Enhance your appearance with this charming City Night Lace Cardigan when you go out for a date, attending a special event, or simply want to feel special. I’m excited to reintroduce my all-time favorite design that I initially created around 17 years ago.
The latest version of the pattern has many different sizes, from XS to 6XL depending on your actual measurements and how loose or tight you want it to fit. I’m really grateful to my tech editor Edie Eckman who helped me make sure that the pattern grading and all measurements are accurate. Writing precise instructions that are easy to understand is extremely important to me. That’s why it’s crucial to have a tech editor when I create my patterns.
So, what does it mean when it comes to choosing your size based on the desired ease? Ease is the difference between your actual bust measurements and the measurements of the finished cardigan. It can be negative, which means the cardigan stretches slightly to fit, or positive, indicating that the cardigan has a loose fit. If there is no ease, it means that the cardigan has the same body circumference as your bust. If you are unsure of the ease you prefer, you can simply measure a similar garment or a shirt that fits comfortably and try to achieve the same finished measurements. The pattern includes some suggestions on adjusting the width for each size, while the length of the cardigan and sleeves can be altered by adding or skipping rows of motifs. In the example below, you can see 2 cardigans of the same size but with different ease – the purple cardigan fits tighter, while the green cardigan has a looser fit.
The pattern is written in American crochet terms, and it includes crochet diagrams, step-by-step photos, and a conversion chart to UK terms. When making the cardigan, you will join motifs together as you go, using diagrams that are specifically made for each size. Here is a little demonstration of Join-As-You-Go technique (JAYGO), where the sides of each motif interconnect with other motif(s) across 3 arches.
To make this lace cardi, you can use any mercerized cotton thread size 10 with a 1.5 mm steel hook. Here is a quick yardage reference for each size if you are planning yarn shopping.
When working with cotton threads, I like to steam block my project as I go…section by section. You can use a steam iron, garment steamer, or just a wet cloth with a basic iron. Check out my earlier post about various steam blocking methods.
Wooden or bamboo buttons/toggles are a great choice for a lace cardigan. I would suggest to avoid heavy metal buttons or sea-shell buttons as they will stretch the delicate edge.
Ultimately, if you like this pattern but prefer working on smaller projects, you can transform your work into a centerpiece for your table. Here is a lovely doily made by Carmen Carpenter Hoskins using elements from the pattern. It turned out wonderfully!
Hope you will enjoy this pattern as much as I enjoyed designing it. I’m excited to see what you create. Have fun crafting!!
