***You can purchase an INEXPENSIVE AD-FREE PDF of this pattern on Etsy HERE! This beautifully formatted PDF includes the step-by-step pictures and pattern and is a total of 10 pages including the cover page! You can also find this pattern in my Easy & Modern Knits Pattern Bundle found HERE (includes over 20 of my knit patterns at a discounted price)! Lion Brand Yarn has made a convenient kit HERE that includes the pattern and all the Color Made Easy yarn needed to make this chunky sweater (5 color options available)!
***The step-by-step tutorial with plenty of photos can be found HERE!
***Join the Dotty Cardigan Knit-Along HERE! Add this design to your Ravelry queue HERE!
Knit this beautifully textured cardigan using bulky yarn and the lovely dot stitch! The Dotty Cardigan is a chunky cardigan that looks so stylish with its sophisticated length, ribbed collar, and cozy pockets. This cardigan works up very quickly and will look beautiful layered over jeans, leggings, dresses and all your outfits!
Materials
- Color Made Easy Yarn (bulky level 5) in “Avocado”- see approximate yardage and number of skeins required below. [Note that Color Made Easy has now been discontinued. You can substitute any level 5 bulky yarn such as “Hue & Me” – see other yarn substitution suggestions HERE!]
- Clover Takumi 29″ 8 mm circular needles; 48″ cord for picking up stitches along collar
- Yarn needle
- Lock ring stitch markers
Gauge: 13 stitches and 18 rows = 4 inches in dot stitch
Final Measurements:
Approximate Yardage/Number of Skeins Required:
Small/Medium: 5 skeins, ~ 920 g/1140yds
Large/XL 6 skeins, ~ 1100 g/1360 yds
2X/3X: 7 skeins, ~ 1230 g/1515 yds
4X/5X: 7 skeins, ~ 1380 g/1700 yds
Notes:
- PFB = Purl Front and Back Increase: Step 1: Purl through the front loop as normal. Step 2: Before taking the stitch off the main needle, insert the tip of your working needle into the back loop and work a purl stitch. Remove the stitch from the needle – two stitches have been created. See how to work this increase HERE.
- PM = Place Marker: place marker at indicated spot (this is the first time you place the marker)
- SM = Slip Marker: slip the marker from left needle to the right needle
- The initial cast on number for the dot stitch is a multiple of 4 stitches plus 3. The dot stitch is worked over a 4 row repeat, with the odd rows being purl all stitches.
- One back panel and two fronts panels are knitted in the dot stitch and seamed together at the top and sides, leaving space for the arm holes. These panels are worked from the bottom up starting with the ribbing. Use the vertical invisible seaming technique when seaming together the sides of the back and front panels. Use the whip stitch when seaming the tops of the panels together.
- The sleeves are worked from the bottom up, starting with the ribbing and then the dot stitch. The dot stitch is framed by stockinette stitches at the beginning and end of each row – the increases are worked in these stockinette sections (in the purl stitches of the stockinette specifically) so that the dot stitch pattern in the middle of the sleeves remains undisturbed. Stitch markers are used to help frame the dot stitch.
- The INCREASE ROW in the sleeve is worked as follows: {P1, PFB, P across until last two stitches. PFB, P1.} With this increase row, the stitch count increases by two stitches. The increases are always worked in the second stitch and second to last stitch. There are four increases rows in total.
- The sleeves are seamed together using the vertical invisible seaming technique and then attached to the arm holes using the whip stitch.
- Whenever using the whip stitch, whip stitch the wrong sides together for a cleaner seam.
- Stitches are picked up along the collar (3 out of every 4 stitches) and a ribbed pattern is worked.
- Two pockets are knit starting with the dot stitch at the bottom and ribbing towards the top. They are then sewn onto the front panels, lining up the dot stitch of the pocket with the dot stitch of the front panel as best as possible.
Sizing Notes:
- This drop sleeve cardigan is oversized, relaxed, loose, and slouchy with 10-16″ of positive ease built into the design. This means that if the actual bust of your body is 32″ (typically a size small), the bust of the size small sweater is 10-16″ larger (48″).
- Part of the front and back panels become part of the sleeve as they bend past the shoulders. The sleeve length remains the same for all sizes, but the increased width in the front and back panels help lengthen the sleeves of the larger sizes. The width of the sleeve varies by size.
- If you would like the cardigan to be wider, increase the number of stitches you cast on for the front and back panels (must be a multiple of 4 + 3). If you would like the cardigan to be narrower, decrease the number of stitches you cast on for the front and back panels.
- If you would like the cardigan to be longer, increase the number of rows for the back and front panels. If you would like the cardigan to be shorter, decrease the number of rows for the back and front panels.
- This pattern is written for the following sizes (I would recommend highlighting or circling the numbers for your size throughout the pattern): Small/Medium (Large/XL, 2XL/3XL, 4XL/5XL). Please note that for the stitch counts at the end of each row, the sizes are listed as follows (Small/Medium is first size after bracket): (Small/Medium, Large/XL, 2XL/3XL, 4XL/5XL).
- I am wearing a size Small/Medium, and I am 5’6 for height reference.
PATTERN:
- Back panel
We will begin with the ribbing.
Cast on 79 (91, 103, 115 ) stitches using long tail cast-on.
Row 1: *Purl 1, Knit 1* till last stitch. Purl last st. (79, 91, 103, 115)
R2: *Knit 1, Purl 1* till last stitch. Knit last st. (79, 91, 103, 115)
R3-11: Repeat Rows 1 and 2.
The ribbing is complete – we will now move onto the dot stitch section.
R12: K1. *P1, K3* repeat from * till last 2 stitches. P1, K1. (79, 91, 103, 115)
R13: Purl all stitches. (79, 91, 103, 115)
R14: K3. *P1, K3*, rep from * till end. (79, 91, 103, 115)
R15: Purl all stitches. (79, 91, 103, 115)
R16-134: Repeat R12-15. (79, 91, 103, 115) [You will end on a R14 repeat.]
Cast off all stitches purlwise for Size S/M and leave long end for assembly.
R135: Purl all stitches.
R136: K1. *P1, K3* repeat from * till last 2 stitches. P1, K1.
Cast off all stitches purlwise for Size L/XL and leave long end for assembly.
R137: Purl all stitches.
R138: K3. *P1, K3*, rep from * till end.
Cast off all stitches purlwise for size 2X/3X and leave long end for assembly.
R139: Purl all stitches.
R140: K1. *P1, K3* repeat from * till last 2 stitches. P1, K1.
Cast off all stitches purlwise for size 4X/5X and leave long end for assembly.
- Front panels (make 2)
We will begin with the ribbing.
Cast on 31 (39, 43, 47) stitches using long tail cast-on.
Row 1: *Purl 1, Knit 1* till last stitch. Purl last st. (31, 39, 43, 47)
R2: *Knit 1, Purl 1* till last stitch. Knit last st. (31, 39, 43, 47)
R3-11: Repeat Rows 1 and 2.
The ribbing is complete – we will now move onto the dot stitch section.
R12: K1. *P1, K3* repeat from * till last 2 stitches. P1, K1. (31, 39, 43, 47)
R13: Purl all stitches. (31, 39, 43, 47)
R14: K3. *P1, K3*, rep from * till end. (31, 39, 43, 47)
R15: Purl all stitches. (31, 39, 43, 47)
R16-134: Repeat R12-15. (31, 39, 43, 47) [You will end on a R14 repeat.]
Cast off all stitches purlwise for Size S/M and leave long end for assembly.
R135: Purl all stitches.
R136: K1. *P1, K3* repeat from * till last 2 stitches. P1, K1.
Cast off all stitches purlwise for Size L/XL and leave long end for assembly.
R137: Purl all stitches.
R138: K3. *P1, K3*, rep from * till end.
Cast off all stitches purlwise for size 2X/3X and leave long end for assembly.
R139: Purl all stitches.
R140: K1. *P1, K3* repeat from * till last 2 stitches. P1, K1.
Cast off all stitches purlwise for size 4X/5X and leave long end for assembly.
- Sleeves (make 2)
We will begin with the ribbing.
Cast on 39 (47, 51, 59) stitches using long tail cast-on.
Row 1: *Purl 1, Knit 1* till last stitch. Purl last st. (39, 47, 51, 59)
R2: *Knit 1, Purl 1* till last stitch. Knit last st. (39, 47, 51, 59)
R3-13: Repeat Row 1 and 2.
The ribbing is complete – we will now move onto the dot stitch section. Everything between the square brackets [ ] is the dot stitch worked exactly like the back and front panels. The dot stitch is framed by stockinette stitches (knit stitches on even rows, purl stitches on odd rows), and these stockinette stitches are where we will work the increases so that the dot stitch section within the [ ] remains undisturbed. We will use two stitch markers to indicate where the dot stitch section begins and ends for each row. For Row 14, the dot stitch is framed by two knit stitches on either end so that it looks like: Knit 2, Stitch Marker, Dot Stitch Section, Stitch Marker, Knit 2. For all odd rows (where you purl across), simply slip the stitch markers from one needle to the next.
R14: K2, PM. [K1, *P1, K3* rep from * till last 2 stitches of dot stitch portion/last 4 stitches in overall row. P1, K.] PM, K2. (39, 47, 51, 59)
R15: Purl all stitches. (39, 47, 51, 59)
R16: K2, SM. [K3, *P1, K3* rep from * across.] SM, K2. (39, 47, 51, 59)
R17: Purl all stitches. (39, 47, 51, 59)
R18: K2, SM. [K1, *P1, K3* rep from * till last 2 stitches before marker. P1, K.] SM, K2. (39, 47, 51, 59)
R19: Purl all stitches. (39, 47, 51, 59)
R20: Repeat R16. (39, 47, 51, 59)
R21: Purl all stitches. (39, 47, 51, 59)
R22: Repeat R18. (39, 47, 51, 59)
R23: Purl all stitches. (39, 47, 51, 59)
R24: Repeat R16. (39, 47, 51, 59)
We will now work our first increase row as described in the Notes section. There will be four increase rows in total for the rest of the sleeve, and the increases are ONLY worked in the stockinette portion (before and after the stitch marker, NOT in the dot stitch section).
R25: WORK INCREASE ROW. (41, 49, 53, 61)
R26: K3, SM. [K1, *P1, K3* rep from * till last 2 stitches before marker. P1, K1.] SM, K3. (41, 49, 53, 61)
R27: Purl all stitches. (41, 49, 53, 61)
R28: K3, SM. [K3, *P1, K3* across.] SM, K3. (41, 49, 53, 61)
R29: Purl all stitches.
R30: Repeat R26.
R31: Purl all stitches.
R32: Repeat R28.
R33: WORK INCREASE ROW. (43, 51, 55, 63)
R34: K4, SM. [K1, *P1, K3* rep from * till last 2 stitches before marker. P1, K1.] SM, K4. (43, 51, 55, 63)
R35: Purl all stitches. (43, 51, 55, 63)
R36: K4, SM. [K3, *P1, K3* across.] SM, K4. (43, 51, 55, 63)
R37: Purl all stitches. (43, 51, 55, 63)
R38: Repeat R34. (43, 51, 55, 63)
R39: Purl all stitches. (43, 51, 55, 63)
R40: Repeat R36. (43, 51, 55, 63)
R41: WORK INCREASE ROW. (45, 53, 57, 65)
R42: K5, SM. [K1, *P1, K3* rep from * till last 2 stitches before marker. P1, K1.] SM, K5. (45, 53, 57, 65)
R43: Purl all stitches. (45, 53, 57, 65)
R44: K5, SM. [K3, *P1, K3* across.] SM, K5. (45, 53, 57, 65)
R45: Purl all stitches. (45, 53, 57, 65)
R46: Repeat R42. (45, 53, 57, 65)
R47: Purl all stitches. (45, 53, 57, 65)
R48: Repeat R44. (45, 53, 57, 65)
R49: WORK INCREASE ROW. (47, 55, 59, 67)
R50: K6, SM. [K1, *P1, K3* rep from * till last 2 stitches before marker. P1, K1.] SM, K6. (47, 55, 59, 67)
R51: Purl all stitches. (47, 55, 59, 67)
R52: K6, SM. [K3, *P1, K3* across.] SM, K6. (47, 55, 59, 67)
R53: Purl all stitches. (47, 55, 59, 67)
R54-64: Repeat Rows 50-53. (47, 55, 59, 67)
Cast off all stitches purlwise and leave long end for assembly.
Assembly:
Fold each sleeve in half lengthwise and use the vertical invisible seaming technique to seam sides together.
Whip stitch tops of front panels to back panel. Use the vertical invisible seaming technique to seam sides of front panels to back panel, making sure to leave an arm hole. Whip stitch the tops of the sleeves to the arm holes.
Collar:
Starting in bottom left corner, pick up 3 out of every 4 stitches along the front panel, across the back panel (pick up every stitch for the back panel portion), and down the front panel. [For the Size Small/Medium and Large/XL, the # of stitches will be approximately 217, 2X/3X = 224, 4X/5X = 231). To pick up stitches using working yarn, insert your needle into the first stitch along the edge. Yarn over, then pull up a loop. Keep inserting your needle into the next stitch, yarning over, and pulling up a loop. Watch this video HERE for tips on how to pick up stitches along a vertical edge.
Row 1:*P1, K1* across. (If odd #, purl last stitch).
Row 2: *K1, P1* across. (If odd #, knit last stitch. If even number, work *P1, K1* across).
R3-7: Repeat Rows 1 and 2.
Cast off in ribbing and weave in ends.
POCKETS:
Cast on 19 stitches.
R1: Purl all stitches (19).
R2: K1. *P1, K3* repeat from * till last 2 stitches. P1, K1. (19)
R3: Purl all stitches. (19)
R4: K3. *P1, K3*, rep from * till end. (19,
R5: Purl all stitches. (19)
R6-19: Repeat R2-5. (19)
R20: *Purl 1, Knit 1* till last stitch. Purl last st. (19)
R21: *Knit 1, Purl 1* till last stitch. Knit last st. (19)
R22-23: Repeat R20 and 21.
Cast off all stitches in rib pattern.
Fasten off and leave long end for sewing. Sew pockets onto front panels, trying to match up the dot stitch pattern of the pocket with the dot stitch pattern of the front panel as best as possible. I seamed my pocket approximately 1.5″ away from the ribbed collar and 2″ above the ribbing of the front panel. Check out this video HERE to see tips on how to sew a pocket onto a knitted garment.
*********************
The Dotty Cardigan is such a stunning piece with its gorgeous texture and sophisticated length! You will want to live in it all fall and winter long as you can wear it over leggings, jeans, dresses, and any outfit!
Color Made Easy Yarn is so much fun to work with, and it has such lovely stitch definition. You will not believe how quickly this design flies off your needles since you are using 8 mm needles and bulky level 5 yarn. It really is so satisfying being able to complete such a beautiful cardigan in a short period of time – I managed to design and knit this entire piece in just 3 weeks!
How amazing is the back? I just adore how the little purls look scattered throughout the length! The dot stitch looks so beautiful when worked up, and it is a very addictive stitch!
I am delighted to be adding this chunky olive cardigan to my wardrobe as you know how much I love cardigans! I think this olive shade looks good on everyone, and I hope you’ll enjoy working up your own handknit cardigans. Color Made Easy Yarn comes in some gorgeous shades, and some of my other favourites are: Millennial, Shade, Kombucha, Mineral Yellow, Alabaster, and Basalt.
I am very proud of how this design turned out, and I am thrilled that so many of you are eager to knit this chunky cardigan too! The kit containing all the yarn needed can be found HERE (5 different color options). We will also be working this cardigan up together in early 2020, so you can join the Dotty Cardigan Facebook Group HERE! Thank you for showing this design so much love already, everyone, and I cannot wait to see all your finished cardigans! Don’t forget to check out my other free patterns using the dot stitch on my blog (Dotty Beanie Pattern and Duo-Color Dotty Beanie Pattern). Subscribe to my e-mail newsletter to keep up to date with all my work HERE! Happy knitting!
{This post is sponsored by Lion Brand Yarn! I’ve loved working with their yarn throughout the years and I’m thrilled that I get to collaborate with them every month!}
This pattern is an original pattern by Stephanie Lau of All About Ami. Please do not claim this pattern as your own. If you wish to share this pattern, you may link to this pattern but please do not reprint it on your site. You may keep a copy for your own personal use but please DO NOT sell the pattern or distribute it.
You may sell products made from this pattern but please clearly credit the design to me, Stephanie Lau of All About Ami, and provide a link to my blog www.AllAboutAmi.com. Permission is NOT granted for mass production or factory manufacturing of any kind. Thank you for being respectful and for your understanding!
