The Touch Cardigan, Free Pattern

At the end of the trip, I explained my adventure to the owner of the last shop I visited. She suggested mixing my Merino with a mohair yarn… I wasn’t very convinced, especially since the color she suggested leaned a bit towards green...

Even though I wasn’t too sure, I thought, "why not, you don’t really have any other options," so I picked up a spool to give it a try.

Once I got home, I unpacked my purchases and started working on a swatch without much hope.

And then came the revelation! The perfect yellow I had been looking for appeared under my needles!

Without hesitation, I jumped into creating my raglan cardigan in moss stitch!

Oh, and for those who want to recreate the color, it’s a combination of two products from Katia: the Baby Merino in yellow and the 50 Mohair Shades in light pistachio. A well-known brand, but I had never seen these colors in stores...

Don't forget, if you're having difficulties, the pattern is available as a video tutorial on my YouTube channel Terrifiknits! 

RAGLAN DECREASES:

• Right Decrease: 3 stitches before the marker, purl 2 stitches together, slip the next stitch knitwise, place them back on the left needle, and pass the third stitch over the 2 stitches worked together.
• Left Decrease: Slip the first stitch as it is, knit the next two stitches together, and slip the first stitch over the two stitches knitted together.
  • 21 stitches on the sides and button bands
  • 17 stitches from the tabs
  • 30 stitches for the back

THE BODY:

• Cast on 179 stitches using the 4mm/US6 circular needle.
• Continue back and forth in 1/1 ribbing, making sure to start and end with a selvedge stitch (knit on both sides).
• Place 2 markers distributed as follows:
  • 1 selvedge stitch, 43 stitches = side
  • marker,
  • 91 stitches = body
  • marker,
  • 43 stitches, 1 selvedge stitch = side
• Continue for 4 cm/1.6 in. End on a right-side row.
• The next row is on the wrong side. Switch to 4.5mm/US7 needles and continue in half fisherman stitch (see diagram or tutorial video here).
• Continue until the body measures 37 cm/14.6 in.
• After an even row, leave the stitches on hold.

THE SLEEVES:

• Cast on 46 stitches using the 4mm/US6 circular needle.
• Continue in the round in 1/1 ribbing for 6 cm/2.4 in. End on an odd round.
• On an even round, switch to the 4.5mm/US7 circular needle and distribute 10 increases (approximately one between the 9th and 10th stitches) = 56 stitches.
• Continue in half fisherman stitch (see diagram or tutorial video here) for 48 cm/18.9 in.
• After an odd row, leave the stitches on hold.
• Work the second sleeve in the sameway..

THE BODY:

• Join the body and sleeves using a 4.5mm/US7 circular needle, binding off 3 stitches for each underarm:
  •  Knit 1 selvedge stitch, 42 stitches of the body (stopping 1 stitch before the side marker).
  • Slip the sleeve stitches except for 1 before the marker and 2 after.
  • Bind off by knitting the next stitch together with the stitch before the sleeve marker, then the next 2 body stitches together with the 2 stitches after the sleeve marker = 3 body stitches and 3 sleeve stitches decreased for each underarm.
  • Knit 85 stitches of the back (stopping 2 stitches before the side marker).
  • Slip the sleeve stitches except for 2 before the marker and 1 after.
  • Bind off by knitting the next 2 body stitches together with the 2 stitches before the sleeve marker, then the next stitch together with the stitch after the sleeve marker = 3 body stitches and 3 sleeve stitches decreased for each underarm.
  • Knit 42 body stitches and 1 selvedge stitch.
  • This leaves you with 43 stitches for each side (including selvedge), 85 back stitches, and 53 sleeve stitches.
•  On the next row (even row), pick up one purl stitch before and after each underarm bind-off = +4 stitches.
• Place a marker in each of these picked-up stitches.
• Continue in half fisherman stitch.
• On the 9th row (on a regular rib row), decrease the raglan. Before each marker, make a right decrease (see explanation above), and after each marker make a left decrease = 16 stitches decreased, resulting in 41 stitches for each side (including selvedge), 81 back stitches, 49 sleeve stitches, and 4 marked stitches.
• Repeat these decreases every 8 rows, 6 times in total.
• AT THE SAME TIME, on the 37th, 45th, and 51st rows, make raglan decreases on the sleeves only.
• AT THE SAME TIME, start the collar decreases:
  • On the 41st row, bind off 4 stitches on each side.
  • On the 43rd row, bind off 2 stitches on each side.
  • On the 45th row, bind off 2 stitches on each side.
  • On the 47th row, bind off 2 stitches on each side.
  • On the 49th row, bind off 2 stitches on each side.
  • On the 51st row, bind off the remaining 20 stitches.
• You will have 20 stitches on each side, 20 back stitches, and 17 sleeve stitches.
• Use the sleeve stitches to form the top of the shoulder and join the back and sides:
• Cut the yarn and resume from one of the two tabs.
• Knit the tab by knitting the last stitch of the row together with the first back stitch.
• On the next row, knit the last stitch of the row together with the first side stitch.
• Continue this way for 40 rows and bind off on the 41st row.
• Knit the second tab in the same way.

THE BUTTON BAND:

• Pick up 131 stitches along one side of the cardigan with a 4mm/US6 circular needle and set them aside.
• Cast on 10 stitches and create a button band in double knitting by knitting the last stitch with a side stitch on the way and leaving it on the way back (see video tutorial here).
• Bind off at the 250th row.
• For the second side, proceed in the same way, making buttonholes on the 8th, 50th, 92nd, 134th, 176th, and 218th rows

THE NECK:

• Pick up 131 stitches along the collar of the cardigan with a 4mm/US6 circular needle:
• Knit in 1/1 ribbing, continuing the row count from the button bands.
• On the 260th and 270th rows, open the last buttonhole.
• Continue for 4 cm/1.6 in.
• Work one purl row.
• Continue for another 4 cm/1.6 in.
• Bind off.
• Sew the collar to the inside, folding it along the purl row.

FINISHING:

• Weave in ends and block the piece.

And there you have it, a beautiful homemade openwork cardigan!

Perfect for getting started with creating fancy patterns!

Don't forget to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok with the hashtags #terrifiknits and #TouchCardigan or #giletTouch once you're done, or add this project to your Ravelry list! I can't wait to see your version!