Update: see end of post for information about a downloadable pattern pdf

I finished this cardigan on December 28th 2006 but it was blocking and I never remembered to take a photo of it, so I took a few quick ones today before putting it away in the pile of knits “to be washed” with baby detergent for our baby.

This is the yarn I got from Mona and Veronik at one of the last Montreal Knits meetups I’d attended. I knew I wanted to use it for a cabled cardi because I loved the color and thought it would look so cute with a wee pair of jeans. Unfortunately after swatching some cables I didn’t like how the cotton blend held up the cables. It was too floppy for my liking, so I played around with other textures and came up with the idea of mixing stockinette and moss stitch in large blocks that extended down over the sleeves too.

Yarn: 3 balls of Schewe Baumwoll-Mix (50g/120m, 50% cotton, 50% acrylic)
Needles: 3.25mm for ribbing and 3.5mm for body
Pattern: My own. I used fully-fashioned raglan decreases as I felt they blended better with the look of the moss stitch, as opposed to the smooth diagonal line you get when you angle the decreases with the slant of the shaping.

I wrote the pattern for one size, roughly 6-12 months. But you can get a larger or small sweater by changing your yarn and using the appropriate needles.

Gauge: 24 sts x 32 rows = 4″ st st with larger needle

Notions: tapestry needle, stitch marker, 5 buttons

Pattern notes

This sweater has shaping worked within moss stitch. When the increases or decreases are done at the edges of moss stitch work the increase or decrease then resume the moss stitch as established.

Except for when working ribbing, the first and last st of every row are worked in stockinette for ease when seaming later.

Pattern Instructions

Back

CO 58 sts with 3 US / 3.25mm needle

Work in 2×2 rib for 11 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

Work 1 more row of ribbing, increasing 2 sts evenly across (60 sts)

Change to 4 US / 3.5mm needle

Next row: (RS) k30, pm, *p1, k1, rep from * to end of row

Next row: (WS) *k1, p1, rep from * to marker, slip marker, p to end of row

Repeat last 2 rows until 44 rows have been worked (not including ribbing), ending after a WS row

Next row: (RS) *k1, p1, rep from * to marker, slip marker, k to end of row

Next row: (WS) p30, slip marker, *p1, k1, rep from * to end of row

Repeat last 2 rows 4 more times

Armhole

BO 2 sts at beginning of next 2 rows (56 sts rem)

Dec row: (RS) k1, k2tog, work in est patt to last 3 sts, ssk, k1

Repeat decrease row on every RS row 16 more times

BO remaining 22 sts for back of neck

Left Front

CO 30 sts with 3 US / 3.25mm needle

Work in 2×2 rib for 12 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

Change to 4 US / 3.5mm needle

Next row: (RS) *k1, p1, repeat to last st, k1

Next row: (WS) *p1, k1, repeat to last st, p1

Continue as established in moss st for 44 rows (not including ribbing), ending after a WS row

Next row: (RS) k across row

Next row: (WS) p across rowContinue as established in st st for 8 more rows

Left Front Armhole

RS- BO 2 sts at armhole edge (28 sts rem)

WS- p across row

Dec row: (RS) k1, k2tog, k to end of row

Repeat decrease row on every RS row 6 more times (21 sts rem)

Neckline and Armhole Shaping

Dec row: (RS) k1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1

Repeat decrease row on every RS row until 5 sts remai

Next row:  k1, sl 1, k2tog, psso, k1

Next WS row: continue as established

Next RS row: sl 1, k2tog, psso

Cut yarn and pull it through last st

Right Front

CO 30 sts with 3 US / 3.25mm needle

Work in 2×2 rib for 12 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

Change to 4 US / 3.5mm needle

Next row: (RS) k across row

Next row: (WS) p across row

Continue as established in st st until 44 rows have been worked (not including ribbing), ending after a WS row

Next row: (RS) *k1, p1, repeat to last st, k1

Next row: (WS) *p1, k1, repeat to last st, p1

Continue as established in moss st for 8 more rows

Right Front Armhole

WS- BO 2 sts at armhole edge

Dec row: (RS) work in est patt to last 3 sts, ssk, k1

Repeat decrease row on every RS row 6 more times (21 sts rem)

Neckline and Armhole Shaping

Dec row: (RS) k1, k2tog, work in est patt to last 3 sts, ssk, k1

Repeat decrease row on every RS row until 5 sts remain

Next row:  k1, sl 1, ssk, psso, k1

Next WS row: continue as established

Next RS row: sl 1, ssk, psso

Cut yarn and pull it through last st

Sleeve 1

CO 34 sts with 3 US / 3.25mm needle.

Work in 2×2 rib for 11 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

Work 1 more row of ribbing, increasing 2 sts evenly across (36 sts)

Change to 4 US / 3.5mm needle.

Work 6 rows st st

Inc row: k1, m1, work in est patt to last st, m1, k1 (38 sts)

Repeat increase row every 8 rows 3 more times (44 sts)

Work 7 rows st st

Change to moss st, and work inc row as follows:

Moss inc row: k1, m1, *k1, p1, repeat from * to last st, m1, k1 (46 sts)

Work 7 rows moss st

Repeat moss inc row 1 more time (48 sts)

Work 1 more row moss st as established

Armhole

BO 2 sts at beg of next 2 rows (44 sts rem)

Dec row: (RS) k1, k2tog, work in moss st to last 3 sts, ssk, k1 (42 sts rem)

Repeat decrease row on every RS row 16 more times

BO remaining 10 sts in knit.

Sleeve 2

CO 34 sts with 3 US / 3.25mm needle.

Work in 2×2 rib for 11 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

Work 1 more row of ribbing, increasing 2 sts evenly across (36 sts)

Change to 4 US / 3.5mm needle.

Work 6 rows moss st

Moss Inc row: k1, m1, work in moss st to last st, m1, k1 (38 sts)

Repeat moss increase row every 8 rows 3 more times (44 sts)

Work 7 rows moss st

Change to st st, and work inc row as follows:

Inc row: k1, m1, k to last st, m1, k1 (46 sts)

Work 7 rows st st.

Repeat inc row 1 more time (48 sts)

Work 1 more row st st as established

Armhole

BO 2 sts at beg of next 2 rows (44 sts rem)

Dec row: (RS) k1, k2tog, work in st st to last 3 sts, ssk, k1 (42 sts rem)

Repeat decrease row on every RS row 16 more times

BO remaining 10 sts in knit

Seam both sleeves into place

Button Bands

Note: As this is a unisex sweater, it is designed with the button holes on the left (boys’) side.

With 3 US / 3.25mm needle and RS facing, beginning at ribbing of Right Front, pu&k 8 sts along edge of ribbing, 30 sts along st st section, 14 sts along moss section, 3 sts at base of v-neck (1 right before the turn, 1 at the corner, and 1 right after the turn- this is to ease the curve around to the neckline), 13 sts along v-neck, 10 sts along BO sts at top of arm, 22 sts along BO sts at back of neck, 10 sts along BO sts at top of other arm, 13 sts to base of v-neck on left side, 3 sts at base of v-neck, 14 sts along st st section, 30 sts along moss section, and 8 sts along left side ribbing (178 sts)

Next row: (WS) k across row

Work in 2×2 rib for 2 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

Buttonhole row: (RS) work as est for 124 sts, k2, *p2tog, yo, rib 10 sts, rep from * 3 more times, p2tog, yo, k2

Work in 2×2 rib for 2 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

BO in ribbing

Seam sides and sleeves

Attach buttons to line up with buttonholes

Weave in all ends

A close-up detail shot of the back where the texture switches. Because of the stitch pattern difference, the moss and stockinette sections of the same number of rows won’t seem to be the same size, but the minor difference eased out very well in seaming and blocking.

This photo is just to show off the cute wooden buttons that I found at the Wool Shop in Pointe-Claire. They match perfectly!

Update!

This pattern is on Ravelry here.

This pattern is provided for free above, but if you’d prefer an easy-to-print PDF version, I have made it available here for a very small fee. The PDF includes the full instructions, abbreviation definitions, an easy to read layout and newer, full color images.

*Updated January 2020