Crochet Border Cardigan

Crochet Border Cardigan by Sian Brown

What is Being Made

This is a lightweight cardigan featuring a distinctive crochet border detail, designed by Sian Brown. The garment is primarily constructed using knitting techniques with an integrated crochet motif border. The cardigan is available in four sizes ranging from Small (90 cm bust) to Extra Large (120 cm bust), with corresponding length and sleeve measurements. The finished cardigan offers a sophisticated blend of knitted body with decorative crochet embellishment, making it suitable for warm weather wear.

Knitting Techniques Used

The cardigan is primarily constructed using fundamental knitting techniques on 3.25mm needles. The main fabric is worked in stocking stitch, which creates a smooth, classic knit appearance. The design incorporates cable stitches, specifically cable 4 back (c4b), which involves placing stitches on a cable needle and crossing them to create textured cable patterns. The pattern also uses yarn forward (yf) increases to shape the garment. Shaping techniques including skpo (slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over) decreases are employed to achieve proper fit across the bust, length, and sleeve measurements.

Crochet Techniques and Stitches

The crochet border is a key design feature of this cardigan. The border is constructed using individual crochet motifs that measure 8.5 cm square when worked with a 2.50mm crochet hook. The crochet work employs several fundamental stitches and techniques:

• Chain stitches (ch) form the foundation of the motifs
• Slip stitches (ss) join rounds and create seamless connections
• Double crochet (dc) provides structure and density
• Treble (tr) and half treble (htr) stitches create height variation
• Double treble (dtr) stitches add dramatic height for decorative effects
• Chain spaces (chsp) create openwork elements within the motifs

The crochet motifs are worked in rounds, beginning with a chain ring foundation and building outward to create square blocks that form the border detail.

Materials and Specifications

The cardigan is constructed from Patons 100% Cotton 4 Ply yarn in the Limestone (1716) colorway. This natural fiber choice makes the garment breathable and suitable for warm seasons. Yarn quantities vary by size: Small and Medium require 4 x 100 gm balls, Large requires 5 x 100 gm balls, and Extra Large requires 7 x 100 gm balls.

The pattern requires two needle sizes: 3.25mm needles for the main knitted body and a 2.50mm crochet hook for the decorative crochet border motifs. Additional notions include 7 buttons for the cardigan front closure and 2 meters of cream ribbon, which likely provides decorative finishing or reinforcement.

Tension and Sizing

Achieving proper tension is essential for this project. The stocking stitch tension is 28 stitches by 36 rows over 10 x 10 cm using 3.25mm needles. The patterned sections (incorporating cables and other stitch variations) have a slightly different tension of 32 stitches by 38 rows over 10 x 10 cm using the same needle size. The crochet border motifs measure 8.5 cm square when worked with the 2.50mm crochet hook. Careful tension swatching before beginning ensures the finished cardigan achieves the intended bust measurements (90-120 cm) and length (51-58 cm).

Skill Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for crafters with foundational knitting and crochet experience. The combination of cable stitches, tension-sensitive pattern work, and the integration of both knitting and crochet techniques requires solid understanding of both crafts and the ability to follow detailed instructions across multiple construction methods.