The Light Openwork Cardigan Free Pattern

The inspiration

You've probably noticed that openwork cardigans have made a strong comeback in recent seasons. Personally, I love them because they are a great choice for the transitional seasons. They also add a beautiful graphic touch to an outfit thanks to the textured effect of the fabric and can bring elegance to the most basic jeans.

Despite all this, I had never tried making this type of piece myself. After looking through the existing models in the knitwear designer market, I couldn't find THE model I was looking for: a raglan cardigan for a casual look with a geometric pattern (see inspiration here, Sezane).

This was the perfect opportunity to create my own design!

Creating an Openwork Cardigan Pattern

Before starting this pattern, I searched for the design I wanted to create. I settled on a simple triangular pattern for which I made a swatch to determine the needle size I would use. I didn't want the pattern to be too openwork, so I eventually opted for 3.5mm needles for the main part and 3mm for the ribbing.

Given that my target width was about 70 cm for a "loose" effect, I determined the number of pattern repeats: 8. I repeated it twice in height for the body and 5 times for the sleeves before proceeding with the raglan decreases. You can adjust these values to enlarge or shrink the pattern to your needs. The pattern, buttonhole, and raglan shaping are just below.

For the ribbing on the sleeves, the lower part of the body, and the collar, I did 10 rows of 1/1 ribbing.

Pattern Detail for Openwork Cardigan

The result

The result is rather impressive, and since I made the pattern with Brushed Alpaca Silk, it's surprisingly warm. However, it tends to pill and stretch a bit in width...

The pattern used also helps maintain a very "straight" buttonhole, which is usually a common concern with homemade cardigans.

Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, Facebook or Tiktok #terrifiknits and #LightOpenworkCardigan or #giletajouréléger once you're done or add this project to your Ravelry list ! Can't wait to discover your version !