This breezy cardigan with minimal shaping provides an easy and fun knit. The roomy fit is perfect for those cooler days when you need a little added warmth without overheating.
Free knitting project: Summer Cardigan
Finished project sizes: Small (Medium, Large, X-Large, XX-Large). Model wear size small.
MEASUREMENTS:
Bust (closed) 42 (46, 50, 54, 57)”/106.5 (117, 127, 137, 144.5)cm
Length 28 (28½, 29, 29½, 30)”/71 (72.5, 73.5, 75, 76)cm
Upper arm 17 (18, 19, 20, 21)”/43 (45.5, 48, 51, 53)cm
You Will Need
- 1¾oz/50g and 109yd/100m skeins of any cotton
- 11 (11, 12, 13, 14) skeins in Pink
- One pair size 7 (4.5mm) needles, or size to obtain gauge
- One size 7 (4.5mm) circular needle, 32″/80cm long
- Removable stitch markers
Gauge
17 sts and 25 rows to 4″/10cm over lace rib pat using size 7 (4.5mm) needles.
TAKE TIME TO CHECK YOUR GAUGE.
Note
When working a yarn over before a purl stitch, bring yarn to front between needles, bring yarn over needle to back, and then bring yarn to front between needles again, making a complete circle around the needle.
How to work this free summer cardigan knitting project:
TEXTURED RIB
(an odd number of sts)
Row 1 (RS) *K1, p1; rep from * to last st, k1.
Row 2 *P1, k1; rep from * to last st, p1.
Rows 3 and 4 Knit.
Rep rows 1–4 for textured rib.
K2, P2 RIB
(multiple of 4 sts plus 2)
Row 1 (RS) *K2, p2; rep from * to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 *P2, k2; rep from * to last 2 sts, p2.
Rep rows 1 and 2 for k2, p2 rib.
SLOPED BIND-OFF
1) One row before next bind-off row, work to last st of row. Do not work this st. Turn work.
2) Wyib, sl first st from left needle purlwise.
3) Pass unworked st of previous row over slipped st to bind off first st. Cont to bind
off desired number of sts for that row. Work to end of row.
Rep steps 1–3 until bind-off is complete.
LACE RIB PATTERN
(multiple of 4 sts plus 2 selvage sts)
Row 1 (RS) K1, *yo, SK2P, yo, p1; rep from * to last st, k1.
Row 2 P1, *k1, p3; rep from * to last st, p1.
Row 3 K1, *k3, p1; rep from * to last st, k1.
Row 4 Rep row 2.
Rep 1–4 rows for lace rib pat.
CARDIGAN
Back
Cast on 90 (98, 106, 114, 122) sts.
Row 1 (RS) K2, *p1, k1; rep from * to end.
Row 2 *P1, k1; rep from * to last 2 sts, p2.
Rep rows 1 and 2 once more.
Work in lace rib pat until piece measures 17½”/44.5cm from beg. Pm on st at each side of last row to mark beg of armholes.
Cont in pat, work even until piece measures 8½ (9, 9½, 10, 10½)”/21.5 (23, 24, 25.5, 26.5)cm from markers, end with a WS row.
Shape shoulders and neck
Cont in pat and using sloped bind-off, bind off 5 (5, 7, 6, 8) sts at beg of next 8 (4, 4, 4, 4) rows, then 0 (6, 6, 7, 7) sts at beg of next 4 rows—50 (54, 54, 62, 62) sts.
Pm on st each side of center 30 (30, 30, 34, 34) sts on last WS row.
Next row (RS) Bind off 5 (6, 6, 7, 7) sts, work to center marked sts, join a 2nd ball of yarn and bind off center 30 (30, 30, 34, 34) sts, work to end.
Cont in pat and working both sides at once, bind off 5 (6, 6, 7, 7) sts at beg (shoulder edge) of next 3 rows to complete shoulders.
Left Front
Cast on 45 (49, 53, 57, 61) sts.
Row 1 (RS) K2, *p1, k1; rep from* to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 P2, *k1, p1; rep from * to last 2 sts, p2.
Rep rows 1 and 2 once more, inc’ing 1 st at end of last WS row—46 (50, 54, 58, 62) sts.
Work in lace rib pat until piece measures 17½”/44.5cm from beg, end with a WS row. Pm
to mark beg of armhole at beg of next RS row.
Shape neck
Note When working neck shaping, to keep in pat, work only (SKP, yo) or yo, SKP instead of yo, SK2P, yo when 2nd yo is eliminated in dec or work only a k1 (or p1) when there are not sufficient sts for pat.
Dec row (RS) Work in pat to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1—1 st dec’d.
Cont in pat, rep dec row every 4th row 15 (15, 15, 17, 17) times more—30 (34, 38, 40, 44) sts.
Work even until armhole measures same as back from marker to shoulder shaping.
Shape shoulder
Cont in pat, bind off 5 (5, 7, 6, 8) sts from shoulder edge (beg of RS rows) twice, then 5 (6, 6, 7, 7) sts 4 times.
Right Front
Cast on 46 (50, 54, 58, 62) sts.
Row 1 (RS) K2, *p1, k1; rep from *, to end.
Row 2 *P1, k1; rep from * to last 2 sts, p2.
Rep rows 1 and 2 once more.
Work in lace rib pat until piece measures 17½”/44.5cm from beg, end with a WS row. Pm to mark beg of armhole at end of next RS row.
Shape neck
Dec row (RS) K1, SKP, work in pat to end—1 st dec’d.
Rep dec row every 4th row 15 (15, 15, 17, 17) times more—30 (34, 38, 40, 44) sts.
Work even until armhole measures same as back from marker to shoulder shaping.
Shape shoulder
Cont in pat, bind off 5 (5, 7, 6, 8) sts from shoulder edge (beg of WS rows) twice, then 5 (6, 6, 7, 7) sts 4 times.
Sleeves
Cast on 54 (58, 62, 66, 70) sts.
Row 1 (RS) K2, *p1, k1; rep from * to end.
Row 2 *P1, k1; rep from * to last 2 sts, p2.
Rep rows 1 and 2 once more.
Work in lace rib pat for 6 rows.
Dec row (RS) SKP, work to last 2 sts, k2tog—2 sts dec’d.
Rep dec row every 12th row twice more—48 (52, 56, 60, 64) sts.
Cont in pat, work even until piece measures 6½”/16.5cm from beg, end with a WS row.
Inc row (RS) K1, M1, work to last st, M1, k1—2 sts inc’d.
Cont in pat, rep inc row every 4th row 13 times more, then every 6th row once—78 (82, 86, 90, 94) sts.
Work even until piece measures 18″/45.5cm from beg. Bind off.
Finishing
Weave in ends. Block pieces lightly to measurements.
Sew shoulder seams. Set sleeves into armholes between markers, easing in to fit if necessary.
Sew side and sleeve seams.
Front and neckband
With RS facing and using circular needle, pick up and k 80 sts along right front edge to neck shaping, 51 (53, 55, 58, 60) sts along shaped right front neck edge, 41 (41, 41, 45, 45) sts along shaped back neck edge, 51 (53, 55, 58, 60) sts along shaped left front neck edge, and 80 sts along left front—303 (307, 311, 321, 325) sts.
Row 1 (WS) P1, *k1, p1; rep from * to end.
Row 2 K1, *p1, k1; rep from * to end.
Rep rows 1 and 2 for k1, p1 rib for 5 rows more.
Bind off loosely knitwise.
Weave in rem ends. ■
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