Ruby Cardigan

DIFFICULTY LEVEL 2

Materials

To make the Rubí Cardigan by Pearl Knitter, we will use Rubí Roble (VL009) color V001 (between 13 or 15 balls), 9 buttons (6 for the band, 1 for the collar, 2 for the pockets) and size 8 or 9 needles (depending on tension gauge).

Choose your favorite color in our online store or through the Pearl Knitter website.

DESCRIPTION

Rubí Cardigan is an oversized design, made up of 5 pieces (back, fronts, and sleeves).
In it, we will practice increases, decreases, work armholes, pockets, picking up stitches, buttonholes, bands… guided by Pearl Knitter, one of our Knitter Pros, about whom you can learn more through our interview.

STITCHES AND TECHNIQUES USED

Seed Stitch and Chain Stitch. Picking up stitches (band and neckline).
Invisible seams.

ABBREVIATIONS

RS: right side
WS: wrong side
k: knit
p: purl
yo: yarn over
k2tog: knit 2 stitches together
p2tog: purl 2 stitches together
ssk: slip, slip, knit
*_* : repeat steps between asterisks.
•_•: repeat steps between bullet points.
M1: make 1 (simple increase)
sl1pw: slip 1 stitch purlwise
row: row
sd: slip 1 stitch knitwise, knit the next 2 stitches together, pass the slipped stitch over the 2 knitted together stitches.
/.../: continue knitting
seed st.: knit indicated stitches in Seed Stitch following the chart.

YOUR GAUGE SWATCH

Cast on 22 stitches. You need to cast on a multiple of 2 stitches plus 2 selvage stitches.
Knit 8 rows in Seed Stitch.
Knit 3 repetitions of 8 rows of Chain Stitch following this chart:
Row 1: RS / *1p / 1sl1pw (yo)* / … / *_* / 1k
Row 2: RS / 1k / 1p /… / 1k / 1p / 1k
Row 3: RS / 21k
Row 4: RS / 20p / 1k
Row 5: RS •1sl1pw (yo) / 1p •/ … /•_• / 1k
Row 6: RS / 1p / 1k / … / 1p/ 1k / 1k
Row 7: RS / 21k
Row 8: RS / 21p / 1k

Here's the video to see how to make the swatch:

Swatch measurements:

Width 27 cm (22 stitches), height 8 cm (8 Seed Stitch Rows), 15 cm (24 Chain Stitch Rows), 23 cm total.

CHARTS

 

FINAL RESULT

This pattern is knitted with Rubí Roble yarn color V001. Choose your favorite color in our online store or through the Pearl Knitter website.

PATTERN

PIECE 1 – BACK

Cast on 50 stitches (size 8 or 9 needles)
Knit 8 rows in Seed Stitch for the bottom edge following the same instructions as in the swatch for odd and even rows.
From Row 9, knit according to the Chain Stitch swatch, you should make 7 repetitions of the 8 rows.
In total there will be 56 rows of Chain Stitch. Plus the 8 rows of Seed Stitch for the border,
in total we have 64 rows. These are the rows we need to knit until we reach the armhole.
In Row 65 we begin the decreases to form the raglan sleeve (always on odd rows)
Row 65: bind off 3k (1 st remains on left needle)/•_•/ …/ •_• 1k (47 st)
Row 66: bind off 3p (1 st remains on left needle)/ 1p /1k / … /1p /1k / 1p (44 st)
Row 67: RS / 1k /1ssk /36 k /k2tog /1p /1k (42 st)
Row 68: RS / 1p / 1p / 36p / 1p /1k /1p
Row 69: WS / 1k / 1ssk / *_*/ … / *_*/ k2tog /1p / 1k (40 st)
Row 70: RS / 1p / 1p / 1k / 1p /1k / … / 1k / 1p / 1p/ 1k / 1p
Row 71: WS / 1k / 1ssk / 32k / k2tog /1p /1k (38 st)
Row 72: RS / 1p / 1p / 32p / 1p / 1k / 1p
Row 73: WS / 1k / 1ssk / •_• / … / •_• / k2tog / 1p / 1k (36 st)
Row 74: RS / 1p / 1p / 1p / 1k /… / 1p / 1k / 1p/1k/1p
Row 75: WS / 1k / 1ssk / 28k / k2tog / 1p / 1k (34 st)
Row 76: RS / 1p / 1p / 28p / 1p / 1k / 1p
Continue repeating the pattern from Row 69 to Row 76 until Row 93, where you should have
18 stitches. Bind off these 18 stitches with normal tension.

****To cast on, use a yarn length of 4 times 60 cm, approximately 240 cm, keeping in mind that about 20 cm of yarn should be left for seaming or finishing.
**** After binding off 3 stitches for the armhole (Row 65 and Row 66), the 2 edge stitches, at the beginning and end of each row (both even and odd), before or after the decreases, follow the Seed Stitch pattern, which is why the selvage stitches are purl or knit depending on whether the row is even or odd.

PIECE 2 – LEFT FRONT

Cast on 28 stitches.
6 of these 28 stitches are for the side band, which is worked in Seed Stitch.
Knit from Row 1 to Row 8 in Seed Stitch following the same pattern as in the swatch and
the previous piece at the beginning and end of odd and even rows.
Row 9: RS/ *_*/ … / *_*/ 1p [1k/ 1p/ 1k/1p/ 1k / 1p] (band)
Row 10: [WS / 1k / 1p / 1k / 1p / 1k] (band) / 1p / 1k /1p / … / 1p/1k
Row 11: RS/ 21k / [band]
Row 12: [Band] / 21p/ 1k
Row 13: RS/ •_•/…/ •_•/1sl1pw [band]
Row 14: [Band] 1k/1p/…/1k/1k
Row 15: RS /21k/ [Band]
Row 16: [Band] 21p/1k
These are the first 8 rows of the Chain Stitch, continue knitting respecting the band stitches, and repeat the 8-row pattern until you reach Row 64.
From Row 65 we will make the armhole decreases in odd rows, respecting the band stitches
Row 65: Bind off 3k / •_• / … / •_•/ [Band] (25 st)
Row 66: [Band] / 1p / 1k/1p / … / 1p / 1k / 1p
Row 67: WS / 1k / 1ssk / 15k / [Band] (24 st)
Row 68: [Band] / 16p / 1k / 1p
Row 69: WS / 1k / 1ssk / *_* / … / *_*/ 1sl1pw [Band] (23 st)
Row 70: [Band] / 1k / 1p / 1k / 1p / … /1k / 2p /1k /1 p
Row 71: WS / 1k/ 1ssk / 13k / [Band] (22 st)
Row 72: [Band] / 14p / 1k/ 1p
Continue knitting, repeating the pattern until Row 81.
Row 82: bind off the 6 band stitches as they appear and continue with 1k/1p/…/1k/1p/1k/1p (11 st)
Row 83: WS / 1k / 1ssk/ 7k (10 st)
Row 84: bind off 3p / 4p/1k/1p (7 st)
Row 85: WS / 1k/ 1ssk / *_*/1k (6 st)
Row 86: bind off 1p / 2p/1k/1p(5 st)
Row 87: WS / 1k /1ssk /1k (4 st)
Row 88: WS / 1p/1k/1p
Row 89: WS / 1k / 1ssk (3 st)
Row 90: WS / 1k /1p
Row 91: WS/ 1k / 1k
Row 92: bind off 3p
**** In Row 9 and Row 10, we indicate how to knit the 6 band stitches in Seed Stitch, distinguishing between even and odd rows. In the following rows, when you see [band], you should knit according to the corresponding pattern depending on which row you are on.

PIECE 3 – RIGHT FRONT

Knit 8 rows in Seed Stitch following the previous pattern and swatch.
The buttonholes go within the 6 stitches reserved for the band, and you should make them in the following rows: Row 15 / Row 29 / Row 43 / Row 57 / Row 71/ Row 81 (after 10 rows) (+1 on the collar band)
Following the pattern for Row 15:
RS / 1p /1k / yo / 1ssk / 1p / 22k
From Row 9 to Row 65, you must follow the 8-row Chain Stitch pattern, keeping in mind the band and that you must make buttonholes every 14 rows. These are the first 2 rows of
the 8 in the pattern:
Row 9: 1k / 1p / 1k /1p /1k /1p [Band]/ *_*/ … / *_* /1p /1k
Row 10: WS / 1p /1k /1p /1k /1p / … / 1k / 1p / 1p / 1k / 1p / 1k / 1p
/ 1k [Band]
Continue until Row 65. In Row 66, we begin the armhole.
Row 66: Bind off 3p (1 st remains on needle) /1k /1p /1k /1p / … / 1k/1p [Band]
Row 67: [Band] / 15k/ k2tog /1k /1 p (24 st)
Continue following the same pattern until Row 82 where you should have 17 stitches.
In Row 83, we will begin the neck shaping. Knit even rows as they appear. 

Row 83: bind off the 6 band stitches (1 st remains on needle)/ 6k /k2tog /1k /1p (10 st)
Row 85: bind off 3p / •_• / k2tog / 1k / 1p (6 st)
Row 87: bind off 1p /k2tog /1k / 1p (4 st)
Row 89: k2tog / 1k / 1p (3 st)
Row 90: WS / 1k /1p
Row 91: RS / 1k / 1p
Row 93: bind off 3p
**** In Piece 3, in addition to knitting the band in Seed Stitch and the armhole decreases, we will make buttonholes for the buttons. There will be X total, made every 14 rows.
****In Row 9 and Row 10, we indicate how to knit the 6 band stitches in Seed Stitch, distinguishing between even and odd rows. In the following rows, you should knit according to the corresponding pattern depending on which row you are on.

PIECES 4 and 5 – SLEEVES

Cast on 26 stitches.
Knit 8 rows in Seed Stitch following the previous pattern and swatch.
From Row 9, apply the Chain Stitch pattern, repeating the 8-row set that we have seen so far.
On the sleeves, we will make simple increases, there will always be 2 increases on certain rows, after the selvage stitch and before the final selvage stitch.
Increases are made on the following rows: Row 15, Row 23, Row 27, Row 31, Row 35, Row 43, Row 47, and
Row 55. In total there are 16 increases until you have 42 stitches.
Example for Row 15:
Row 15: WS/ M1 / … /1k /M1 /1k (28 st)
Continue knitting until Row 64 following the same pattern.
When we reach the armhole we will do the same as we did for the back, that is,
bind off 3 stitches at the beginning of Row 65 and 3 stitches in Row 66, following the same pattern
as in Piece 1 until Row 92.
In Row 93, we bind off the 10 stitches that remain.
Repeat the same process for the second sleeve.

COLLAR BAND

To knit the collar band, you need to pick up a number of stitches. In our case, it was
73 stitches in total.
How to assemble the pieces to knit the collar band?
• Assemble the 5 pieces in order on the needle with the wrong side of the work facing you, and
pick up the stitches.
• Follow this order: left front, left sleeve, back, right sleeve, and
right front.
• We do it from the wrong side of the work to be able to start with an odd row, that is, to knit from the right side of the work and at the same time check that the
order of the knit and purl stitches of the collar band, which is in Seed Stitch, matches.
• Fix any gaps that appear when knitting the 1st row due to the joining of pieces, and from picking up stitches, by picking up a stitch from the previous row, discreetly picking up the yarn to hide the gap.

Begin the band:

Row 1: WS / 1k /1p /– corresponds to the right front /18 in Seed St. — join the last stitch of Piece 3 with the 1st of the right sleeve (p2tog)/ 1k /1p /1k /… /1p /
8 stitches in Seed St. / Join the last stitch of the right sleeve with the 1st of the back (k2tog)/ 1p/1k/1p/1k/1p/M1/1p/1k/1p/1k/1p/1k/18p in Seed St./ Join the last stitch of the back with the 1st of the left sleeve.
(p2tog)/1k/1p/…/1p/8p in Seed St./ Join the last stitch of the left sleeve with the 1st of the
left front. (k2tog)/1p/1k/…/1p/1p /17p Seed St.

In total we have 73 stitches.
Continue knitting Row 2 in Seed Stitch.
We will make some decreases in certain rows to reduce
the collar band and make it fit better.

Row 3: 12 Seed St. /1sd (purl mounted over 2k)/43 Seed St./1sd (=previous)/12 Seed St. (69 st)
Row 5: 12 Seed St./1sd (purl mounted over 2k/18 Seed St./1sd (knit mounted over
2k)/18 Seed St./1sd (knit mounted over 2k)/12 Seed St. (63 st)
Row 7: 7th buttonhole, no decreases, knit normally in Seed St.
Row 9: 12 Seed St./1sd (purl mounted over 2k)/15 Seed St./ 1sd (purl mounted over
2k)/15 Seed St./ 1sd (purl mounted over 2k)/ 12 Seed St. (57 st)
Row 11: 12 Seed St. / 1sd (purl mounted over 2k)/ 12 Seed St./ 1sd (knit mounted
over 2k)/12 Seed St./ 1sd (purl mounted over 2k)/12 Seed St. (51 st)
Continue knitting without further decreasing until Row 21 where we bind off each
stitch as it appears.
**** The number of stitches to pick up may vary from knitter to knitter; what is important is an approximate number of stitches and to avoid gaps where pieces join, by making one stitch from joining 2 stitches through k2tog. Follow the proposed order for assembling the pieces to be able to
knit the collar band.

POCKETS

The pockets are knitted with both stitches: seed stitch on the upper edge and Chain Stitch for the rest.
To knit them you have 2 options:
Knit them independently and then sew them to the fronts or you can
pick up stitches from the first row of Chain Stitch of each front from the band.
In both cases, these are the instructions:
Cast on 18 stitches and knit 8 rows of Chain Stitch and 7 of Seed Stitch, binding off the stitches as they appear on Row 16.

SEAMS

From the armhole to the neck, join the 5 pieces.
Make the seams on the right side of the work and with an invisible seam.
Garment measurements:
Piece 1 back: 56 cm wide, 49 cm long to the armhole, 20 cm from the armhole to the neck.
Piece 2 left front: 30 cm wide, 49 cm to the armhole, 20 cm from the armhole to the neck (of which 8 cm corresponds to the neck)
Piece 3 right front: 30 cm wide, 49 cm long to the armhole, 20 cm from the armhole to the neck (of which 8 cm corresponds to the neck)
Pieces 4 and 5 sleeves (unsewn): 30 cm cuff width, 46 cm wide at its widest part (before the armhole) 49 cm long to the armhole, 20 cm from the armhole to the end of the sleeve.
Pieces 6 and 7 pockets: 20 cm wide, 18 cm long.

This pattern is knitted with Rubí Roble yarn color V001. Choose your favorite color in our online store or through the Pearl Knitter website.