Pattern: The Uptown Cardigan

***You can purchase an INEXPENSIVE AD-FREE PDF of this pattern on Etsy HERE on LoveCrafts HERE!  This beautifully formatted PDF includes the step-by-step pictures and is a total of 8 pages including the cover page!  It is important that you follow along with my STEP-BY-STEP BLOG POST HERE to see more detailed photos and the step-by-step making of this cardigan!   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)!  The Lion Brand Yarn kit HERE includes the pattern and all the Coboo yarn needed to make this cardigan!

The Uptown Cardigan is your new favourite long, slouchy, and relaxed cardigan that you can wear every single day! This classic wardrobe staple can be worn year-round since it is made with lightweight cotton/bamboo yarn that drapes beautifully. This cardigan is perfect for beginners as it uses the basic garter stitch, and it can be dressed up or down!

Uptown Cardigan

Materials:

Gauge: 22 stitches and 40 rows = 4 inches

Final Measurements (in inches):

Uptown Cardigan Size Chart

Approximate Yardage/Number of Skeins Required:

Small: 8 skeins, ~750 g/1740 yards

Medium: 9 skeins, ~815 g/1890 yards

Large: 9 skeins, ~890 g/2060 yards

Extra Large: 10 skeins, ~955 g/2210 yards

2XL: 11 skeins, ~1020 g/2370 yards

3XL: 11 skeins, ~1090 g/2530 yards

4XL: 12 skeins, ~1170 g/2710 yards

5XL: 13 skeins, ~1240 g/2875 yards

Notes:

  • KFB = Knit Front and Back Increase: Step 1: Knit the first stitch on your main needle.  Step 2: Before taking the stitch off the main needle, insert the tip of your working needle into the backside of the loop and knit it through the back loop.  Then pull the stitch off the needle.  See tutorial and video on how to do KFB HERE on New Stitch A Day.
  • One back panel and two fronts panels are knitted in garter 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.  The sleeves are worked from the bottom up (starting from the ribbing as well), whip stitched along the edge, and then attached to the arm holes.  Stitches are picked up along the collar and a ribbing pattern is knitted.  Two optional pockets are knitted and attached to each front panel.
  • To learn or refresh yourself on how to knit the garter stitch, please reference my step-by-step tutorial and video HERE!
Uptown Cardigan

Sizing Notes:

  • This drop sleeve cardigan is oversized, relaxed, loose, and slouchy.  If you would like your cardigan to be more fitted, move down a size.
  • It is designed with 18-20″ of positive ease.
  • 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 to lengthen the sleeves, add more rows to the last section (keep adding rows beyond Rows 112-127).
  • If you would like the cardigan to be wider, increase the number of stitches you cast on for the front and back panels.  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.
  • I am wearing a size Small, and I am 5’6 for height reference.
  • 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 is first size after bracket): (Small, Medium, Large, XL)(2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL).
  • Cuff and roll up the sleeves of this cardigan for a more relaxed, laid-back look.
  • If you would like to make a child sized Mini Uptown Cardigan for your little ones to match, check out my pattern HERE as I made some cardigans for my 6 and 8 year old daughters!

PATTERN:

  • Back panel

We will begin with the ribbing.

Using 4 mm needles,

Cast on 143 (155, 165, 177)(187, 199, 209, 221) stitches using long tail cast-on.

Row 1: *Purl 1, Knit 1* across, purl last st. (143, 155, 165, 177 sts)(187, 199, 209, 221 sts)

Row 2: *Knit 1, Purl 1* across, knit last st. (143, 155, 165, 177 sts)(187, 199, 209, 221 sts)

Row 317: Repeat Row 1 and Row 2 (ending off with Row 1 repeat).

Ribbing is now complete!  We will now work the rest of the panel in garter stitch.

Row 18 – 260: Knit all stitches. (143, 155, 165, 177 sts)(187, 199, 209, 221 sts)

Cast off all stitches for Size Small and Medium.

Row 261 – 265: Knit all stitches.

Cast off all stitches for Size Large and XL.

Row 266 – 270: Knit all stitches.

Cast off all stitches for Size 2XL and 3XL.

Row 271 – 275: Knit all stitches.

Cast off all stitches for Size 4XL and 5XL.

  • Front panels (make 2)

We will begin with the ribbing.

Using 4 mm needles,

Cast on 57 (63, 69, 75)(79, 85, 91, 97) stitches using long tail cast-on.

Row 1: *Purl 1, Knit 1* across, purl last st. (57, 63, 69, 75 sts)(79, 85, 91, 97 sts)

Row 2: *Knit 1, Purl 1* across, knit last st. (57, 63, 69, 75 sts)(79, 85, 91, 97 sts)

Row 3 – 17: Repeat Row 1 and Row 2 (ending off with Row 1 repeat).

Ribbing is now complete!  We will now work the rest of the panel in garter stitch.

Row 18 – 260: Knit all stitches. (57, 63, 69, 75 sts)(79, 85, 91, 97 sts)

Cast off all stitches for Size Small and Medium.

Row 261 – 265: Knit all stitches.

Cast off all stitches for Size Large and XL.

Row 266 – 270: Knit all stitches.

Cast off all stitches for Size 2XL and 3XL.

Row 271 – 275: Knit all stitches.

Cast off all stitches for Size 4XL and 5XL.

  • Sleeves (make 2)

We will begin with the ribbing.

Using 4 mm needles,

Cast on 51 (55, 61, 65)(71, 77, 83, 87) stitches using long tail cast-on.

Row 1: *Purl 1, Knit 1* across, purl last st. (51, 55, 61, 65)(71, 77, 83, 87)

Row 2: *Knit 1, Purl 1* across, knit last st. (51, 55, 61, 65)(71, 77, 83, 87)

Row 3 – 17: Repeat Row 1 and Row 2 (ending off with Row 1).

Ribbing is now complete!  We will now work the rest of the sleeve in garter stitch, working increases on certain rows throughout.

Row 18-19: Knit all stitches. (51, 55, 61, 65)(71, 77, 83, 87)

R20: K1, KFB, K47 (51, 57, 61)(67, 73, 79, 83), KFB, K1. (53, 57, 63, 67)(73, 79, 85, 89)

R21-23: Knit all stitches (53, 57, 63, 67)(73, 79, 85, 89)

R24: K1, KFB, K49 (53, 59, 63)(69, 75, 81, 85), KFB, K1. (55, 59, 65, 69)(75, 81, 87, 91)

R25-30: Knit all stitches (55, 59, 65, 69)(75, 81, 87, 91)

R31: K1, KFB, K51 (55, 61, 65)(71, 77, 83, 87), KFB, K1. (57, 61, 67, 71)(77, 83, 89, 93)

R32-51: Knit all stitches. (57, 61, 67, 71)(77, 83, 89, 93)

R52: K1, KFB, K53 (57, 63, 67)(73, 79, 85, 89), KFB, K1. (59, 63, 69, 73)(79, 85, 91, 95)

R53-62: Knit all stitches (59, 63, 69, 73)(79, 85, 91, 95)

R63: K1, KFB, K55 (59, 65, 69)(75, 81, 87, 91), KFB, K1. (61, 65, 71, 75)(81, 87, 93, 97)

R64-70: Knit all stitches. (61, 65, 71, 75)(81, 87, 93, 97)

R71: K1, KFB, K57 (61, 67, 71)(77, 83, 89, 93), KFB, K1 (63, 67, 73, 77)(83, 89, 95, 99)

R72-78: Knit all stitches. (63, 67, 73, 77)(83, 89, 95, 99)

R79: K1, KFB, K59 (63, 69, 73)(79, 85, 91, 95), KFB, K1. (65, 69, 75, 79)(85, 91, 97, 101)

R80-84: Knit all stitches (65, 69, 75, 79)(85, 91, 97, 101)

R85: K1, KFB, K61 (65, 71, 75)(81, 87, 93, 97), KFB, K1. (67, 71, 77, 81)(87, 93, 99, 103)

R86-90: Knit all stitches (67, 71, 77, 81)(87, 93, 99, 103)

R91: K1, KFB, K63 (67, 73, 77)(83, 89, 95, 99), KFB, K1. (69, 73, 79, 83)(89, 95, 101, 105)

R92-96: Knit all stitches. (69, 73, 79, 83)(89, 95, 101, 105)

R97: K1, KFB, K65 (69, 75, 79)(85, 91, 97, 101), KFB, K1. (71, 75, 81, 85)(91, 97, 103, 107)

R98-100: Knit all stitches. (71, 75, 81, 85)(91, 97, 103, 107)

R101: K1, KFB, K67 (71, 77, 81)(87, 93, 99, 103), KFB, K1. (73, 77, 83, 87)(93, 99, 105, 109)

R102-104: Knit all stitches. (73, 77, 83, 87)(93, 99, 105, 109)

R105: K1, KFB, K69 (73, 79, 83)(89, 95, 101, 105), KFB, K1. (75, 79, 85, 89)(95, 101, 107, 111)

R106-107: Knit all stitches. (75, 79, 85, 89)(95, 101, 107, 111)

R108: K1, KFB, K71 (75, 81, 85)(91, 97, 103, 107) , KFB, K1. (77, 81, 87, 91)(97, 103, 109, 113)

R109-110: Knit all stitches. (77, 81, 87, 91)(97, 103, 109, 113)

R111: K1, KFB, K73 (77, 83, 87)(93, 99, 105, 109), KFB, K1. (79, 83, 89, 93)(99, 105, 111, 115)

R112-127: Knit all stitches. (79, 83, 89, 93)(99, 105, 111, 115)

Cast off all stitches.

Assembly:

  • When seaming pieces together, always join wrong sides together to make the seams less visible, then flip inside out at the end.
  • Fold each sleeve in half lengthwise and whip stitch sides together. I like to whip stitch the  garter bumps together when seaming the sleeve lengthwise.
  • Whip stitch tops of front panels to back panel, going through both front and back loops.  Whip stitch sides of front panels to back panel, making sure to leave an arm hole.  Place sleeve towards top of panels and see how much space is needed for arm holes (you can also reference the chart for the arm hole size). 
  • Whip stitch top of sleeve to arm hole.
  • See HERE for more detailed assembly photos!

Collar:

Using 3.5 mm needles,

Starting from bottom left corner, pick up stitches along front panel, across the back panel, and down the front panel.  When picking up stitches along vertical edge of garter stitch, pick up one stitch between each ridge (see this video for demonstration). 

To pick up stitches, 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.

Row 1: *P1, K1* across.

Row 2: *K1, P1* across.

R3-5: Repeat Rows 1 and 2.

Cast off in rib pattern loosely. Be careful not to knit too tightly, otherwise the front panels will pull upwards.

Pockets (make 2) – optional:

Using 4 mm needles,

Cast on 32 stitches.

R1-52: Knit across. (32)

We will now begin the ribbing section.

R53: *K1, P1* across. (32)

R54-55: Repeat R53. (32)

Cast off in rib pattern.

You can increase the size of the pockets for the larger sizes – place your pockets on your front panels to see how they look proportionally and adjust as necessary (add more stitches to the cast on to increase the width of the pocket and add more rows to increase the length of the pocket).

Place one pocket on each front panel and use running stitch to attach both sides and bottom into place.  For my size small, I placed the pocket approximately 1.25″ from the bottom edge and 1.5″ from the side edge/collar.

Uptown Cardigan

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The Uptown Cardigan is so incredibly soft and comfy and you will LOVE wearing it all day long and throughout the seasons!

Uptown Cardigan

You can roll up and cuff the sleeves for a more relaxed and casual look. Layer this stunning cardigan over dresses, rompers, shorts, jeans, and many different outfits – it is so incredibly versatile!

Uptown Cardigan

I hope you will give this beginner-friendly garment a try! If you can knit the garter stitch and work some increases, you can do it! It is amazing being able to make something so sophisticated and beautiful with your own two hands. Coboo yarn is the perfect choice for this long and very wearable cardigan as it is ideal for those with wool allergies or who live in warmer climates. Absolutely EVERYONE can rock this Uptown Cardigan, and I cannot wait to see how you style them around the world! Thank you for following along on my fibre arts adventures, everyone – I am excited to wear my cozy cardigan all year long! Stay up-to-date with my work through my e-mail newsletter HERE!

Uptown Cardigan

{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!