Elna Hooded Cardigan — PDF Knitting Pattern #133

A long, oversized hooded cardigan in garter stitch, knitted in chunky Scandi Soft XL on 6 mm needles. Seven sizes from S to 4XL, with side slits and a hood you can leave off. Instant PDF download in English and Swedish.

Elna is the cardigan you reach for without thinking. Loose over the shoulders and long enough to wrap around you, with a hood that turns it into something you can walk out in, not just something you wear indoors. I made it for breezy walks along the beach and cool evenings outside. It is knitted almost entirely in garter stitch, so you can follow a conversation while you work – the texture does the job, not the counting. The chunky yarn grows quickly, so you see progress every evening. The slits at the sides let it move with you when you walk, and if you would rather have a plain neckline, the pattern shows you how to finish it without the hood. It sits as well over a summer dress as over jeans on a cold day.

Good to know

• Construction – the back, two fronts and sleeves are knitted flat in garter stitch and sewn together, with a 15 cm slit left open at each side. The hood is picked up around the neck; if you prefer it without, the pattern shows how to finish the neckline with two rows of double crochet.
• You will also need – 6 mm needles, and Scandi Soft XL in packs of 5 balls: 2 packs for sizes S–L, 3 packs for XL–4XL. Using another yarn? Any chunky 10-ply that knits to 16 sts × 20 rows over 10 cm in stocking stitch will work; you need approx. 1,440–2,340 m.
• In the download – an 8-page PDF with the full pattern in English and Swedish, the Scandi Soft XL colour card, and a guide to tension squares and the basic stitches.