Vintage Women’s Knit Cardigan Sweater – FREE Knitting Pattern

Knit Cardigan with Bulky Sleeves
Knit Cardigan Sweater with Bulky Sleeves

Vintage Women’s Knit Cardigan sweater with Short Bulky Sleeves – Modernized Pattern from 1954

This stylish waist-hugging knit sweater, “The Bulky Look,” was originally published in the Knit and Crochet Style Parade. Quick-knit with Chadwick’s Red Heart Knitting Worsted, it’s designed to add timeless charm and cozy elegance to your wardrobe. I’ve updated this 1950s classic with modern terminology and a reader-friendly format, making it accessible for today’s knitters. Enjoy creating this versatile piece that’s sure to be a standout in your collection!

Materials

  • Yarn: Chadwick’s Red Heart Knitting Worsted, 4 Ply (1 oz skeins)
    • Skeins Needed:
      • Size 32: 13 skeins
      • Size 34: 16 skeins
      • Size 36: 19 skeins
      • Size 38: 22 skeins
      • Size 40: 25 skeins
  • Needles:
    • Pair of No. 2 knitting pins (2.75 mm)
    • Pair of No. 4 knitting pins (3.5 mm)
  • Other Tools:
    • Clark’s O.N.T. Plastic Crochet Hook No. 4
    • 5 buttons
    • 1-inch-wide elastic
  • Gauge:
    • 5 1/4 stitches = 1 inch
    • 7 rows = 1 inch

Back

  1. Cast On:
    • Using No. 2 knitting pins, cast on:
      • Size 32: 79 stitches
      • Size 34: 85 stitches
      • Size 36: 91 stitches
      • Size 38: 97 stitches
      • Size 40: 103 stitches
  2. Hemline Preparation:
    • Work in stockinette stitch (k1 row, p1 row) for 1 inch, ending with a knit row.
    • On the next row, knit across to form the hemline.
  3. Body:
    • Continue in stockinette stitch until the piece measures 1 inch from the hemline, ending with a purl row.
    • Switch to No. 4 knitting pins and work in pattern as follows:
      • Row 1: K1, knit the second stitch on the left-hand needle without slipping it off, then knit the first stitch on the left-hand needle and slip both stitches off. Repeat from * to the last stitch, k1.
      • Row 2: Purl across.
    • Repeat these two rows for the pattern.
  4. Shaping:
    • Increase 1 stitch at both ends of every 10th row until there are:
      • Size 32: 87 stitches
      • Size 34: 93 stitches
      • Size 36: 99 stitches
      • Size 38: 105 stitches
      • Size 40: 111 stitches
  5. Work Without Increasing:
    • Continue in pattern until the piece measures 9 inches (Size 32), 9 1/2 inches (Sizes 34 and 36), or 10 inches (Sizes 38 and 40) from the hemline.
  6. Shape Armholes:
    • Bind off 3 stitches (Sizes 32–36) or 4 stitches (Sizes 38 and 40) at the beginning of the next 2 rows.
    • Work without decreasing over the remaining stitches until the piece measures 7 inches (Size 32), 7 1/2 inches (Sizes 34 and 36), or 8 inches (Sizes 38 and 40) from the first row of armhole shaping.
  7. Shape Shoulders:
    • Bind off at the beginning of the next 6 rows:
      • Size 32: 10 stitches
      • Size 34: 11 stitches
      • Size 36: 11 stitches
      • Size 38: 12 stitches
      • Size 40: 12 stitches
    • For sizes 34 and 38 only, bind off at the beginning of 2 additional rows:
      • Size 34: 12 stitches
      • Size 38: 13 stitches
    • Place the remaining stitches on a holder for finishing.

Left Front

  1. Cast On:
    • Using No. 2 knitting pins, cast on:
      • Size 32: 44 stitches
      • Size 34: 47 stitches
      • Size 36: 50 stitches
      • Size 38: 53 stitches
      • Size 40: 56 stitches
  2. Hemline Preparation:
    • Work in stockinette stitch for 1 inch, ending with a knit row.
    • On the next row, knit across to form the hemline.
  3. Body:
    • Continue in stockinette stitch until the piece measures 1 inch from the hemline, ending with a purl row.
    • Switch to No. 4 knitting pins and begin working in the established pattern (as for Back).
  4. Increase at Side Edge:
    • Increase 1 stitch at the side edge every 10th row until there are:
      • Size 32: 52 stitches
      • Size 34: 55 stitches
      • Size 36: 58 stitches
      • Size 38: 61 stitches
      • Size 40: 64 stitches
  5. Shaping:
    • Work without increasing until the piece measures 9 inches (Size 32), 9 1/2 inches (Sizes 34 and 36), or 10 inches (Sizes 38 and 40) from the hemline.
  6. Shape Armhole:
    • Bind off 3 stitches (Sizes 32–36) or 4 stitches (Sizes 38 and 40) at the beginning of the next row.
    • Work without decreasing over the remaining stitches until the piece measures 5 inches (Size 32), 5 1/2 inches (Sizes 34 and 36), or 6 inches (Sizes 38 and 40) from the first row of armhole shaping.
  7. Shape Neck:
    • Bind off 15 stitches at the front edge on the next row.
    • Decrease 1 stitch at the neck edge every other row until there remain:
      • Size 32: 30 stitches
      • Size 34: 33 stitches
      • Size 36: 34 stitches
      • Size 38: 36 stitches
      • Size 40: 37 stitches
  8. Shape Shoulder:
    • Bind off at the beginning of the next 3 rows:
      • Size 32: 10 stitches
      • Size 34: 11 stitches
      • Size 36: 11 stitches
      • Size 38: 12 stitches
      • Size 40: 12 stitches

Right Front

  1. Work as for Left Front, reversing the position of the button band and shapings.
  2. Buttonholes:
    • Place buttonholes opposite the pin marks from the Left Front.
    • To make a buttonhole:
      • Row 1 (Right Side): With the right side of the work facing, k1, bind off 2 stitches, k1, sl1, k1, bind off 2 stitches, k1, then continue in the pattern to the end of the row.
      • Row 2 (Wrong Side): Purl across, casting on 2 stitches to replace each set of 2 stitches that were bound off in the previous row.

Sleeves

  1. Cast On:
    • Using No. 4 knitting pins, cast on:
      • Size 32: 73 stitches
      • Size 34: 76 stitches
      • Size 36: 79 stitches
      • Size 38: 82 stitches
      • Size 40: 85 stitches
  2. Body of Sleeve:
    • Work in the established pattern (as for Back) until the sleeve measures 3 inches (Sizes 32–34) or 3 1/2 inches (Sizes 36–40), ending with a purl row.
  3. Hemline:
    • On the next row (right side of work), purl across to form the hemline.
  4. Reverse Work:
    • Starting with the first pattern row, continue working in the pattern until the sleeve measures:
      • Size 32: 5 inches
      • Size 34: 5 1/2 inches
      • Size 36: 6 inches
      • Size 38: 6 inches
      • Size 40: 6 3/4 inches
  5. Shape the Sleeve Top:
    • Bind off 3 stitches (Sizes 32–36) or 4 stitches (Sizes 38–40) at the beginning of the next 2 rows.
    • Decrease 1 stitch at both ends of every 4th row until:
      • Size 32: 59 stitches remain
      • Size 34: 62 stitches remain
      • Size 36: 63 stitches remain
      • Size 38: 66 stitches remain
      • Size 40: 69 stitches remain
    • Then decrease 1 stitch at both ends of every other row until:
      • Size 32: 58 stitches remain
      • Size 34: 59 stitches remain
      • Size 36: 58 stitches remain
      • Size 38: 59 stitches remain
    • Bind off 2 stitches at the beginning of the next 12 rows.
  6. Bind Off: Bind off the remaining stitches:
    • Size 32: 35 stitches
    • Size 34: 34 stitches
    • Size 36: 35 stitches
    • Size 38: 34 stitches
    • Size 40: 35 stitches

Collar

  1. Cast On: Using No. 4 knitting pins, cast on:
    • Size 32–34: 70 stitches
    • Size 36–38: 79 stitches
    • Size 40: 86 stitches
  2. Stockinette Stitch:
    • Work in stockinette stitch (k1 row, p1 row) for 4 rows.
  3. Increase Row:
    • Knit the first 3 (3, 4, 4, 4) stitches, *knit 6, increase 1 stitch in the next stitch; repeat from * across, ending with 3 (3, 4, 4, 4) stitches.
    • The total number of stitches on the needle is now:
      • Size 32–34: 80 stitches
      • Size 36–38: 90 stitches
      • Size 40: 98 stitches
  4. Continue Without Increasing:
    • Work without increasing until the collar measures 1 inch.
  5. Shape Collar:
    • Decrease 1 stitch at both ends of every other row 4 times.
    • Bind off 2 stitches at the beginning of the next 4 rows.
    • Bind off the remaining:
      • Size 32–34: 64 stitches
      • Size 36–38: 74 stitches
      • Size 40: 82 stitches

Finishing

  1. Block: Block all pieces to the specified measurements.
  2. Seams: Sew the side, shoulder, and sleeve seams. Set the sleeves into the armholes.
  3. Hem:
    • Turn under the hem at the lower edge of the body and sleeves and stitch in place to form a casing.
    • Insert the elastic into the casing at the waist and stitch the ends of the elastic securely in place.
  4. Collar:
    • Sew the collar to the neck edge, leaving 1/4 inch free at each front edge.
  5. Cuffs:
    • Turn back the cuff edge of each sleeve. Using a crochet hook, work a row of single crochet along the outer edge of the collar and the cuff edges of the sleeves.
    • Turn under the single crochet row and stitch in place for a neat finish.
  6. Buttonholes: Reinforce buttonholes with buttonhole stitch.
  7. Buttons: Sew on buttons to correspond with buttonholes.

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