Have you been searching for the perfect beginner-friendly knit cardigan pattern? Look no further. This striped garter-stitch pocket cardigan is a free knit pattern that an adventurous beginner will find easy to do and even a basic beginner can turn into a finished product. Make it, wear it, love it.
A Pocket Cardigan Is a Fall Essential
The pocket cardigan is a quintessential piece for fall. It’s perfect for layering over a variety of different outfits. You can use it to add a pop of color and a little bit of warmth on chilly autumn days. But, of course, it’s those pockets that make it a must-have in your wardrobe.
We all carry a variety of different things with us wherever we go. These days, you might have a mask or hand sanitizer, in addition to your keys and cell phone. You need more pockets. Plus, pockets are great when the sun goes down and you’re just a little bit colder and want to warm up.
A pocket cardigan gives you the function that supplements the beauty of the piece itself. Plus, did you know that knitting pockets is fun? If you’ve never done it before, this beginner-friendly free knitting pattern is the perfect excuse to start. Didn’t think you needed a new cardigan? Just go with the excuse: Well, Marly Made Me Do It.
This Knit Pocket Cardigan is SO EASY
This truly is a beginner-friendly knitting pattern. Here are some of the things that make it an easy knitting pattern:
- This is a bottom-up knit pocket cardigan. Although you have to seam on the sleeves, it’s otherwise a seamless design.
- The whole design is worked in garter stitch. It’s great for beginners to practice. And it’s meditative for experienced knitters.
- There are color changes but they are strategic and easy. You’ll create stripes with color changes, giving you good places to take breaks as you craft the cardigan. But you aren’t changing colors often, so you can really melt into the work.
- It’s worked in Red Heart Soft Yarn, which is an easy yarn to work with. Plus, you can put it in the washing machine and the dryer, so it’s easy to care for as well.
- It’s written with the beginner in mind, so the pattern includes a lot of extra written instruction plus it has schematics.
3 More Reasons to Love the Pocket Cardigan
It’s stylish, it’s easy, it has pockets – what more is there to love? Well, here are three more things that you might want to know about the MMMDI Cardigan with Pockets:
1. You Can Choose Your Pocket Size
The original cardigan design has shallow pockets. But what if you’re the kind of person who carries a lot of extra stuff with you? Or if you just enjoy digging your hands deep into a warm pocket on a cold day? There are instructions in the pattern to make deeper pockets should your heart desire.
2. It Will Fit and Flatter You
There’s a persistent myth that horizontal stripes are unflattering. However, done correctly, that’s not so at all. These stripes are designed so that the lightest color hits the waistline, giving flattering form to almost any figure.
Additionally, this cardigan has a slimming neckline. The front edge band gives vertical length to the body right in front to perfectly complement those horizontal stripes.
Moreover, this pattern comes in nine different sizes from XS to 5X. It’s important to be inclusive when creating designs because we all have different bodies and they’re all beautiful. You’ll be able to find the size that’s right for you when working with this knit pocket cardigan free pattern.
3. Adapting the Colors Is Easy
The five colors chosen for the pattern go together well and create a terrific blue-hued stripe pattern that works for most wardrobes. However, Red Heart Soft comes in many different colors. If you want a more neutral pocket cardigan, you could choose colors like Off White and Wheat. If you wanted bold, bright stripes, you might go with Guacamole or Cherry Red. And if you really want to have fun playing with color, Red Heart Soft comes in variegated colorways that you could mix and match endlessly.
Ready to Knit the Pocket Cardigan?
Follow the link to the free knitting pattern here on the blog. If you prefer an ad-free experience, you’ll find a link there to a PDF that you can purchase instead.
You Might Also Like:
If you enjoy knitting cardigans, then you might also want to check out the Perfect Argyle Knit Cardigan Pattern.
There are also some great knitting pattern books for sweaters and cardigans: Top Down Knit Sweaters and Oversized Fashion Knits.
If you want to try knitting something ore advanced that also has pockets, check out the Trail Hoodie knitting pattern.
Prefer to crochet? Try the Crochet Cardigan with Collar or The Hamilton Crochet Cardigan.
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