Avalyn is a timeless, elegant piece with classic design details and modern, feminine shaping. The rib‑based, allover lattice texture and chunky cables together with the cardigan’s folded cuffs and shawl collar will keep you warm and cozy in sophisticated style.

This cardigan is knit seamlessly from the top down using raglan shaping. The yoke is knit first and stitches are placed on hold for the sleeves. The body is then worked to the hem, and the waist is shaped using decrease and increase methods created and tailored specially for this cardigan. Upon completion of the body, stitches are picked up along the edges of the cardigan for the shawl collar, which is shaped using short rows before the button band is worked. Finally, the sleeves are resumed and worked seamlessly in the round from the top down.

I was knitting a second Nydia pullover when I turned to Instagram to ask my followers a few this-or-that questions that would help me decide what to design next. One question was, Cardigan or pullover? In response, a test knitter I’d worked with several times asked me a question of her own: What about a cropped Nydia cardigan?

I became obsessed with the idea immediately. Completely. I couldn’t think about anything else. Within days I’d bought yarn—a warm golden yellow—and cast on a swatch. But just to make sure I wasn’t being biased, I asked my Instagram followers what they thought about a cardigan version. They responded with a resounding yes. They wanted it too.

I cast on the cropped yellow version with 3/4 length sleeves first. As I was working on it, I realized I also wanted to make a full-length version—in a deep red, with long sleeves. Two completely different cardigans, using the same top-down pattern as the foundation. But the moment I slipped them both on, I understood why I’d felt the need to make two versions. They felt completely different to wear.

The full-length one is classic, office-ready, the kind you throw on when you want to feel polished. The cropped one is a party cardi—fun and energetic, the kind you reach for when you want to feel like yourself. Even during the photoshoot, I felt the shift when I changed between them. The energy was different. How I moved, how I stood—it all changed with the color, the length, and the sleeves.

That’s what this pattern offers you: the chance to make the version that matches your life. Cropped or full-length; 3/4 sleeves or long. Mix and match however you want. Because a cardigan should work for you, not the other way around.

Featured in Knitting - the Card Game!

The cardigan version of Sevrine features a shawl collar, rounded front edges, and mirrored motifs that form a flattering hourglass shape against a reverse stockinette stitch background. The relaxed but feminine fit is timeless and wearable in a variety of settings.

This cardigan is knit seamlessly from the top down with simultaneous set-in sleeves. After establishing the back and fronts, you’ll pick up a small number of stitches for the sleeves before shaping the sleeve caps, yoke, and armholes at the same time. Once the sleeves are separated from the body, the tailored fit and silhouette are achieved through waist shaping, decreases, and short rows. Stitches are picked up along the edges of the cardigan for the shawl collar and continuous edging. Upon completion of the body and edging, the sleeves are resumed from the underarm and worked seamlessly in the round from the top down. 

In a warmer climate? Instructions are also provided for short sleeves and a narrower edging to create a more vestlike cardigan that can be worn over a t-shirt or tank top.