ideas Featuring Bears
  • How To Sew a Banner from felted wool sweaters

Copyright © 2025 · CraftGossip | Start Here | Contact Us | Link to Us | Your Editors | Privacy and affiliate policy