Knitting and so on: November 2020

Usually I don't buy bigger amounts of the same yarn unless I have a specific project in mind. However, a few years ago I made an exception when there was a sale at Vilfil (my favorite yarn store in Zurich) and among the items for sale was Noro Furin. At the time I bought a whole pack (10 skeins) - and it was in my stash for quite a long time, because I didn't have a good idea how to use it.
Last year in April, I decided to use it to knit a cardigan - sideways and in one piece because I don't like cutting my yarn or and I like to minimize the finishing work (e.g. sewing pieces together). Plus, with variegated yarn, I don't like the abrupt color changes that can occur when putting on the arms.
In the end it took me to August 2019 to finish knitting it - and to the following January to finally sew up the arms and to attach the buttons. ... And now it's taken me nearly a year to write down the instructions. So, here's a tutorial on how to do something similar.

As with my other sweater patterns (e.g. Summer Garter Stitch Top and Waterfall Tunic) this is NOT a stitch-by-stitch pattern with stitch and row counts for various sizes but rather a tutorial on how to do something similar.
You will have to swatch and calculate for yourself. So this cardigan is completely configurable to your wishes and your shape. I will however give you my numbers and calculations as an example (written in purple).

The basic idea for stitch pattern (changing the skein and alternating between garter and stockinette stitch) is stolen from Lanesplitter Skirt by Tina Whitmore - because it is such great way to show off the color changes of the variegated yarn that I used.

This work by Kniting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Materials

yarn, I used about 470 grams of Aran Weight yarn (Noro Furin, colorway 4 - here's a link to the yarn's Ravelry page),
straight or circular knitting needles, I used 4.5mm needles - mine were 100 cm long.
removable stitch markers (safety pins or scrap yarn work fine as well)
3 buttons, and sewing needle and thread to sew them on

Techniques

Short rows with wrap and turn (w+t) - as shown in this YouTube video by Very Pink Knits. (Yes, other short row methods works as well.)
Knitted Cast-On: See this Youtube-video by Very Pink Knits.
Cable Cast-On: See this Youtube-video by Very Pink Knits.
Pick up and knit: Picking up stitches from the side edge of your work as shown in this YouTube video by B.Hooked Crochet & Knitting

Construction, Measurements, and Calculations

The cardigan is knitted sideways and in one piece. It starts with the left sleeve is knitted up to the shoulder. Then (with knitted COs on both sides) the piece is widened to create the front and back piece of the cardigan). At each end short rows are used to shape the piece (i.e. to make sure it is wide enough to fit around your waist). When you've reached the width of your shoulder, you bind off the stitches on the front part and start to knit a "back-only" part. This starts with a few decreases at the top to get a round neckline at the neck edge.

Once you've reached the middle (or centerline), you basically knit everything backwards, i.e. a mirror image of the first half. This means that just before you've reached the intended neckwidith, you increases at the neck edge, then you do a knitted CO to start the front right part. Then you continue to knit the front and back (right part) at the same time. After a bind off at both sides you knit the right sleeve as a mirror image to the left one.

In the end, you pick up stitches along the inner edge of the front parts and the neckline (green line in figure 1) to knit a collar with button holes.

Figure 1: Construction

You need to take the following measurements:

A = arm circumference at wrist
B = arm circumference at shoulder
C = from shoulder to hip (total length of garment)
D = from under arm to hip (or C-B/2)
E = depth of neckline on the back of the garment

F = arm length
G = width of shoulder seam
H = half of the width of neckline
I = width of one side of the cardigan at your hip (for me H=I/2)
J = width at hip (should be roughly half of your hip circumference)

Figure 2: Measurements

Knit a swatch and calculate the stitch and row numbers according to your measurements!
Alternatively, with a rough idea of your gauge, you can start with the arm piece and use this as your swatch - however, this swatch piece has then not been blocked and/or washed and might be less exact than you'd like it to be ... and maybe you'll need to frog it after knitting half a sleeve (i.e. you've just knitted a bigger swatch ;-(.
So, better just knit a swatch and block it.

Here are my calculations for stitch numbers and ridges - rounded. My swatch measured 18 sts for 10 cm in width and 30 rows (in pattern) for 10 cm in height.

A = 22 cm = 40 sts
B = 42 cm = 72 sts
C = 60 cm = 108 sts
D = 60 cm - 21 cm = 39 cm - or 108 sts - 36 sts = 72 sts
E = 1,5 cm = 3 sts

F = 45 cm = 135 rows
G = 10 cm = 30 rows
H = 10 cm = 30 rows
I = 25 cm = 75 rows
J = 50 cm = 150 rows

Before you start ...

The 2nd half of one piece (right side) is the exact mirror of the 1st part (left side). So it's essential to take notes while you're knitting, in order to be able to knit the same rows in the opposite order (i.e. decreases where you increased, BO where you CO'd etc.)
Since I am not "busty" I didn't make allowance for bust shaping. This can be done by starting the front side short rows higher up in the rows or by inserting short rows at bust height that act as bust darts (as I did in the No Assembly Required Top).

Instructions

Throughout the pattern you alternate skeins of variegated yarn (skeins S1 and S2).

The basic stitch pattern for the sleeves (without the calculated increases) is:

two rows in stockinette stitch in S1,
two rows in garter stitch (i.e. one garter ridge) in S2,
four rows in stockinette stitch in S1,
two rows in garter stitch (i.e. one garter ridge) in S2.

Or spelled out:

Row 1 (RS, S1): sl1, k to end
Row 2 (WS, S1): sl1, p to end // stockinette part, S1
Row 3 (RS), S2): sl1, k to end
Row 4 (WS, S2): sl1, k to end   // garter ridge, S2
Row 5 (RS, S1): sl1, k to end
Row 6 (WS, S1): sl1, p to end
Row 7 (RS, S1): sl1, k to end
Row 8 (WS, S1): sl1, p to end   // stockinette part, S1
Row 9 (RS), S2): sl1, k to end
Row 10 (WS, S2): sl1, k to end   // garter ridge, S2

The stitch pattern for the body is similar

two rows in stockinette stitch in S1 - with some (calculated) short rows at the beginning and end of the row
two rows in garter stitch (i.e. one garter ridge) in S2

So, when you finish a part, make sure that you continue in pattern, i.e. if you've finished the first sleeve on a garter ridge (in S2), start the main body in stockinette (S1) - my examples below might differ from that.

Left Sleeve

CO A stitches with S1
Instead of ribbing, knit several rigdes of garter stitch, alternating the skeins after each ridge.
I did a CO of 46 stitches and knit 4 ridges in garter stitch.

You now have to calculate the increases you have to do in order to reach B stitches at the shoulder.

I wanted to reach 72 stitches at the shoulder, i.e. I had to increase by 13 ((72-46)/2 = 26/2 = 13) on each side (beginning and end of row) - and I had 128 rows to reach that (D=136 rows, minus 8 rows already knitted for the "instead-of-ribbing"). So I decided had to do increases every 10th row (i.e. that would give 130 rows, but this difference (1cm) was OK for me).

Start knitting the stitch pattern above and increase (as calculated at the beginning and end of the rows)

As calculated I knitted the pattern and increased at the beginning and end of every 10th row, i.e. after 130 I had 13x2 = 26 sts more than the CO, i.e. 46+26 = 72 sts.

To help me count the rows of the body part and to measure, I marked the last row of the sleeve with a removable stitch marker.

Body (Back Piece and Two Front Pieces)

Left Half

Knit the next row, at the end of the row, with a knitted cast-on, CO D stitches for the front.

Then turn, knit back and CO D stitches for the back.

I wanted to add 39 cm to the lenght (added to the sleeve width - back and front), so I CO'd 72 sts on each side.

Since you're knitting sideways and the shoulders are narrower than the piece around the hips, you now have to calculate the amount of short rows to knit at the front and the back. Plus, you have to decide where you want your short rows to end.

The short rows for the front piece are calculated by the ratio of G to I (i.e. shoulder width to width at the hip of one half).
And the short rows for the back piece by the ratio of G+H to J/2 (i.e. shoulder width plus half of the neckline width to half of the width at the hip.

This means, that you have more short rows on the front than on the back.

For the front I had G = 10 cm and I=25 cm, i.e. for each shoulder ridge, I had to knit 2,5 ridges on the lower edge, i.e. a ratio of 1:2,5 or 2:5.

For the back it was G+H=10+10= 20 cm and J/2 = 50/2 = 25 cm. So I had the ratio of 2:2,5 or 4:5.

I wanted to keep the pattern of 1 garter ridge and stockinette rows inbetween.

So, taking into account the short rows calculated above, I ended up with this pattern, but I varied the points where I did the w+t's a bit.

Row 1 (RS, S2): sl1, k to end
Row 2 (WS, S2): sl1, k to end // garter stitch ridge
Row 3 (RS), S1): sl1, k to end
Row 4 (WS, S1): sl1, p65, w+t

Row 5 (RS, S1): k to end

Row 6 (WS, S1): sl1, p40, w+t

Row 7 (RS, S1): k to end

Row 8 (WS, S1): sl1, p15, w+t

Row 9 (RS, S1): k to end

Row 10 (WS, S1): sl1, p to end // stockinette part with short rows in front

Repeat rows 1 to 10 once, after you've the last row for the 2nd time, continue with

Row 21 (RS, S1): sl1, k35, w+t

Row 22 (WS, S1): p to end // stockinette part plus short rows in the back

I knitted these rows 4 times, i.e. until the shoulder was wide enough.

Knit the calculated pattern until you've reach the shoulder width.

Now you have to BO the stitches on the front part, i.e. knit to the end of an RS row and BO C stitches.

In my case I had to BO 108 sts. So I knitted an RS row, and started the WS with binding off 108 sts.

Now that you've reached the neck of the piece and have done a BO of the front stitches, you need to knit only the part of the rows, that is on the back of the cardigan.

For me that meant skipping the rows that were called row 4 to row 9 in the body pattern above, i.e. the following:

Row 1 (RS, S2): sl1, k to end
Row 2 (WS, S2): sl1, k to end // garter stitch ridge
Row 3 (RS), S1): sl1, k to end

Row 4 (WS, S1): sl1, p to end // stockinette rows

Repeat rows 1 to 4 once more. After you've the last row for the 2nd time, continue with

Row 9 (RS, S1): sl1, k35, w+t

Row 10 (WS, S1): p to end // stockinette part plus short rows in the back

However, if you want to have a slight curve in the back of the neckline, you have to do some decreases at the end of the first RS rows to shape a curve in your neck.

I wanted a curve that was 1,5 cm deep, so over the first 6 rows, I decreased one stitch every other row, i.e. I knitted up to the last three stitches of a RS row and ended with "ssk, k1".

Knit your calculated pattern until you've reached exactly the centerline of your piece.

I ended on a stockinette row in S2. For a nice symmetry (and to stay "in pattern") I knitted one garter stitch ridge in S1.

Right Half

After reaching the middle of your piece, you basically have to knit a mirror image of the 1st half, i.e.

you increase where you decreased before,
you to a BO where you did a CO before (and vice versa),
you knit the same short rows as before - just in reverse order.

So first you knit the back part only.

For me this meant the following for rows 1 to 10 of the back-only part.

Row 1 (RS, S1): sl1, k to end

Row 2 (WS, S1):, p to end

Row 3 (RS, S1): sl1, k35, w+t

Row 4 (RS, S1): p to end // stockinette part plus short rows in the back

Row 5 (RS, S2): sl1, k to end

Row 6 (WS, S2): sl1, k to end // garter stitch ridge

Row 7 (RS, S1): sl1, k to end

Row 8 (WS, S1): sl1, p to end // stockinette rows

Row 9 (RS, S2): sl1, k to end

Row 10 (WS, S2): sl1, k to end // garter stitch ridge

Plus, just before you finish the back-only part, you need to include some increases at the upper edge (to mirror the decreases you did during the right half.

For me that meant that - starting from the 6th row before I had to do the BO, I increased one stitch every other row, i.e. I knitted up to the last two stitches of a RS row and ended with "kfb, k1".

Then you need to CO the front stitches again, i.e. knit an RS row and then do a knitted CO of the calculated number of stitches.

I knitted an RS row, then continued by casting on 108 stitches

Knit the same pattern you knitted for the left half in reverse order until you've reached the shoulder width.

For me that meant knitting the following sequence

Row 1 (RS, S1): k to end

Row 2 (WS, S1): sl1, p15, w+t

Row 3 (RS, S1): k to end

Row 4 (WS, S1): sl1, p40, w+t

Row 5 (RS, S1): k to end

Row 6 (WS, S1): sl1, p65, w+t

Row 7 (RS, S1): k to end

Row 8 (WS, S1): sl1, p to end

Row 9 (RS, S1): sl1, k35, w+t

Row 10 (WS, S1): p to end // stockinette "ridge" with short rows front and back

Row 11 (RS, S2): sl1, k to end
Row 12 (WS, S2): sl1, k to end // garter ridge

Row 13 (RS, S1): k to end

Row 14 (WS, S1): sl1, p15, w+t

Row 15 (RS, S1): k to end

Row 16 (WS, S1): sl1, p40, w+t

Row 17 (RS, S1): k to end

Row 18 (WS, S1): sl1, p65, w+t

Row 19 (RS, S1): k to end

Row 20 (WS, S1): sl1, p to end // stockinette "ridge" with short rows only in front

Row 21 (RS, S2): sl1, k to end
Row 22 (WS, S2): sl1, k to end // garter ridge

Once you've reached the shoulder width of the right shoulder, knit to the end of the row, turn and BO D stitches (front), and knit to end. Then BO D stitches (back). The number of stitches that you have left now should be exactly the number you had when you finished the first sleeve.

For me that meant:

Row 1: sl1, k to end

Row 2: BO72, k to end

Row 3: BO72

Right Sleeve

The right sleeve is the left sleeve knitted backwards, i.e. knitting the stitch pattern in reverse order and doing decreases where you did increases before.

Knit in pattern (with the decreases) until your right sleeve has the same length than the left.

I knitted the sleeve stitch pattern in reverse order ...

Row 1 (RS), S2): sl1, k to end
Row 2 (WS, S2): sl1, k to end // garter ridge

Row 3 (RS, S1): sl1, k to end
Row 4 (WS, S1): sl1, p to end
Row 5 (RS, S1): sl1, k to end
Row 6 (WS, S1): sl1, p to end // stockinette part

Row 7 (RS), S2): sl1, k to end
Row 8 (WS, S2): sl1, k to end // garter ridge

Row 9 (RS, S1): sl1, k to end
Row 10 (WS, S1): sl1, p to end // stockinette part

... while I did decreases at the beginning and end of every 10th row.

Then finish with the same "ribbing" you did on your left sleeve and bind off (loosely).

In my case that meant knitting 4 ridges of garter stitch alternating the skeins.

Collar

Pick up stitches all along the inner edge on the left front, the neck and the right edge in front (see green line in figure 1 above).

Knit (back and forth) 3 ridges of garter stitch.

Calculate the size of your button holes and decide where you want to put the buttons, i.e. decide on the distance between two buttons and calculate the appropriate number of stitches.

Knit up to the 1st button hole, BO the number of stitches for 1 button, k to the next button hole, BO the number of stitches for 1 button

The buttons I bought had a diameter of 2,5cm, so I decided that I'd make my button holes 4 sts wide and I decided that I'd place them within the lowest 20 cm, i.e 40 sts,

So I knitted the "botton hole ridge" as follows:

sl1, k7, BO4, k10, BO4, k10 BO4, k to end;

sl1, k up to first BO, CO4, k10, CO4, k10, CO4, k to end

Knit 3 more ridges of garter stitch, BO during the last row.

Finishing

I prefer to block the finished piece (sewn up) rather than the flattened out version. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages.

Sew the side underarm seams together and the buttons on. Weave in ends.

Sew on buttons and block the piece.