A new knitting cardigan free pattern, the Duality Chunky Cardigan, is now a free easy cardigan knitting pattern here on the blog! Read all about the easy construction and my inspiration or scroll down for the free cardigan knit pattern.
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The duality knit cardigan is a comfy, loose-fit bicolor cardigan knitting pattern for women. Modern and very wearable, it works great with a high-waisted pair of jeans or over a cute dress (available in sizes XS to 5XL).
Thanks to the chunky yarn, it will fly of your needles in no time and keep you warm and cozy. The easy construction makes it a great knit for advanced beginners (pssst, the contrasting color button band is knit separately and just sewn on).
The Chunky Yarn
The Duality Cardigan features the beautiful Wool of the Andes Bulky yarn. It’s a 100% Superwash wool, soft and warm it’s perfect for a quick and chunky knit cardigan. It’s on the lighter range of bulky yarns which makes it great for garments. You’ll see, it just flies of your needles!
The cardigan knit pattern uses 2 colors. I used the soft blush color oyster heather for the main color, and camel for the contrasting color.
With it’s 26 colors, endless beautiful color combinations are possible!
You can of course use a different bulky weight 5 yarn, just make sure you check your gauge (refer to this detailed tutorial if you need help checking and meeting gauge)
Easy Knitting Cardigan Free Pattern Construction
The cardigan is knitted from the bottom up. Both front and back panels are worked in one piece knitting in rows back and forth until the underarm starting with the bottom contrast color ribbing.
The piece is then divided in 3 parts working the back and front panels separately. A few stitches are cast off on each side of the panels for simple square armhole shaping.
The front panels are shaped for the neck opening.
The panels are then sewed together at the shoulders.
The contrast color button band is knitted separately (in one piece) and sewed to the front panels. Finally, stitches for the sleeves are then picked up at the armholes. Sleeves are worked in the round from the top to the contrasting color cuff.
Downloadable Duality Chunky Cardigan Knitting Pattern PDF
Grab the printable PDF of the Duality Cardigan Knitting Pattern now in my Etsy shop or on Ravelry:
More Easy Knit Cardigans You'll Love
Before you Start your Knitting Cardigan Free Pattern
Materials
- 5.5 mm / US 9 circular knitting needles.
- Wool of the Andes Bulky (100 g, 100% Superwash wool, 137 yd / 125 m).
- Main color oyster heather: 5 (6, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10)
- Contrast Color camel heather: 1 (1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2)
- Tapestry needle to weave in the ends
- 5 x 25-mm buttons
Knit Cardigan Sizes
The sweater knitting pattern is available in the following sizes: XS to 5XL. Sizes are noted throughout the pattern in the following way: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL). The pictures illustrate the Medium size.
Final garment measurements are:
XS: 80 cm / 31.5” bust, 63 cm / 24.75” long, 21 cm / 8.25” armhole depth
S: 90.5 cm / 35.5” bust, 64 cm / 25.25” long, 22 cm / 8.5” armhole depth
M: 99.5 cm / 39.25” bust, 65 cm / 25.5” long, 23 cm / 9” armhole depth
L: 110 cm / 43.25” bust, 67 cm / 26.25” long, 25 cm / 9.75” armhole depth
XL: 120 cm / 47.25” bust, 68 cm / 26.75” long, 26 cm / 10.25” armhole depth
2XL: 130.5 cm / 51.25” bust, 69 cm / 27.25” long, 27 cm / 10.5” armhole depth
3XL: 139.5 cm / 55” bust, 70.5 cm / 27.75” long, 28.5 cm / 11.25” armhole depth
4XL: 150 cm / 59” bust, 72 cm / 28.25” long, 30 cm / 11.75” armhole depth
5XL: 160 cm / 63” bust, 73 cm / 28.75” long, 31 cm / 12.25” armhole depth
The sweater is designed with a normal fit 5 – 10 cm / 2” – 4” ease at the bust.
Gauge
The gauge for this pattern, in stockinette stitch, is 15.5 st by 18 rows for a 10 cm by 10 cm square (4” by 4”).
Abbreviations & Instructions
- st = stitch
- k = knit
- p = purl
- k2tog = knit 2 stitches together; single right-leaning decrease
- ssk = slip 2 stitches knitwise, knit these 2 stitches together through back loops; single left-leaning decrease
- sl1p = slip 1 stitch purlwise
- sl1k = slip 1 stitch knitwise
Repeat instructions between [] the indicated number of times or until the end of the round/row.
The final number of stitches is indicated at the end of the round/row between < >.
Special Stitches and Techniques
- Stockinette stitch:
- In the round: knit continuously
- Worked flat: alternate knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side of your project.
- Picking up stitches: if you’re not familiar with this technique, this tutorial is very helpful.
- 4 row yarn over buttonhole: if you’re not familiar with this technique, this video tutorial is very helpful.
Sweater Construction
The cardigan is knitted from the bottom up. Both front and back panels are worked in one piece knitting in rows back and forth until the underarm starting with the bottom contrast color ribbing.
The piece is then divided in 3 parts working the back and front panels separately. A few stitches are cast off on each side of the panels for simple square armhole shaping.
The front panels are shaped for the neck opening.
The panels are then sewed together at the shoulders.
The contrast color button band is knitted separately (in one piece) and sewed to the front panels.
Finally, stitches for the sleeves are then picked up at the armholes. Sleeves are worked in the round from the top to the contrasting color cuff.
The Actual Knitting Cardigan Free Pattern
Knit Cardigan Body
With your 5.5 mm / US 9 needles and contrast color yarn, cast on 118 (134, 150, 164, 180, 196, 210, 226, 242) st.
[k1, p1] across for 6 rows.
Switch to your main color yarn and work in stockinette st until total length is 42 cm / 16.5”.
Now you need to split your work in 3 sections: both front panels and the back panel. To do so, you will cast off some stitches and create the armholes.
Divide your stitches as follows:
- XS: K23, cast off 8 st, k56, cast off 8, k23
- S: K27, cast off 8 st, k64, cast off 8, k27
- M: K31, cast off 10 st, k68, cast off 10, k31
- L: K34, cast off 10 st, k76, cast off 10, k34
- XL: K37, cast off 12 st, k82, cast off 12, k37
- 2XL: K39, cast off 16 st, k86, cast off 16, k39
- 3XL: K40, cast off 20 st, k90, cast off 20, k40
- 4XL: K44, cast off 20 st, k98, cast off 20, k44
- 5XL: K46, cast off 24 st, k102, cast off 24, k46
From now on, work each part separately. Ignore the remaining stitches on your needle (or you can place them on a stitch holder). Start with the first set of stitches on the wrong side row.
Part 1 (left shoulder when looking at it in front):
Purl across. <23 (27, 31, 34, 37, 39, 40, 44, 46) st>
Row 1: Sl1k, knit until last 3 st, k2tog, k1. <22 (26, 30, 33, 36, 38, 39, 43, 45) st>
Row 2: Purl across.
Row 3: Knit across.
Row 4: Purl across.
Row 5: Sl1k, knit until last 3 st, k2tog, k1. <21 (25, 29, 32, 35, 37, 38, 42, 44) st>
Row 6: Purl across.
Repeat Row 1 – 6 five times. <11 (15, 19, 22, 25, 27, 28, 32, 34) st>
Knit in stockinette stitch until length from armhole is 21 (22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28.5, 30, 31) cm / 8.25 (8.5, 9, 9.75, 10.25, 10.5, 11.25, 11.75, 12.25)”.
Cast off and leave a long tail for sewing.
Part 2 (back panel)
Join yarn starting with a wrong side row.
Purl across.
Knit in stockinette stitch until you reach 21 (22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28.5, 30, 31) cm / 8.25 (8.5, 9, 9.75, 10.25, 10.5, 11.25, 11.75, 12.25)”.
Cast off and leave a long tail for sewing.
Part 3 (right shoulder when looking at it from the front)
Purl across. <23 (27, 31, 34, 37, 39, 40, 44, 46) st>
Row 1: Sl1k, ssk, knit across. <22 (26, 30, 33, 36, 38, 39, 43, 45) st>
Row 2: Purl across.
Row 3: Knit across.
Row 4: Purl across.
Row 5: Sl1k, ssk, knit across. <21 (25, 29, 32, 35, 37, 38, 42, 44) st>
Row 6: Purl across.
Repeat Row 1 – 6 five times <11 (15, 19, 22, 25, 27, 28, 32, 34) st>
Knit in stockinette stitch until length from armhole is 21 (22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28.5, 30, 31) cm / 8.25 (8.5, 9, 9.75, 10.25, 10.5, 11.25, 11.75, 12.25)”.
Cast off and leave a long tail for sewing.
Buttonband
With your 5.5 mm / US 9 needles and contrast color yarn, cast on 9 st
Band Row 1: Sl1p, [p1, k1] four times.
Band Row 2: Sl1p, [k1, p1] four times.
Buttonhole (refer to this video tutorial)
Side 1
Row 1: Work 5 st in pattern (up to buttonhole position), turn.
Row 2: Work in pattern until end of row, turn.
Row 3: Work in pattern until buttonhole position, yo and continue in pattern until the end of the 9 st row.
Side 2
Row 1: Work in pattern until one st before the yo, sl1k, knit the yo but don’t let it fall off the left needle, pick up the slipped st with your left needle and pull it over the last st, carefully turn your work (don’t drop the yo).
Row 2: Work in pattern to the end of the row.
Rejoin
Work in pattern until one st before the yo, k2tog, work in pattern until end of row.
[Repeat Band Row 1 and 2 for 8 cm / 3”.
Make a buttonhole]
Repeat for a total of 5 buttonholes.
Keep repeating Band Row 1 and 2 until total buttonband length is 146 (148, 150, 152, 154, 156, 159, 162, 164) cm / 57.5 (58.25, 59, 62.25, 63.75, 65.25, 67.75, 70, 71.75)”.
Tip: Wait until you sew the buttonband to the cardigan panels to cast off in case you need to adjust the length slightly.
Assembly
Sew the shoulder seams.
Attach the buttonband (buttonholes go on the left side when looking from the front) along the cardigan front panels and neck.
Sew the buttons in front of the buttonholes.
Sleeves
Repeat for each sleeve.
Pick up 64 (64, 68, 76, 80, 84, 88, 92, 96) st around the armhole (ignore the indent).
Knit in stockinette stitch (in rows back and forth) for 4 (4, 6, 6, 8, 10, 12, 12, 14) rows (you will seam these to the indent later).
Join in the round and keep knitting in stockinette stitch.
Decrease: [k14 (14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22), k2tog] around. <60 (60, 64, 72, 76, 80, 84, 88, 92) st>
Knit 4 rounds in stockinette stitch.
Decrease: [k13 (13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21), k2tog] around. <56 (56, 60, 68, 72, 76, 80, 84, 88) st>
Knit 16 rounds in stockinette stitch.
Decrease: [k12 (12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20), k2tog] around. <52 (52, 56, 64, 68, 72, 76, 80, 84) st>
Knit in stockinette stitch until total length is 46 (46, 48, 48, 47, 49, 52, 53) cm / 18 (18, 19, 18.5, 18.25, 19.25, 20.5, 20.5, 20.75)”.
Decrease (for sizes M onwards only): [k X (X, 5, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2), k2tog] around. <X (X, 48, 48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63) st>
For all sizes: Knit in stockinette st for 2 rounds
Decrease: [k2 (2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1), k2tog] around, k0 (0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0) <39 (39, 36, 36, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) st>
Knit 2 rounds
Decrease: [k1, k2tog] around, k0 (0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2, 1,0. <26 (26, 24, 24, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28) st>
Switch to contrast color yarn.
For sizes XL and 4XL: k until last 2 st, k2tog.
For all other sizes: k one round.
[K1, p1] around for 8 rounds.
Cast off and weave in the ends.
Sew the sleeve to the indent and weave in all ends.
Blocking
You are done with the knitting part. Make sure to weave in all the ends.
To make your sweater even prettier, help even your stitches carefully block your project.
Don’t skip this step as it can make a huge difference. Read my detailed tutorial on why block, how-to, and all my tips and tricks if you need help.
