Ever since releasing my original Katia Sweater a few years ago, I'd always wanted to make a cardigan version of the design but was always intimidated by the difficulty that is designing 2 symmetrical front panels with a non-conventional stitch pattern. I put it off for 2 years but finally felt like I'd grown enough as a designer to tackle the task, and thus the Katia Cardigan was born! The stitch pattern used in this design along with the 3 different types of panels makes this a very engaging and entertaining project suitable for advanced crocheters, or intermediate crocheters looking for a rewarding challenge.

This cardigan is made up of 5 separate panels: 1 back panel, 2 front panels, and 2 sleeve panels. Each panel is constructed 'sideways' meaning that the first row determines the length of the panel, and each additional row makes the panel wider. The 2 sleeve panels are identical but the 2 front panels are worked differently to ensure that they are symmetrical. The 5 panels are then sewn together to form the body of the cardigan and a button band is crocheted along the edge of the cardigan.