Another new pattern to share today! I feel like I’m on a roll with designs at the minute, and it’s a welcome sense of satisfaction in these endless days of nothing-very-exciting. At least there is plenty of knitwear! Today’s new pattern is the Greystoke Cardigan, an item that’s seen plenty of wear already in its short lifetime. I absolutely love it, if I do say so myself – far more so than my expression in these photo would suggest, anyway!
Scroll down for details and to download the Greystoke cardigan knitting pattern
yarn-inspired design
Yarn support for the Greystoke cardigan was kindly provided by The Fibre Company. A lightweight, fluffy but fairly substantial yarn had my name written all over it, so after swatching their Cirro yarn I was determined to do it justice! Sometimes I have an idea in mind that requires searching for the perfect yarn, and sometimes the yarn itself really leads the design. In this case, the blend of alpaca, cotton, and merino made for an unusual fabric that I thought would work perfectly for my signature poofy sleeves. It has drape, but also lift provided by the brushed alpaca texture – exactly the characteristics needed to really make pleats pop. And we know I love a pleat! So simple yet effective. This isn’t my first pleated design and I’m fairly certain it won’t be my last. Kits for the Greystoke cardigan are available via The Fibre Company website, which lists how many skeins are needed for each size. Some test knitters also used this yarn, and it looks stunning in the bolder hues too.
When you design with a specific yarn (and in this case, quite a unique yarn), it can be a bit hit and miss whether substituting yarns will work. Test knitters used a variety of yarns for this one though and I think they all turned out lovely! My original sample was a sport weight yarn knit to DK gauge for an airy fabric, and a similar look was achieved by holding a strand of fingering weight yarn together with a strand of mohair. Standard DK yarn made for a more substantial cardigan but retained the same overall shape. If you ever have questions about whether a particular yarn / fibre will work for a particular design, just drop me an email and I’ll be happy to help as much as possible!
an elegant everyday item
I generally aim for a subtle but elegant look with my patterns, and I think that applies here. A cardigan to make your sweatpants outfit that little bit more fancy – never a bad idea in 2021, right? Generous sleeves just add a bit of oomph to an outfit but the overall feel is still very relaxed.
test knit roundup
As always, I’ve absolutely adored seeing the Greystoke cardigan brought to life by wonderful test knitters! I love seeing how we can all start with the same pattern but the finished item always turns out so personal to the wearer. Now I want one in every colour. Thank you so much guys, you’re the best.
GREYSTOKE CARDIGAN DETAILS
YARN
Sport weight yarn, approximately 925 (983; 1064; 1152; 1230) (1311; 1429; 1489; 1578) metres / 1012 (1075; 1163; 1260; 1345) (1433; 1563; 1627; 1725) yards.
Sample shown in The Fibre Company Cirro in shade Seraphic, a blend of 40% Suri alpaca, 40% Cotton, and 20% Merino. If using this yarn you will need 5 (5; 5; 6; 6) (6; 7; 7; 8) skeins.
Choosing yarn: this pattern uses sport weight yarn knit to DK gauge for an airy fabric. Any yarn(s) that meets the gauge should work, such as sport weight yarn, very light DK, or fingering weight held with mohair for example. The brushed yarn in the sample is very lightweight and therefore produces sleeves with plenty of ‘loft’ and body, whereas a smooth yarn (such as a sport weight merino) would produce sleeves with more drape. Consider the silhouette you would like when choosing yarn.
GAUGE
22 sts and 30 rows in stocking stitch on 4mm needles, blocked.
NEEDLES & NOTIONS
4mm and 3.5mm needles of any length for working the body flat.
4mm and 3.5mm needles of your preferred length for working sleeves (ie. magic loop, 2 circulars, DPNs).
Scrap yarn for holding stitches Lockable stitch markers
2 spare DPNs of any size for working pleats
Tapestry needle
SIZING
To fit bust: 28-30 (32-34; 36-38; 40-42; 44-46) (48-50; 52-54; 56-58; 60-62) inches / 71-76 (81-86; 91-97; 102-107; 112-117) (122-127; 132-137; 142-147; 152-157) cm.
Finished bust: 32.5 (36.5; 40.5; 44.5; 48.5) (52.5; 56.5; 60.5; 64.5) inches / 83 (93; 103; 113; 123) (133; 144; 154; 164)
I LOVE seeing people knit my patterns and make them their own – if you could tag @lilykatemakes and #GreystokeCardigan on Instagram that would be great!
The Greystoke cardigan knitting pattern is also available via Ravelry and Etsy.
Lily Kate x
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