Mr. Rogers was one of my childhood heroes—I remember demanding that my mother come outside and get us five minutes before it aired each day, so that my brother and I could scramble into the house and watch, enraptured. I thought I couldn’t be any more smitten with who he was, and what he did. Then, as an adult textile artist, I learned that **every single one of Mr. Rogers’s sweaters was hand-knit by his mum**. Be still my heart!
This unisex, zippered cardigan is inspired by Mr. Rogers’s sweaters, and I couldn’t be more pleased to share it with you in honor of Maxwell King’s biography The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers.
This advanced-level cardigan is worked in pieces from the bottom up and then seamed for stability, with set-in sleeves. The neckline is picked up and worked with short rows after the button placket has been faced for a zipper. You can find a tutorial on installing a zipper in the tutorials section of this site.
Sizing
Finished chest circumference: 31 1/2 (34 3/4, 38, 40, 43 1/4, 46 1/2, 49 1/2, 52 1/2, 55 1/2, 58 3/4, 62, 64)" / 80 (88.5, 96.5, 101.5, 110, 118, 125.5, 133.5, 141, 149, 157.5, 162.5) cm
Intended to be worn with 2 - 4” (5 - 10 cm) positive ease in the upper torso.
Gauge
20 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches / 10 cm in Stockinette Stitch
Materials:
Berroco Vintage
Shown in #5173 "Red Pepper": 5 (5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 11) hanks.
Construction:
The Good Neighbor is worked in pieces from the bottom up and then seamed. The neckband is picked up and knitted on using short rows to shape; the zipper opening is picked up and knitted with a small amount of ribbing.
