The Semper Cardigan V-Neck is my take on a classic raglan cardigan, with elegant V-neck shaping. This project is perfect for when you want comforting ‘vanilla’ knitting to soothe a troubled mind.

The yoke and body of the cardigan are worked flat but the sleeves are worked in the round. It uses a combination of fingering- and lace-weight yarns, or a single strand of a DK-weight yarn if you prefer to work with just one yarn at a time. It starts with neckline shaping and raglan increases with some German short rows over the shoulders to improve the fit. Once the neckline shaping is finished, you will separate the body and sleeve sections and then work the body to your desired length while the sleeve stitches rest. You will then pick up the stitches for the sleeves and work them with some decreases to create a slight taper. I recommend that you finish the body and sleeves with tubular cast-offs, but you can use your preferred method. To finish, a ribbed button band is applied and afterthought buttonholes are formed after blocking.

Please note that this is a digital download and not a physical knitting pattern.

For pattern support, please email the.knit.purl.girl2020@gmail.com.

Materials & Fit

Notions: 3.5 mm/US 4 (40-cm and 80- or 100-cm/16-in and 32- or 40-in cord) and 4.5 mm/US 7 (40-, 60-, 80-, and 100-cm/16-, 24-, 32-, and 40-in cord) circular needles. The 100-cm/40-in cords may not be useful for all sizes but I would recommend it if you are using the magic loop method for, say, the sleeves.

You will also need 8 stitch markers (one of which can be in a contrasting colour to indicate the beginning of the round), stitch markers with clip-on fastenings, a darning needle, and some spare needles/scrap yarn/stitch holders where the stitches of the sleeves will rest.

You’ll also need a 3.5 mm/US 4 crochet hook and between 4-8 10-mm buttons (depending on how many buttons you’d like; the sample garment has 6).

Tension: 21 stitches x 28 rows/rounds = 10 cm/4 in in Stockinette stitch on 4.5 mm/US 7 needles. Make sure to wash and block your swatch for the most accurate results. I strongly recommend swatching both flat and in the round. You may wish to go up or down a needle size, working in 0.25/0.5 mm/0.5/1 US needle size increments as needed to meet gauge.

Yarn: Approximately 8 (8) 8 (9), 9-10 (10) 10-11 (11), 12 (13) 14 (16) skeins of Sandnes Garn Sunday (100% merino wool; 50 g = 235 m/257 yds held double. The sample garment was made with the shade Poppy 40078.

This works out to be approximately 1,650 (1,775) 1,875 (2,000), 2,150 (2,250) 2,375 (2,550), 2,725 (3,000) 3,275 (3,550) m/1,825 (1,950) 2,050 (2,200), 2,350 (2,450) 2,600 (2,775), 2,975 (3,300) 3,600 (3,900 yds of fingering-weight yarn held double.

If you would prefer to work with a single strand of DK-weight yarn (i.e., Sandnes Garn Double Sunday (100% merino wool; 50 g = 108 m 118 yds), or with a single strand of fingering-weight yarn held with a single strand of lace-weight yarn (i.e., Sandnes Garn Sunday with Sandnes Garn Tynn SIlk Mohair (57% mohair, 15% wool and 28% silk; 25 g = 212m 232 yds, you would need approximately 825 (900) 950 (1,000), 1,075 (1,125) 1,200 (1,275), 1,375 (1,500) 1,650 (1,775) m/900 (970) 1,025 (1,100), 1,175 (1,225) 1,300 (1,400), 1,500 (1,650) 1,800 (1.950) yds of each respective yarn.

Please note that I have rounded each quanitity given here to the nearest 25 m or 25 yds respectively. Where possible, buy more yarn than you need to avoid issues with dye lots.

Yarn alternatives: Any combination of fingering- and lace-weight yarns or DK- weight yarn suitable for 3.5-4.5 mm/US 4-7 needles should work well. A more thorough explanation of finding yarn substitutions is available through my website. Where possible, I would recommend sticking with a wool based-yarn, as alpaca- or cotton-based yarns tend to stretch over time with wash and wear. If you are using such fibres, I would perhaps recommend going down a size to accommodate any changes to the shape of your Semper Cardigan over time.

Good alternatives Sandnes Garn Sunday include Knitting for Olive Merino (100% merino wool; 50 g = 250 m/275 yds, Filcolana Arwetta Classic (80% superwash merino 20% nylon; 50 g = 210 m/230 yds), Along Avec Anna Merino (100% superwash merino; 50 g = 200 m/218 yds), Sandnes Garn Tynn Peer Gynt (100% Norwegian wool; 50 g = 205 m/224 yds), and Drops Flora (65% wool, 35% alpaca; 50 g = 210 m/230 yds).

If you’d like to work with a mohair, I recommend Knitting for Olive Soft Silk Mohair (70% mohair, 30% silk; 25 g = 225 m/246 yds, Drops Kid-Silk (75% mohair, 25% silk; 25 g = 210 m/230 yds), Sandnes Garn Tynn Silk Mohair (57% mohair, 15% wool and 28% silk; 25 g = 212m/232 yds), Along Avec Anna Silk Mohair (72% mohair, 28% silk; 25 g = 210 m/230 yds), and CaMaRose Midnatssol (54% baby alpaca, 36% tencel, 10% merino wool; 25 g = 200 m/219 yds).

Good DK-weight options include West Yorkshire Spinners Elements (60% TENCEL Lyocell, 40% Falkland Islands Wool; 50g = 122m/133 yds), Sandnes Garn Double Sunday (100% merino; 50g = 108 m 118 yds), Along Avec Anna Double Merino (100% superwash merino; 108 m/118 yds), and Sandnes Garn Peer Gynt (100% Norwegian wool; 50g = 91 m/100 yds).

Sizing and ease: The Semper Cardigan V-Neck has about 5-10 cm/2-4 in positive ease for Sizes A-H, and 5-15 cm/2-6 in positive ease for Sizes I-L. Choose your size based on your chest measurement. If you would like a closer fitting or looser garment, size up or down accordingly. The sizes are as follows:

Size: A (B) C (D), E (F) G (H), I (J) K (L)

Chest measurement (cm): 75-80 (80-85) 85-90 (90-95), 95-100 (100-105) 105- 110 (110-115), 115-125 (125-135) 135-145 (145-155)
Chest measurement (in): 29.5-31.5 (31.5-33.5) 33.5-35.5 (35.5-37.5), 37.5- 39.25 (39.25-41.25) 41.25-43.25 (43.25-45.25), 45.25-49.25 (49.25-53.25) 53.25-57 (57-61)

Actual circumference of garment (cm): 85 (90) 95 (100), 105 (110) 115 (120), 130 (140) 150 (160)
Actual circumference of garment (in): 33.5 (35.5) 37.5 (39.25), 41.25 (43.25) 45.25 (47.25), 51.25 (55) 59 (63)

Approximate depth of V-neck before button band (cm): 16.5 (17) 18 (18.5), 19.5 (20.5) 22 (23.5), 27 (25) 27 (29)
Approximate depth of V-neck before button band (in): 6.5 (6.75) 7 (7.25), 7.5 (8.25) 8.75 (9.25), 10.75 (10) 10.75 (11.5)

Approximate yoke depth (cm): 17 (17) 17.5 (18.5), 20.5 (21.5) 22 (23), 26.5 (29.5) 32 (35)
Approximate yoke depth (in): 6.5 (6.5) 7 (7.25), 8.25 (8.5) 8.75 (9), 10.5 (11.5) 12.75 (13.75)

Recommended total length, from cast-on edge to hem at centre-back (cm): 51 (52) 53 (55), 57 (58) 60 (62), 63 (66) 68 (70)*
Recommended total length, from cast-on edge to hem at centre-back (in): 20 (20.5) 20.75 (21.5), 22.5 (22.75) 23.5 (24.5), 24.75 (26) 26.75 (27.5)

Sleeve circumference (cm): 32 (33.75) 35.25 (36.75), 37.5 (39) 40 (42), 43.25 (47.25) 51 (55)
Sleeve circumference (in): 12.5 (13.25) 13.75 (14.5), 14.75 (15.25) 15.75 (16.5), 17 (18.5) 20 (21.75)

The sample garment is Size D to fit a chest measurement of 92 cm 36 in. Please note that if you would like to alter the depth of the V-neck, you can easily do so by increasing (to shorten) or decreasing (to lengthen) the increase rate along the neckline, especially after you have worked Shaping the yoke, pt. 1. All measurements have been rounded to the nearest quarter centimetre or inch. Please also note that the sample garment is 10 cm 4 in shorter than the length measurements given here as I have a very short torso and prefer a more cropped fit.

Techniques include German short rows, working both flat and in the round, picking up and knitting stitches along horizontal and vertical edges, tubular cast-offs, and afterthought buttonholes.