Top-Down Raglan Cardigan
Size
to fit a 36" bust, easily adaptable.
Abbreviations
K: knit
P: purl
Kf&b: knit into the front and back of stitch
pm: place marker
sl m: slip marker
RS: right side
WS: wrong side
Gauge
about 5 stitches per inch (noro version knit at 4 sts/inch)
Materials
about 600-700 meters of worsted weight yarn.
burgundy version:
2 skeins Manos del Uruguay (A) - 138 yds/100 g
2 skeins Patons Classic Wool (B) - 223 yds/100 g
noro version: (above)
6 skeins Noro Silk Garden (A - use throughout) - 100 m/50 g
Needles
5 mm (US 8) 16" circular
5 mm (US 8) 24" circular or straight needles
or needle size to obtain gauge.
The Noro version uses 5.5 mm (US 9) needles.
Yoke
With A, cast on 87 stitches. Work K1, P1 ribbing for 1", beginning and ending each right side row with a knit stitch.
Next row (RS):K 15, pm, K 13, pm, K 31, pm, K 13, pm, K15.
Next row (WS): K 5, purl to last 5 sts, K5.
Row 1 (RS): *K to 1 st before marker, Kf&b, sl m, Kf&b* repeat from * to * 3 more times. K to end of row.
Row 2 (WS): K 5, purl to last 5 stitches, K 5.
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until raglan length (along increases) measures about 9.5" or desired length. You can slip the stitches to scrap yarn and try it on; finish with a wrong side row when the increase lines meet under your arm.
Next row (RS): K to first marker, slip stitches between next two markers onto scrap yarn (these are the sleeve stitches), cast on one inch's worth of stitches (5 for 5 sts/in, 4 for 4 sts/in) to the right-hand needle, K to next marker, slip stitches between marker to scrap yarn, cast on one inch's worth of stitches to right-hand needle, K to end of row.
Body
Work back and forth in stockinette stitch (K RS rows, P WS rows), changing to B when desired. Work until the body is 10" or two inches short of total desired length. Work K1, P1 ribbing for two inches, then bind off in pattern.
Sleeve
Slip sleeve stitches back onto a 16" circular needle. With B, pick up and knit 3 stitches under the arm, place marker, pick up and knit 2 stitches, and join. (For 4 sts/in version, pick up 2, pm, pick up 2.) Knit in the round, decreasing on either side of the marker every 5 rows to desired narrowness (I decreased 10 times). Knit straight until sleeve is 2" short of desired length, work K1, P1 ribbing for two inches and then bind off in pattern. Repeat for other sleeve.
A good blocking is always encouraged!
