Matron's Cardigan

from Women's Sweaters Book No. 225, Chadwick's Red Heart Wools, 1945



(I completely resent them calling it a "matron's cardigan", as if older women are the only ones who ever had a 45" bust, but what can you do against old stereotypes and prejudices, right?)

MATERIALS: Chadwick's Red Heart Wool Floss (2 ply), 13 balls (1 oz balls) for size 38, 14 balls for size 40, 15 balls for size 42, 16 balls for size 44... Knitting Pins, 1 pair No. 3 (3mm)... 7 buttons... Shoulder pads.

GAUGE: 7 sts make 1 inch; 9 rows make 1 inch.

BLOCKING MEASUREMENTS:

Sizes	38	40	42	44
Bust (sweater buttoned)	39"	41"	43"	45"
Width across back at underarm	18"	19"	20"	21"
Width across each front at underarm	11"	11 1/2"	12"	12 1/2"
Length from shoulder to lower edge	22 1/2"	23"	23"	23 1/2"
Length of side seam	13"	13"	13"	13"
Width across back above armhole shaping	15"	15 1/2"	16"	16 1/2"
Length of sleeve seam	17 1/2"	18"	18"	18 1/2"
Width of sleeve at upper arm	13 1/2"	14 1/2"	14 1/2"	15"

BACK: Starting at bottom, cast on 106 (112, 120, 126) sts.
Work in stockinette st (k 1 row, p 1 row) for 4 inches. Now work in ribbing of k1, p1 for 3 inches. Then work in stockinette, increasing 1 st at both ends of next row and every 5th row thereafter until there are on needle 126 (132, 140, 146) sts. Work straight until piece measures 13 inches in all.

To Shape Armholes: Bind off at beginning of next 2 rows 5 (5, 7, 7) sts. Bind off 2 sts at beginning of following 2 rows. Dec 1 st at end of each row until there remain 104 (108, 112, 116) sts. Work straight until piece measures from 1st row of armhole shaping 8 1/2" (9", 9", 9 1/2").

To Shape Shoulders: Bind off at beginning of next 4 rows 6 (6, 7, 7) sts. Bind off 7 sts at beginning of following 4 rows. Bind off at beginning of next 2 rows 7 (8, 7, 8) sts. Bind off for back of neck remaining 38 (40, 42, 44) sts.

LEFT FRONT: Starting at bottom, cast on 60 (63, 67, 70) sts.
1st row: K across to last 10 sts - place a marker on needle - (p1, k1) 5 times (front border).
2nd row: (P1, k1) 5 times, slip marker, p remainder of row.
Repeat 1st and 2nd rows alternately until piece measures 4 inches. Now work all sts in ribbing of k1, p1 (keeping marker in place) for 3 more inches. Then continue as before, increasing 1 st at side edge on next row and every 3rd row thereafter until there are on needle 77 (80, 84, 87) sts.
Work straight until piece measures 13 inches in all.

To Shape Armhole: Starting at side edge, bind off once 5 (5,7, 7) sts. Bind off 2 sts at same edge once. Continuing with armhole shaping, shape front edge as follows: Dec 1 st at armhole edge on every other row 4 (5, 5, 6) times. At the same time, dec 1 st inside the front border (beside marker) on every 3rd row 7 times. There remain on the needle 59 (61, 63, 65) sts.

Work straight until piece measures 3 inches from 1st row of armhole shaping. Now work all sts in ribbing of k1, p1 for 1/2 inch. Dec 2 sts inside front border on next row and on every 8th row thereafter until there remain 49 (51, 53,55) sts - to dec 2 sts in ribbing, work 3 sts together, knitting or purling them whichever is necessary to keep continuity of ribbing. Continue straight in ribbing until piece measures from 1st row of armhole shaping 8 1/2" (9", 9", 9 1/2").

To Shape Shoulders: Starting at armhole edge, bind off in ribbing on every other row twice 8 (8, 8, 9) sts. Bind off at same edge on every other row twice 8 (8, 9, 9) sts. Bind off at same edge once 7 (9, 9, 9) sts. Work straight over remaining 10 sts for 2 1/2" (2 3/4", 2 3/4", 3"). Bind off.

RIGHT FRONT: Work to correspond with Left Front, reversing shapings and making a buttonhole 3 sts in from front edge when piece measures 1 inch and every 2 inches thereafter (always measuring from beginning of last buttonhole) until 7 buttonholes are made - to make a buttonhole, on one row bind off 4 sts and on next row cast on 4 sts to replace those bound off.

SLEEVES: Starting at wrist, cast on 60 (64, 64, 68) sts. Work tightly in ribbing of k1, p1 for 4 1/2 inches. Inc 1 st at both ends of next row and thereafter every 6th (5th, 5th, 6th) row until there are on needle 94 (102, 102, 106) sts. Work straight until piece measures in all 17 1/2" (18", 18", 18 1/2").

To Shape Top: Bind off at beginning of next 2 rows 5 (5, 7, 7) sts. Bind off 2 sts at beginning of following 2 rows. Dec 1 st at end of each row until 58 sts remain. Dec 1 st at both ends of next row and every 3rd row thereafter until 44 sts remain. Bind off 3 sts at beginning of each row until 20 sts remain. Bind off.

POCKETS: Starting at top edge, cast on 30 sts. Work in stockinette st for 3 1/2 inches. Dec 1 st at end of each row until 20 sts remain. Bind off.

Press pieces through damp cloth. Sew underarm and shoulder seams. Sew ends of neckband together and sew across back of neck. Sew sleeve seams and sew sleeves in. Sew on buttons. Sew pockets in place. Sew in shoulder pads.