Handmade Wardrobe | Field Day Cardigan

Alex looks out the window to her right holding a coffee and wearing a V-neck grandpa style cardigan in an oatmeal coloured wool.

When I came across the Field Day Cardigan knitting pattern it went straight to the top of my knitting queue.

Boxy, v-neck cardigans have been everywhere this past year and now I can add a handmade version to my wardrobe that is well made and better fitting than any of those I’d find on the high street.

The pattern by Ozetta is not so trend led that it won’t have longevity in my wardrobe either. The Field Day Cardigan still has a classic feel and thanks to the 100% Peruvian Wool I used to knit my version, I should be wearing this classic cardigan for years to come.

Field Day Cardigan Knitting Pattern

I really enjoyed the construction of this top-down cardigan knitting pattern. The pattern was well written and I found it easy to follow, even though I hadn’t knit a garment worked like this before. The button band is knitted as you go so there is no picking up stitches at the end which I liked. The button band also lies flat with no curling so the cardigan has a neat finish and the neck is well-fitting.

The Field Day Cardigan is nicely shaped with German short rows and begins with you working the back and then the right collar and right-front before moving onto the left collar, left-front and then the body. The sleeves are picked up and also knit from the top down.

Alex wearing the Field Day Cardigan unbuttoned.

Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Yarn

The Field Day Cardigan pattern calls for a DK weight yarn with a gauge of 22sts per 4 inches, but I had a different yarn in mind for this project

I started swatching with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport and opened the calculator on my phone to see if I could make the yarn work.

I tried a few different needles sizes in an attempt to get gauge but I loved how the yarn looked at 19sts per 4” on the 4.5mm needles. The knitted fabric was nice and even with a good structure to it that I thought would work well in a cardigan.

It has a lot less drape and much feels more woolly than the Knit Picks Swish DK I used to knit Dog Star, which are qualities I like in a sweater yarn.

I didn’t want the finished garment to be too sloppy. I wanted the cardigan to hold its shape nicely, even with lots of wear. The fabric also had a warmth and cosiness which I thought would make it the perfect choice for my Field Day Cardigan.

The yarn was ripped out and re-knit in several places and the Wool of the Andes Sport held up really well. I have no doubt this wool is going to wear well too.

Alex gently smiles at the camera holding a coffee and wearing a V-neck grandpa style cardigan in an oatmeal coloured wool.

Fit and Modifications

With a little maths, I worked out that if knit the XS size my finished cardigan should match the measurements given in the schematic for the size M, which is what I wanted. I got row gauge so I still kept my eye on the XS instructions when it came to the length and depth of armholes etc.

I love the fit and would happily knit this cardigan all over again in another colour. Perhaps in a navy?

I modified the sleeves slightly to account for me working at a different gauge and to make the cuffs smaller for a slimmer, cosy fit.

I picked up 2 sts for every 3 rows which was the ratio given in the pattern and I followed the decrease instructions until I had 50 stitches on the needles. I then knit until the sleeve measured 11.5” and did another 3 more sets of decreases before finishing with 10 rounds of ribbing on size 3.5mm needles.

Another modification I made was to substitute the bind-off suggested in the pattern. I found the sewn tubular bind-off frustrating over so many stitches, so I just bound off the stitches in pattern. I’m happy with the finish at the hem and the cuffs. Both look neat and there is still enough stretch in the ribbing.

When my Field Day Cardigan was finished I soaked it in wool wash for 20mins and rolled the cardigan in a towel twice to remove excess water. I laid the garment flat to dry with minimal pinning.

The finished cardigan is 45” at the chest and 20” in length which is size M as intended. The sleeves are 13.5” from where the sleeves were picked up to the bind-off at the cuff. There are 10” of positive ease on me and the gauge also matched my original swatch at 19sts over 4”.

Project Notes

Pattern: Field Day Cardigan by Ozetta

Yarn: 7 balls of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport in Mink Heather

Buttons: Vintage

Size: XS (knitted) to get M (45” finished size) with my 19sts per 4” gauge.

Needles: 4.5 mm (US 6) Hiya Hiya Interchangeables

Started: 14th October 2021

Finished: 17th January 2022

Medium Project Bag

A drawstring knitting project bag with a floral wreath design which has been screen printed on the front by the designer. The bag is photographed in a light bright room on a desk with plants and white yarn in the background.

Each fully lined organic cotton project bag is screen printed by hand and sewn by Alex.

Surprisingly roomy, each bag can hold approximately 9 skeins (900g) of fingering weight yarn so it's a wonderful choice for large shawls, summer tops and tees, sweaters and cardigans.