Pattern Scout
Ten Top Granddad Cardigans to Knit NOW
There is nothing that gets the blood pumping quite like a crowd-sourced deep-dive pattern search. I’m not kidding: when the readers of this blog get the bit in their teeth, they bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan. [Insert additional clichés/old commercials as desired.] I was idly musing about knitting a granddad sweater this year, but now that I’ve gone through so many possibilities, I’m bemoaning how much chenille intarsia stands between me and my granddadigan. (Must. Stay. Strong.)
I’m limiting the list to ten for the sake of expediency, but there are so many good ones. To see them all, just wallow in the comments to my September 7 post. (And feel free to add to the comments any granddads that were missed.)
Here we go!
One. Big Sister, by von Hinterm Stein. Big Sister has the notched collar I was looking for, and divine pockets in just the right spot. It’s a bit bigger in the body than the Charlotte Rampling sweater I’d admired, but (a) I love a coatigan (I know you do too), and (b) looking through the projects, it’s clear that the coaty-ness factor varies a lot depending on the choice of size. I’m grateful to all who suggested this design, as von Hinterm Stein is new to me, and there are so many good sweaters by this designer. (The fact that the sample is in Plucky Knitter Scholar only adds to the allure; such a photogenic yarn, and I love things that are hard to come by.)
Two. Funky Grandpa by La Maison Rililie. This one has the combo of slender sleeves and boxy body that people are recommending. This combo is the secret to some of my favorite Eileen Fisher garments, I think. The contrast is flattering. I like the v-neck, and the stashbusting bravado of all those stripes. And since our dear Cara Davis has successfully knit four versions of La Maison Rililie’s Blue Sands Cardigan (bonus: also an excellent loose-fitting cardi with pockets), I feel great confidence in this pattern.
Three. Trailhead by Véronik Avery. How did I miss this one, by one of my favorite Brooklyn Tweed designers? The swing shape reminds me of the vintage Pendleton jackets I covet, and the details–pockets, sleeves, cables– are perfection. The stand-up/fold-back collar is the same as on the Ranger cardigan I knit so happily earlier this year. (Ranger is another excellent granddad cardi–a classic–but for me, I’m not sure about the raglan sleeves. Set-in is my go-to.) (Notice how I’m sneaking in bonus granddads to keep within my count.)
Four. Go-To Cardigan by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. This is a lovely office jacket. So smooth and flattering, and in one of my all-time favorite yarns, Rowan Felted Tweed, which is so light and drapey, and a dream on the needles. I’m deducting a point for the lack of pockets, but then again, pockets would interrupt that smooth line. Is it too elegant to be a granddad? Am I overthinking this?
Five. Grandpa Cardigan by Joji Locatelli. The focus here is cables. (Are you picking that up?) I love this super-dense allover cabled fabric. The shawl collar and the way it looks on Joji are big selling points here. As commenter Milissa pointed out, there is a gorgeous scarlet version of this sweater in Spirit Trail Fiberworks’ yarn Birte.
Six. Ribby Cardi by Bonne Marie Burns. People just keep knitting this one. It is so good. Again, for moi, given my strong-which-is-not-to-say-bulky shoulders, I have a slight suspicion of the raglan sleeves, but nearly 600 people have made it on Ravelry, and it looks good on everybody. Do I dare a zipper? Dare I don’t? Do words have meanings? Can a person go blind from excessively looking at cardigans and copying links and taking screenshots?
Seven. Linney by Amy Christoffers. The slim but skimming fit is what I’m looking for, and excellent pockets like these corrugated ones. People have made Linney short and long and everything in between. Amy Christoffers is a real sweater maven, and I love the idea of a Linney in a workhorse yarn like Berroco Ultra Alpaca.
Eight. Uniform, build your own cardigan, by Carrie Bostick Hoge. She means it when she says “build your own cardigan.” The knitter can vary the length, the shape, and the neckline of this cardigan, for very different sweaters. The jackety version pictured looks very “Charlotte Rampling in 45 Years” to me. Just the thing for Kate to wear to an intense lunch at the caff with her bewildered husband.
Nine. Dark and Stormy by Thea Colman. If this is not a granddad cardi, I don’t what is. I like the bomber length, the judicious cables and the narrow shawl collar. 1465 Ravelers can’t be wrong.
Ten. Boyfriend by Lori Versaci. Proportion is everything. This short and boxy cardi, with texture on the front panels, looks like something you’d want to put on day after day. The v-neck makes it look cooler (ventilation-wise), and less bulky than a traditional menswear cardigan.
Thanks to our kind commenters for taking the time to dig these out and share. There are so many good granddad cardigans out there–many more than just ten. I’m finding it hard to make up my mind.
P.S. Some dad dancing to help get your sweater cast on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG2SM1jUjAI
I think I need a screen shot of the white sweater, gansey?
This post is like a dream come true. They’re all going in my fantasy queue along with Norah Gaughan’s Bannock and Mary Jane Mucklestone’s Super Soul Cardigan. xoc
Thanks for the collection – there are a lot of great sweater here. I currently have “Big Sister” on the needles. I loved knitting the shoulder – very interesting construction method. Need to explore several of these.
I vote for funky grandpa. The name alone reminds me of the best sides of my somewhat grumpy gramps.
Jane
The sweaters are lovely. Lots to consider there as I have yet to try my hand at the granddad. Thanks so much for the video clip! I can’t wait to show it to my 15 year old son. He will love it.
I like to joke that my style is approximately 1/3 “Norwegian grandpa” and I have an old medium grey men’s L.L. Bean number that’s a bit oversized on me that I wear all the time. That being said, while it’s not a cardigan, my Norwegian grandpa style dreams include a handknit islender (the Norwegian name, meaning “Icelander,” though I suspect Faroese origins originally) at some point in my future: https://www.google.no/search?q=islender&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=776&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjFibXmoILPAhXEfiwKHSXsAykQ_AUIBigB
I’ve had a mind to knit “Dark and Stormy” for quite some time, but now that it’s received the Modern Daily endorsement I absolutely have to!
There is currently a KAL for Thea’s patterns until Sunday with a 15% discount on all the patterns…
Oooh, thanks Carol!
that funky grandpa is a great stashbuster option. maybe for random ecru skeins? just thinking out loud here…
Don’t forget Anne Hanson’s “Ivar” cardigan (published by Brooklyn Tweed). No pockets, but a nice smooth line and very flattering.
What about Laura Chau’s Carter? So good. Pockets too! http://www.laurachau.com/patterns/carter/
Love them all. If you are willing to look at the coat/jacket variety, you should consider Vendange, by Anne Hanson. Bulky and cable-y and yummy in 2 lengths. I did not add earlier as I thought heavier than you were thinking.
oh, thank you on so many levels. I have a sad Eadon that had operator errors, and want to frog. So many good options here. Thanks.
And old men dancing always makes me giggle.
Thank you for that tasty nugget of video happiness!
Love the dancing grandpas!
How can you be tempting me with all these grandpa cardigans when I am in the “second sleeve slough of desponcy” on Flaum, which is not exactly a grandpa but will be wonderful if I can power through.
Hey I’m in the same boat–it’s rugged. KEEP ON.
I started Timber by Jared Flood after reading yesterday’s post. It didn’t make this cut of 10, but it is a good ‘un, with lots of raves on Rav.
Oops, that’s Tinder by Jared
He probably also has one called Timber!
I’ll admit at first I thought “Timberline” when I saw Timber, so… almost!
There is a Patons booklet called “Next Steps Three: Create Your Own Cardigan” that I just used to knit a basic cardi. It’s a mix-and-match deal…straight sleeves, flared sleeves, v-neck, crew neck, no collar, folded collar, stand up/fold down collar, long body, shorter body. They use bulky yarn, so they knit up quick and they are cute basic cardigans.
Great lineup of cardis. I’ve made two of the choices and see a few others that are already in my faves. And now you’ve added a couple more to that list. Cannot have two many good cardis, after all.
And the dad dancing? SUPERB!! What a bunch of cuties. Great start to the day, thank you very much!
Kay, this is all well and good BUT Rhinebeck is coming and chenille intarsia would be perfect for those chilly mornings fueling the flux capacitor on your DeLorean. Besides, you have all those ends to weave in. (Ann will send Elliott and Kermit to help with those.)
I may do the ends Authentic Kaffe StyleTM. (Tie knots and forget about it.)
Cardigan raglan sleeve question to any and all: What am I doing wrong after knitting two raglan cardis and the raglan shoulders just seem to slip off? I keep tugging to keep them on.
I am small person and often knit small or medium and it seems like there is not enough knitted at top. I never have the problem with set-in sleeves-why I like Big Sister’s look.
Loved the dancing dad’s video, each with his very own granddad sweater, too!!!
Imagine if they were all handknits!
Thanks for this great list. Now I have something lovely for you (although I bet you already know all about it): NPR reported yesterday that some farmers in Tennessee are switching from growing tobacco to growing indigo. From deadly, smelly, dirty tobacco to beautiful, blue-giving, denim-loving indigo. This is as if Zika suddenly mutated into a virus that does nothing but make babies healthy and whole. It’s a miracle! Or at least it’s a trend.
I listened to that on Marketplace yesterday. Made my day, truly. It’s a must-listen just for the beautiful accents of the two farmers.
Oops Go-To Cardigan link opens Ranger by Jared Flood instead. Discovered as I added yet another in a loooong line of patterns suggested here! I’m glad you included some of my fav designers too… Joji Locatelli and Lori Versaci!
THANKS–[runs off to fix it]. And there I was thinking I was being so careful!
Btw, who are those cheery fisherman-types at the header? What port do they hail from?
Whitby or somewheres. I googled “old men in sweaters” or something.
Circumnavigated Cardigan by Medrith J. Glover, owner of The Woolroom, Quincy, CA is a great pattern and a comfortable sweater. I prefer the knitting worsted weight cardigan. Will make a sixth one this fall.
Love those slash pockets, and it must be delightfully lightweight in Loft (doubled, I know, but still so delectably airy).
I’ve had my eye on Reine for some time, for a buttload of Knit Picks Gloss I hoarded in a delicious camel color called “Serengeti.” Now that it’s after Labor Day, it’s time to revisit. Thanks very much for the nudge!
Whoops the comment above is meant for Reine!
Oh, now that is IT.
My 3/4-finished Audrey (last year’s Most Coveted sweater) is getting pulled to pieces in favor of one of these. I didn’t like those sleeves, anyway.
This is a fabulous list, and I am also regularly amazed at the power of crowdsourcing a knitting pattern quest.
All I have to add is that I tried on the sample for Trailhead and it was just as fabulous in person as in the photos. I did not think the high-low cocoon back think would work for me, and instead I fell for it and bought the yarn on the spot!
Now I just have to finish the 2 other sweaters I’m plugging away on (one is cast away on Sleeve Island, the other lost in the dreaded Collar-and-Bands-and-Seaming swamp)…
I’m not sure if I’m a knitter or a day dreamer! The queue is endlessly long (thank you very much) and I have more questions than answers. Thank you for summarizing the comments of your earlier post. I think.
A nice choice of of future projects, Kay. Loved the video, as well.
There’s also Birk by Olga Buraya-Kefelian.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/birk
And Bud by Kim Hargreaves.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bud
I love 5 with the cables. Just add pockets! Not patch pockets, knit in pockets.
Great post and list. I love my Tinder, much worn. Gearing up for Ivar.
Kay, are you going to be the only one not knitting a grandad after you got this started? Put the big flower aside for Rheinbeck 2017 and we can do a Bang Out A Grandad Cardigan this fall!
Oh my. The pockets!! Thanks for the inspiration.
Hi Kay! Thanks so much for the shout-out to my Grandpa Cardigan! What a super surprise . Joji’s pattern is superbly written, and so much fun to knit. And, I chose it because I, too, was craving an an all-over cabled cardigan like my own grandfather used to wear.
Dark and Stormy is totally on my list, and now so is the Ribby Cardi (I love sweaters with zippers!!).
Good luck choosing! That’s a fabulous list of possibilities!
Great selection of sweaters – I was thrilled to see that Dark and Stormy’s gauge was 5 stitches per inch. As a naturally loose knitter, I am all for a larger gauge in anything bigger than a sock.
Well, this is pretty grandfather-y (no pockets, tho) and only released today. http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEdf16/PATTlaurel/PATTlaurel.php
This is one of my favorite Grandpa Cardigan patterns: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sophisticate-2
I’ve admired the Baby Sophisticate pattern for years, and there is finally an adult version.
Another favorite (that would be a great candidate for a “bang out a grandpa sweater knit-a-long” like someone else suggested):
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/superbulky-grandpa
Kay, when you posted The Call the other day, I didn’t have any suggestions but knew there would be a fabulous follow-up based on the plethora of wonderful answers from your sweater-knitting readers. All I had to do was sit back and wait 🙂
oh dear,
I feel so honoured
you made my day!!!
:))
btw, this blog is fabulous, …I’ll follow from now on !
P.S:
I wish you all lots of fun knitting your granddad cardis!!!
Oh Holy Cow! Now I want to knit them all!!
Currently planning my dye session for the funky grandpa…..
oh no, I was planning to cast on the Jackaroo ( not a grandpa cardie) by Amy Herzog this afternoon. Now I need to rethink this.
Makes my 3 day ice/freezing rain in worth while! Love the showcase for sweaters as well…
I loved this when it was up before. I made the Uniform cartigan for my daughter, very much like the one pictured. It was great to include just the features she wanted. That post got me hooked on MDK.
I feel faint.
SO happy to see that the majority of these have set in sleeves!! I find it hard to find sweaters with set in sleeves these days because everybody seems intimidated by them! But I have sloping shoulders and look like a dumpling in raglans…so thank you!!