805 Nightfall Cardigan - Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Colrain

805 Nightfall Cardigan - Knitting Pattern Overview

What Is Being Made

The 805 Nightfall Cardigan is a women's open cardigan designed by Melissa LaBarre, perfect for layering during day or night wear. This garment features a sweet and simple construction with raglan sleeves and a narrow, textured collar. The cardigan is available in six sizes to fit chest measurements of 30, 34, 40, 45, 51, and 56 inches, allowing knitters to choose the size closest to their actual measurement without going over.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques that make it suitable for advanced beginners:

• Top-Down Construction: The cardigan is worked from the top down, beginning with raglan and neck shaping. This method allows knitters to try on the garment as they work and easily adjust length before binding off.
• Seamless Construction: The garment is knitted seamlessly, eliminating the need for seaming pieces together after completion. This creates a more polished, professional finish and reduces finishing time.
• Worked Flat: Despite being seamless in the final garment, the pattern is worked flat using circular needles, which is a common technique for managing larger stitch counts and creating even fabric tension.
• Raglan Shaping: The cardigan features raglan sleeves, which are increased evenly on both sides of marked lines to create the characteristic diagonal seam lines from the neckline to the underarms.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The 805 Nightfall Cardigan uses fundamental knitting stitches combined with strategic increases:

• Stockinette Stitch: The primary stitch pattern throughout the cardigan, created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side. This creates the smooth, classic fabric base.
• Textured Collar: A narrow, textured collar provides visual interest and detail at the neckline, distinguishing this simple design.
• Increase Stitches: The pattern uses M1R (make 1 right) and M1L (make 1 left) increases to shape the raglan sleeves and body. These increases are worked symmetrically on both sides of stitch markers to create balanced shaping.
• Knit 2 Together (k2tog): This decrease stitch is referenced in the pattern abbreviations and is used for shaping as needed.

Materials and Yarn Requirements

The 805 Nightfall Cardigan is designed specifically for Valley Yarns Colrain, a blend yarn that offers both softness and drape:

• Yarn: Valley Yarns Colrain in Gray Heather, a 50% Merino and 50% Tencel blend. Yardage requirements range from 654 yards (6 skeins for size 30") to 1,199 yards (11 skeins for size 56"), with each skein containing 109 yards.
• Yarn Weight: Worsted weight yarn, a versatile medium weight that knits at a moderate gauge and provides good stitch definition.
• Needles: US 7 (4.50mm) circular needles in 32-inch length, plus double-pointed needles (dpns) for smaller circumferences. Needles may be adjusted up or down as needed to achieve the required gauge.
• Additional Materials: Removable stitch markers to track raglan increases and pattern sections, a blunt needle for weaving in yarn ends, and scrap yarn for provisional cast-on or stitch holders.

Gauge and Sizing Information

Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper fit. The pattern specifies a gauge of 20 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches when worked in stockinette stitch. Knitters should always knit a gauge swatch before beginning the project to ensure their tension matches the designer's specifications. The pattern emphasizes choosing a size closest to actual chest measurement without going over, and sizing down rather than up for the best fit.

Difficulty Level

Rated as advanced beginner, this pattern is accessible to knitters with some experience who are ready to tackle seamless, top-down construction and raglan shaping. The straightforward stockinette stitch base combined with the structured increases make this an excellent project for building skills in garment construction.