Hacking my jacket pattern into a knit cardigan!

Sometimes you meet a really dreamy fabric and drop all your sewing plans for it. When I encountered this fleecy, super soft rayon knit, I couldn’t help but make something with it right away! Plus I’ve been meaning to make a proper cardigan for a long time!

I used my jacket pattern, which I dubbed the Captain’s Cardigan because it’s really one of those coat-igans (though I prefer “ja-cardi”). It’s not a cardigan, not yet a jacket. That’s mostly because the pattern is designed for woven fabric, like flannel.

To adapt this pattern for a knit fabric, I had to change the neckline and sleeve cuffs. I wanted to keep the fit of the pattern, so I didn’t need to deal with removing ease.

The jacket’s neckline is finished with a big collar and facing, with a 3″ extension at the Center Front. For a true cardigan, I replaced the collar with a neckband. I altered the neckline by ignoring the 3″ extension, and creating a smooth curve from the neck to the Center Front.

The neckband is 2″ wide when finished. I like how it still covers the back of my neck a bit.

For the sleeves, I made a tapered cuff. To draft the pattern piece, I measured the width of the sleeve at the cuff, then subtracted 20% for stretch. But I overestimated the stretch of the cuff fabric; I probably should have subtracted less because I had to create a couple little pleats to make the cuffs fit. And I didn’t have enough left over fabric to make new cuffs!

Because the fabric was a little narrow, I had to shorten it by a couple inches. I just couldn’t reach the proper length for the neckband. It’s still a nice length and I’m happy with it. The hem is double-folded, and narrow to compensate for the short-comings.

I’m so happy with this project! There’s a couple tweaks I’d make for next time, but overall it’s my new favorite cardigan. The fabric is so cozy and soft. Plus it hides the seams well. I love the big sleeves and pockets, too.

Thanks for reading <3