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The Fifth Avenue Cardigan: photograph of the original 1940s design
The original 1940s design
A 1940s design

The Fifth Avenue Cardigan

rewritten for your size, yarn and gauge

A fitted, hip-length 1940s cardigan with narrow padded shoulders and a nipped-in waist. The right front crosses over on a diagonal and buttons at an angle, and every edge is finished in crochet with contrast stripes.

Fit
Fitted, with about 2 in (5 cm) of ease at the bust
Skill level
Experienced. An asymmetric crossover front shaped at the same time as the waist and armholes, with striped crochet edges.
Sizes
US 4 to 24 (UK 8 to 28, EU 36 to 56): 32 to 52 in (81 to 132 cm) bust
Yarns
Fingering / 4-ply, DK / light worsted, Worsted / Aran
Original yarn
Fingering (4-ply), at about 28 sts to 4 in (10 cm) over stockinette. For the closest match to the photo, use a yarn that knits to this gauge.
Gauge
Your own, from 16 to 34 stitches per 4 in (10 cm)
You get
Your complete pattern straight away, to read on screen, print or save, plus an email link back to it

Bulky (chunky) and super bulky yarns aren't offered: the crossover front and padded shoulders lose their shape in thick yarn.

What you'll get

  • Every piece written out in full for your size and gauge
  • Row counts with the length to check against, so you always know where you are
  • Row-by-row planners for the tricky bits, where shaping happens on both edges at once
  • Drawings of each piece with your measurements, and full making-up instructions

Every design is chosen by a knitter and checked against its original pattern. If you get stuck, email us and a real person will help.

No swatch? You can use the gauge on your yarn's label. For a perfect fit, knit a swatch and measure it over stockinette. Here's how to measure your gauge.

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