You Can Knit Your Very Own Cardigan

What’s better than receiving a complement about your clothes? Well, probably being able to say that you made it yourself! Take on any fun and easy knitting project and you can turn a lovely colour of yarn into a truly unique and fashionable item of clothing. 

 

If you’re someone who likes to have one-of-a-kind pieces in your wardrobe or you’re looking to knit a gift for someone special, then this guide on how to knit a cardigan is for you. If you’ve never made a sweater before, it’s only natural to be a little nervous, but taking on a new project is the only way to improve your skills. The better you get, the easier the knitting becomes and the more fun you can have with your creations!

New Project Means New Skills

Experienced knitters know that learning new techniques is an important way to grow and become a better knitter. Have you been looking for the perfect project to fully sink your teeth (or, better yet, knitting needles) into? A cardigan is the perfect place to start.

   

Why Do You Want to Make This Sweater?

No, you don’t need a perfect, job-interview-level response to this question to actually make this sweater. But before you start a new yarn project, it’s always good to ask yourself what you want to accomplish by making this item.

This sweater is an intermediate-level project, so it will take some time and commitment before you’re finally wearing your shiny new cardigan. You want to go into the project with a positive mindset and the readiness to see it through to the end.

Maybe you’ve found a new yarn texture that you simply love and you want to just have fun with it. Maybe you’ve been searching and searching for the right cardigan in stores but nothing looks like what you actually want. Maybe you simply love cardigans and want an excuse to learn how to make cables and bobbles.

Picking the Right Yarn

The Patons Dovercourt Knit Cardigan uses (you guessed it) Patons yarn in the worsted, classic wool variety. Why worsted wool? It makes for a fluffier and fuller fabric, just what you’ll want to achieve when making your own knit cable cardigan. It’ll also be versatile and reliable since worsted wools are great at keeping out wind and rain, meaning you’ll be able to wear the sweater during all times of the year.

You only need one color of the new generation yarn to make this cardigan, so pick a color that you’re going to be happy with in the end. If you’re not sure how to pick, you can work up small swatches of colors that you already have in your knitting kit and compare them with some of your favorite go-to pieces of clothing. That way you’ll know that the cardigan that you end up with will integrate beautifully into your wardrobe and complement the clothes you already have.

The Supplies You’ll Need

The only thing that you actually need to finish this project are two pairs of straight needles and the right type of yarn. For your needles, you’ll need a pair of US Size 6 (4mm) and US Size 7 (4.5mm) needles to get the right gauge for the sweater. We recommend using aluminum needles but as any knitter knows, personal preference plays a big role in the type of needles you use.

   

Become a Bobble Master

A knitting project that calls for bobbles like this chunky cardigan does promise a soft and textured finished product. But it can be tricky to master the bobble knitting process. One tricky technique that you can use is to alternate to a crochet technique to make the bobbles. You’ll need an added crochet hook to get this done, but the technique is a bobble-making game changer.

Finishing Touches

This cardigan calls for eight large buttons, but there’s no specification as to what the color or style of button should be. So how do you decide on the best button for your sweater? Simply follow your heart!

Well, maybe following your heart isn’t the best technique for picking items that you’ll be wearing across the front of your body. To pick the right buttons to finish off this sweater, look for a button that is smooth, durable, and look good against the color of your yarn.

When you’re ready, pick a button that stands out just the right amount against your sweater. You want it to stand out enough that it makes an impact but not so much that it doesn’t distract the eye. Once you’ve attached your buttons, voila! You’ve got your very own handmade cardigan that you can show off right away.