Cardigan with Leopard Pattern – Knitting Pattern
- October 12, 2024
- Posted by: DIY Educ
- Category: Sweaters, jackets, cardigans
A complex and incredibly beautiful cardigan with a “leopard” pattern, knitted using the jacquard technique.
Sizes:
S/M (M/L) L/XL
YOU WILL NEED:
Yarn (68% alpaca wool, 10% merino wool, 22% synthetic fiber; 50 g/110 m) — 7 (8) 9 skeins of beige, 6 (7) 8 skeins of brown; knitting needles size 6 and 7; 3 buttons with a 30 mm diameter.
Garment width at chest circumference:
97 (105) 114 cm
Garment length:
90 (92) 94 cm
Knitting gauge:
14 sts x 16 rows = 10 x 10 cm, knitted in stockinette stitch with jacquard pattern on size 7 needles.
Note: If only one number is given in the instructions, it applies to all sizes.
Patterns and Charts
Chart 1 (Back and Left Front)
Chart 2 (Right Half of the Collar)
Chart 3 (Left Half of the Collar)
Chart 4 (Sleeve Chart, Right Sleeve)
Increase 1 stitch
Make a yarn over, then in the next row, twist the yarn over and knit it through the back loop.
Important!
When knitting a pattern with two threads, the threads must always be positioned on your finger in the same sequence while knitting—the main color thread (in this case, beige) should be the first one from the tip of the needle. This ensures that the tension of both threads remains consistent, and the structure of the knitted fabric is even.
At the beginning of each row, cross the threads and knit the edge stitches with both colors.
WORK INSTRUCTIONS
Back
Using beige yarn and size 6 needles, cast on 76 (82) 88 sts and knit 6 rows in stockinette stitch for the hem. Then switch to size 7 needles and knit 1 purl row in stockinette stitch (for the fold).
Continue working in stockinette stitch with the leopard pattern according to the chart.
After 18 rows, decrease as follows: knit 1 st, knit 2 sts together, knit to the last 3 sts, slip 1 st, knit the next st, pass the slipped st over the knitted one, finish with 1 knit st. Repeat these decreases every 18th row, making 4 decrease rows in total = 68 (74) 80 sts remain.
When the back reaches approximately 60 cm = 90 rows (from the fold), bind off the stitches for the armholes and begin the raglan decreases.
For the armholes, bind off 2 sts from each side (at the beginning of every row).
Then, in the right side row, start the raglan decreases: knit 1, knit 2 sts together, knit to the last 3 sts, slip 1, knit the next st, pass the slipped st over the knitted one, knit 1. Repeat these decreases every other row until 20 (22) 24 sts remain. Then bind off all stitches.
Left Front
Using beige yarn and size 6 needles, cast on 38 (41) 44 sts and knit stockinette stitch for the hem, as described for the back.
After finishing the last row, cast on 11 sts for the button placket.
Switch to size 7 needles, knit 1 purl row (for the fold), and continue working in the leopard pattern according to chart 1.
Important: Work every right side row as follows: knit to the last 7 sts, slip 2 sts (with the yarn behind the sts on the wrong side), finish the pattern to the end of the row.
Make the side decreases as for the back.
When there are 4 rows left before the armhole, transfer the 11 sts for the shawl collar onto a stitch holder and continue working on the remaining sts, picking up 1 st from the inner edge for the seam.
Once you reach the armhole (matching the back), bind off the stitches for the armhole and work the raglan decreases as on the back.
Important: 3 rows after the first bound-off sts for the armhole, start shaping the V-neck: knit to the last 3 sts, slip 1, knit the next st, pass the slipped st over the knitted one, knit 1. Repeat these decreases every 4th row. When 3 sts remain, bind them off.
Right Front
Count 49 (52) 55 sts from the left edge of chart 1 and start the pattern from this point.
Knit as for the left front, but in mirror image and with 3 buttonholes: make the top buttonhole 2 cm below the stitches transferred to the stitch holder, and place the other two buttonholes evenly spaced about 9 cm apart (count the rows on the left front and mark the positions).
For each buttonhole, knit 1 st, then bind off 2 sts without knitting (slip one stitch over the other), make 2 yarn overs for the 2 new stitches (in the next row, knit the yarn overs through the back loop), then knit 2 sts, slip 2 sts, knit 2 sts, and finish the row.
Right Sleeve
Using beige yarn and size 6 needles, cast on 38 (42) 46 sts and knit 6 rows in stockinette stitch for the hem. Switch to size 7 needles and knit 1 purl row (for the fold).
Continue working in stockinette stitch with the leopard pattern according to chart 4.
After 14 rows (from the fold), increase 1 st on each side (after/before the edge stitch) every 8th row = 50 (54) 58 sts on the needles.
After 68 (70) 72 rows from the fold, bind off the stitches and work raglan decreases as for the back, but make the first 5 raglan decreases every 4th row, then switch to decreases every 2nd row.
When 13 sts remain, bind off 7 sts at the beginning of the next right side row, continuing the raglan decreases at the end of the row. In the following right side row, bind off the remaining stitches.
Left Sleeve
Knit as for the right sleeve, but in mirror image.
Shawl Collar
Transfer the 11 sts from the left front onto size 7 needles and knit in stockinette stitch with the leopard pattern according to chart 3 (= left half of the shawl collar). In the 1st row, pick up 1 st from the inner edge (from the front) for the seam.
Continue knitting, making increases in the right side rows: 1 st, 1 increase, knit to the last stitch on the needle, 1 increase, 1 st. Repeat increases in every right side row.
After knitting the same number of rows as on the front, knit straight for another 18 (20) 22 rows, then transfer the stitches to a stitch holder.
Knit the right half of the collar in the same way.
Assembly
Use a thinner yarn of the main color.
Sew the side seams and the sleeve seams. Sew in the sleeves. Join the collar stitches with a grafting stitch along the center back line. Then sew the collar along the edges of the V-neckline (stitch by stitch), and evenly distribute the remaining part of the collar around the neckline and sew it on.
Turn the hems of the front, back, and sleeves to the wrong side along the fold and sew them down.
Finish the buttonholes with a blanket stitch. Sew on the buttons.