How to make a cardigan

1. Materials & tools

Materials (women's M)

• Main fabric (jersey, interlock or other knit) — about 150 cm wide × 160 cm (59 × 63 in)
• Ballpoint machine needle and stretch thread
• Optional: 5–6 buttons
• Optional: stay tape for the front band

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Adult clothes” → “Cardigan” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter bust, length, shoulder width, sleeve length, cuff width, neck width and the front band width. Presets cover women's S/M/L and men's M/L.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Trace the back (center on the fold), the fronts, the sleeves and the front band.
2. Cut
   Knit stretches, so cut it lying flat and relaxed — never pull it straight as you cut.
3. Finish the edges
   Knits do not fray, so you can skip finishing, but a serged edge wears better over many washes.

4. Sewing

4-1. Shoulders and sleeves

1. Sew both shoulder seams with a stretch stitch — a straight stitch will snap when you pull the cardigan on.
2. Match the center of the sleeve head to the shoulder seam and sew each sleeve into its armhole.

4-2. Sides and underarms

1. Sew from the cuff, along the underarm and down the side seam in one continuous line.
2. Line the underarm seams up with each other before you start or the sleeve will twist.

4-3. Attach the front band

1. Fold the band in half lengthwise and press.
2. Sew one long edge of the band to the garment in one continuous run: up the front edge, around the neckline and down the other front edge. Stretch the band very slightly around the neck curve.
3. Turn the band out, fold the remaining edge under to hide the seam, and topstitch it down.

4-4. Cuffs and hem

1. Turn the cuffs and hem under by the seam allowance and finish with a stretch stitch.

✏️ Sew the band as one piece from front edge to front edge without breaking it at the shoulders. A band pieced at the neck never hangs straight once the cardigan is on.

5. Tips & variations

• Add buttons: work buttonholes in the band. Fuse stay tape behind them first — knit buttonholes stretch out otherwise.
• Make it long: 70–80 cm (28–31 in) turns it into a longline cardigan.
• Heavier fabric: sweatshirt fleece or wool knit makes this warm enough to wear as a jacket.