Free pattern: hand-knitted cotton cardigan

Cotton cardigans have always been versatile pieces of clothing, perfect for mid-seasons. Those who have a passion for knitting know that making one with their own hands is an extremely gratifying experience and that allows you to customize your wardrobe in a unique way. Let’s see how to create a hand-knitted cotton cardigan from scratch! This cardigan is very similar to a sort of “jacket”, with drop three-quarters sleeves. But what really makes this garment stand out is the design created by two different variations of the Brick Wall Stitch, an easy knitting stitch that is worked in two colors. The contrast of the two colors used give an interesting 3D-brick effect. For step-by-step directions on how to get this pattern, head over to our blog post!

What you need to knit a cotton cardigan

First, you will need a good understanding of basic knitting techniques. From here, making a knitted cardigan will be very simple! If the world of knitting is new to you and you need to get some practice, on the Video Tutorials section of our website you will find lots of video tutorials on the main knitting techniques (and more!).

As for the material, we advise you to get good quality cotton yarn and knitting needles suitable for the chosen yarn. It’s important to choose the right yarn for your project so you get a satisfying end result. We have used:

• Beechwood knitting needles, 10 mm (US 15)
• Beechwood crochet hook, 6 mm (US J10) (for the finishing)
• Fettuccine by Bettaknit: 4 balls in Color A (Pine) + 3 balls in Color B (Olive)

With Fettuccine yarn, you have literally endless combination possibilities between the available colors! You can play with color scaling, from darker to lighter, or try original combinations of contrasting colors! Here are some ideas:

Color A: Black – Color B: Cream

Color A: Red – Color B: Cinderella

Color A: Azure – Color B: Aquamarine

Stitches and techniques

• Cast on
• Brick Wall Stitch A
• Brick Wall Stitch B
• Cast off
• Horizontal invisible seam
• Vertical invisible seam

Size:

• Size 1 (EU 36 to EU 40) – find more sizes inside the free pattern!

 Finished garment measurements:

• Length: 48 cm / 18.8″ – Width: 50 cm / 19.6″

Tension:

• 10 x 10 cm = 10 stitches x 14 rows (Stocking Stitch – 10 mm/US 15 knitting needles)

Difficulty level:

• Intermediate

Procedure to make a knitted cotton cardigan

This cotton cardigan pattern involves the creation of 5 separate pieces that will be sewn together once complete:

• Back
• Right Front
• Left Front
• Right Sleeve
• Left Sleeve

The cardigan is worked entirely in Brick Wall Stitch. Download the cardigan pattern or go to the dedicated blog post for full explanations and charts of this stitch!

How to knit the Back panel of a cotton cardigan

• With 10 mm / US 15 knitting needles and Color A, cast on 49 stitches + 2 selvedge stitches.

You cast on 2 additional stitches for the selvedge (1 stitch for each side). Remember to knit them on the right side and purl them on the wrong side of the work.

• Work 42 rows in Brick Wall Stitch A, alternating Colors A and B as explained in the pattern.

You will now cast on 5 stitches anew on both left and right sides to shape the sleeves.

• Row #43 [RS = right side]: Cast on 5 new stitches (that is, with the yarn coming from the work, create 5 new loops on the left needle before starting the next row), continue working in Brick Wall Stitch A until the end of the row, then cast on 5 more stitches. You have 59 stitches + 2 selvedge stitches.
• Work 31 rows in Brick Wall Stitch A. You are at Row #74.
• Row #75: Cast off the stitches.

We completed the Back panel of the cardigan. Let’s start creating the two parts of the Front, which are worked in a specular way.

Hand-knitted cotton cardigan: Right Front panel (Laid flat)

• With 10 mm / US 15 knitting needles and Color A, cast on 31 stitches.
• Work 42 rows in Brick Wall Stitch A, alternating Colors A and B as explained in the pattern.

You will now cast on 5 stitches anew on the right side of the work to shape the top part of the right sleeve (right-hand side laying the cardigan flat).

• Row #43 [RS = right side]: Cast on 5 new stitches, then continue working in Brick Wall Stitch A until the end of the row. You have 36 stitches.
• Work 18 rows in Brick Wall Stitch A. You are at Row #61.

You are where the neckline starts to shape: you will cast off some stitches on the left side of the work.

• Row #62 [WS = wrong side]: Cast off 9 stitches. Work in Brick Wall Stitch A until the end of the row. You have 27 stitches.
• Work 12 rows in Brick Wall Stitch A. You are at Row #74.
• Row #75: Cast off the stitches.

Hand-knitted cotton cardigan: Left Front panel (Laid flat)

Repeat the instructions as given for the Right Front until Row #42. You will now cast on 5 stitches anew on the left side of the work to shape the top part of the left sleeve (left-hand side laying the cardigan flat).

• Row #43 [RS]: Work in Brick Wall Stitch A until the end of the row, then cast on 5 new stitches. You have 36 stitches.
• Work 18 rows in Brick Wall Stitch A. You are at Row #61.

You are where the neckline starts to shape: you will cast off some stitches on the right side of the work.

• Row #62 [WS]: Work in Brick Wall Stitch A until you have 9 stitches on the needle, then cast off 9 stitches. You have 27 stitches.
• Work 12 rows in Brick Wall Stitch A. You are at Row #74.
• Row #75: Cast off the stitches.

Once the body of the cardigan is finished, let’s move on to the sleeves. Here you can choose to work with the same stitch you used for the body, or with a different stitch, to give the garment some variety, as in our case. Work the sleeves to the desired length or follow the instructions indicated.

How to knit the sleeves of a cotton cardigan

The right and left sleeves follow the same pattern. Repeat the following instructions twice.

• With 10 mm / US 15 knitting needles and Color A, cast on 43 stitches.
• Work 34 rows in Brick Wall Stitch B, alternating Colors A and B as explained in the pattern.
• Row #35: Cast off the stitches.

Assembly and finishing of a knitted cotton cardigan for spring

Now, we will assemble all the parts to get the complete cardigan. Place the two front pieces on top of the back piece (wrong sides touching), lining up the lateral edges.

Using the sewing needle and the Horizontal Invisible Seam technique, sew up both shoulder tops. Place the center of the right sleeve on the center of the right shoulder. Using a 6 mm / US J10 crochet hook, sew the sleeve to the shoulder starting from the undersleeve. Create a decorative edge while sewing, working as follows: 1 slip stitch, *3 chains, skip 2 rows, 1 slip stitch*. Repeat for the left sleeve.

Using the sewing needle again and the Vertical Invisible Seam technique, sew up the sides of the bodice and the undersleeves.

Neckline edge for a knitted cotton cardigan

To give your cotton cardigan a neater look, we recommend crocheting a border around the opening edge.

With a 6 mm / US J10 crochet hook, starting from the left front bottom corner, up to the neckline and down to the right front bottom corner, crochet a decorative edge, working as follows: 1 slip stitch on the outer edge, *3 chains, skip 2 rows on the edge, 1 slip stitch*. Repeat from * to * along the entire opening edge. Finish off with 1 slip stitch.

Weave in all the loose ends inside the fabric on the wrong side of the work.

Your new cotton cardigan is finished! You can customize it with buttons or other decorative details if you like. This knitted cotton cardigan is a versatile and practical piece of clothing, perfect to complete your spring look. If you liked this free pattern for a knitted cotton cardigan, check out this knitted cotton sweater free pattern!

Don’t forget to share your projects on Instagram using the hashtag #bettaknit!