What you need
| Sizes | S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL · To fit bust 32 to 52 inches, finished chest 37 1/4 to 57 1/4 inches — 5 1/4 inches of positive ease, buttoned, in every size. |
|---|---|
| Yarn | Aran / heavy worsted wool, about 180 yd / 165 m per 100 g, in one colour. 1055 to 2288 yards — 6 to 13 skeins of 100 g, counted stitch by stitch for every size. |
| Needles | US 8 / 5 mm: a 32 in / 80 cm circular for the yoke and body (worked flat), and a 16 in circular or DPNs for the sleeves. Plus 6 to 8 buttons, about 3/4 in. |
| Gauge (tension) | 18 sts and 26 rows = 4 inches in Blossom Leaf lace, blocked; 20 sts and 36 rows = 4 inches in garter, blocked. Swatch the lace, not stockinette — and block the swatch. |
Skills you’ll use
- Knit
- Purl
- Yarn-over
- K2tog and ssk
- A simple buttonhole
- Picking up stitches at the underarm
- One chart - nine stitches wide, ten rows, the only chart in the pattern.
What’s in the PDF
- 21-page PDF, fully graded for six sizes
- A 9-stitch, 10-row leaf lace chart, written out line by line as well
- An eyelet raglan where the increases are yarn-overs - the shaping and the trim are the same stitch
- Button bands knitted in with the fronts, with buttonholes placed as you go
- A schematic with every measurement marked
- Button spacing graded by size - 6 (6, 7, 7, 8, 8) buttons, kept 3 to 4 inches apart in every size
- Yarn quantities counted stitch by stitch, blocking notes and a troubleshooting table
Questions about this pattern
Why must the swatch be blocked?
Lace is not stockinette and does not measure like it. Straight off the needles this fabric is about fifteen per cent narrower than it will be blocked, and the leaves are closed and unreadable. A swatch measured unblocked sends you down a needle size you do not need, and the cardigan comes out a size small.
Why do the larger sizes get more buttons?
The sample has five buttons, which is right on a body that length — but on a 3XL the same five would sit about five inches apart and the fronts would gape between them. The pattern keeps the gap between 3 and 4 inches in every size instead, so the button count grades with the body: 6 (6, 7, 7, 8, 8).
How does a 9-stitch lace survive a raglan that keeps adding stitches?
In the yoke every other row adds 8 stitches, so the repeat cannot always divide the count. The pattern keeps the lace centred and works the leftovers plain, and the garter ridge every tenth row is where you re-centre it. A plain knit stitch also sits between every raglan yarn-over and the lace, so the shaping never collides with a lace decrease.
