Rayee Cardigan: Oversized Drop-Shoulder Knitting Tutorial

The Rayee Cardigan is a relaxed, oversized cardigan by ByKaterina Designs, knitted in an open eyelet mesh with wide bands of colour. It has a classic drop-shoulder shape and about 41 cm (16") of positive ease at the bust, so it hangs loosely over a shirt or a simple tee. The video tutorial below walks through every stage, and the written pattern is free on the designer's website.

Images and patterns courtesy of ByKaterina Designs

Rayee Cardigan at a Glance

• Designer: ByKaterina Designs
• Fit: oversized, drop shoulder, about 41 cm (16") of positive ease at the bust
• Sizes: 9 sizes, from XS to 5XL
• Yarn: medium weight (size 4: worsted, heavy worsted or aran), roughly 402 to 623 m in total depending on the size
• Needles: 8 mm circular needles with an 80 cm cable, plus a short 40 cm circular, DPNs or magic loop for the sleeves; an 8 mm crochet hook is optional
• Gauge: 11 stitches and 16 rows = 10 cm in the eyelet pattern
• Video length: about 45 minutes

How the Cardigan Is Made

The body is knitted from the bottom up in one piece until it reaches the armholes. At that point it is divided into the right front, the back and the left front, and each panel is worked on its own. The shoulders are joined once the body is finished (a crochet hook is one way to do it), and the sleeves are picked up around the armholes and knitted in the round down to the cuffs. Ribbing in knit 1, purl 1 finishes the edges.
In the video, Katerina knits a small sample so every step is easy to follow, and the stitch and row counts for all nine sizes are shown on screen as she goes.

The video is split into chapters, so you can go straight back to the part you are working on: length to the armpit (3:12), dividing into front and back panels (14:50), right front panel (16:17), back panel (19:45), left front panel (23:06), assembling the shoulders (24:13) and the sleeves (36:15).

Tips for Your Rayee Cardigan

Stripes or a single colour. The sample uses five colours in repeating blocks, but the cardigan also works in one shade. If you want to change the stripe sequence, the pattern recommends adjusting the blocks in multiples of 4 rows.
Swatch in the eyelet stitch. The body is worked in the mesh pattern, so that is the gauge that matters most. Knit your swatch in eyelet stitch, not only in stockinette.
Pick your size from the finished measurements. The extra room is already built into the pattern, so compare your bust measurement with the finished sizes before you cast on.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Rayee Cardigan pattern free? Yes. The written pattern is free on the ByKaterina website. A printable PDF version is sold through her shop and on Etsy, Ravelry and LoveCrafts.
What yarn can I use? Any medium weight yarn (worsted, heavy worsted or aran) that matches the gauge. The sample was knitted in an acrylic yarn in five colours.

Watch the Rayee Cardigan Video Tutorial

Source: ByKaterina Designs

More from ByKaterina Designs

• Drop Shoulder Sweater Knitting Pattern: Video Guide
• Easy Guide to Knitting a Loose Sweater
• Elevate Your Style with the Kleos Sweater - Video Tutorial

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