Ten free cardigan knitting patterns, from fitted stripes and lace to oversized chunky cables. I looked for designs from well known free sources such as Knitty and Berroco, plus independent designers whose pages give the full pattern, and I kept only the ones I could confirm are free.
Every pattern here is free, and every link goes to the designer’s own page, where the full pattern lives. I list the gauge for each one, because a cardigan only fits if you swatch first. If you also crochet, I have a roundup of chunky oversized crochet cardigans.
Knitting cardigan patterns to explore
1. Ausable
Designer Amy Christoffers at Knitty. A textured raglan cardigan in Moss stitch with a shawl collar and five buttons, worked in one piece to the underarms, with the sleeves knit in the round and joined for the yoke. It uses Berroco Catena, 9 to 18 skeins, on US 9 and 10.5 needles at 15 stitches to 4 inches. Sizes run XS to 3X for a 40.75 to 66.5 inch chest with about 6 inches of ease. The pattern is free on Knitty.
2. Krydda
Designer Madeleine Nilsson at Knitty. A seamless top-down cardigan with a wide V-neck and a stockinette body, and a lace panel that wraps from the fronts around the back. It uses aran weight Lisa Souza Max, 4 to 6 skeins, on US 9 needles at 16 stitches and 22 rows to 4 inches. Sizes are XS to 3X, worn with 0 to 2 inches of negative ease. Knitty calls it a treat for the experienced or a challenge for an advanced beginner.
3. Tempest
Designer Ann Weaver at Knitty. A slim, striped cardigan with set-in sleeves and thinner stripes at the waist to shape it. It is knit in lace weight Blue Faced Leicester wool in two colors on US 6 needles, 20 stitches and 30 rows to 4 inches, with 14 small glass buttons. There are 13 sizes, from a 31 to a 55 inch chest, and the designer says to knit a size or two up for a looser fit.
4. Bly
Designer Amy Christoffers for Berroco. An easy-to-knit top-down cardigan with raglan sleeves, garter welts and a split hem, in Berroco Indigo. Berroco rates it intermediate and offers it as a free pattern download. A corrected version of the PDF was uploaded in 2016, so make sure you save the current one rather than an older copy.
5. Land & Sea Cardigan
Designer Andrea Yetman at Biscotte Yarns. A lightweight top-down cardigan in reverse stockinette, faded from small skeins of Bis-Sock, with two Bis-Mini sets used for the XS sample. It knits on 3.5 mm needles at 25 stitches and 34 rows to 4 inches, in sizes XS to XXL, with 2 to 4 inches of positive ease. The pattern is listed at $0 on the Biscotte page.
6. Coziest Cable Cardigan
Designer Mama in a Stitch. A loose, oversized cardigan with big relaxed cables, knit in chunky yarn on US 15 needles at 11 stitches and 13 rows to 4 inches. It is made from one back panel and two front panels with flat sleeves, then seamed. Sizes are S to XL for a 43 to 55 inch bust, and the sample used about 650 g in the smallest size. The yarn used is discontinued, but any chunky yarn works.
7. The Woodbury Cardigan
Designer All About Ami. A relaxed, oversized chunky cardigan in seed stitch, knit in Hue + Me bulky yarn on 8 mm needles with 6.5 mm needles for the ribbing. The gauge is 11 stitches and 19 rows to 4 inches. Sizes run from S/M to 4X/5X, and the yarn needed goes from about 780 to 1270 yards. The pattern with its step by step pictures is on the page.
8. Cliffside Cardigan
Designer Two of Wands. A moss stitch cardigan in Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick on US 15 needles at 9 stitches and 13 rows to 4 inches. The back and two fronts are worked from the bottom up and the sleeves from the top down, so there is no yoke to calculate. It comes in three sizes, XS/S, M/L and XL/XXL, using 6, 7 or 9 skeins. The free pattern is on the blog.
9. Knit Betty Cardigan
Designer Ashleigh at Sewrella. A top-down raglan cardigan in bulky Lion Brand Color Made Easy, with seed stitch detail and room for slouchy comfort. It uses US 11 needles at 11.5 stitches and 18 rows to 4 inches, and 3 to 5 skeins. Sizes are S to 2XL for a 45 to 63 inch bust, and the page rates it level 2, easy. The free pattern is on the post.
10. Candyfloss Cardigan
Designer Kat and Leni at Kat and Leni. A striped, oversized, mohair-style cardigan made with DROPS Brushed Alpaca Silk held triple on 8 mm and 9 mm needles. It is one size with no buttons, a narrow neck opening that keeps the shoulders from slipping, and seamed panels. The designer says it takes about 10 evenings of knitting if it is your only project. It is a free PDF download on the post.
