The Jamie cardigan from Readytosew is a great basic with that little extra to make it stand out. It is a quick make but will have longevity in your wardrobe.

It is interesting to observe how changes in one part of fashion influences other areas. If the waistline on trousers and skirts rises, the hems on tops do the same, and they suddenly get wider, too. When sleeves on blouses are blooming, the sleeves on cardigans and sweaters have to be wider to accommodate that. It’s all about proportions. The past few years have seen a shift in silhouette that makes my older cardigans seem dated with their narrow sleeves, and very unpractical, too. Jamie, on the other hand, is both a classic shape and has some features that make it feel more current.

Jamie is inspired by an old cardigan the designer Raphaëlle of Readytosew “borrowed” from her granddad, so it is a true classic in that sense. The pattern has two views, one classic hip length with pockets and one cropped with shorter sleeves and no pockets. My two versions are both the same view – 2. The pattern was released a couple of years ago.

What makes the cardigan stand out are the wider sleeves that are gathered gently around the wrists. It is very comfortable but not fuzzy, and it accommodates shirt and blouse sleeves very well. To make it more feminine, the top of the sleeve is quite narrow, so no room for a puff sleeve there. This area works well for me, but if your bicep measurement is wider than average you might want to check the fit for you.

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My first version was made in remnants from other projects. I love merino jersey from the Fabric Store on New Zealand and have made several tops, sweaters and cardigans from it. The colors are gorgeous, most are subdued brights or neutrals. I often prefer blues and greens, but a little ochre is very pretty, too. For this project I recommend a little heavier jersey, but it works fine in this 200 GSM jersey, too.

The white version is made in a heavier mix of merino and viscose jersey. I used some interfacing in the button bands for support, and the buttons are in ochre. I like this cardigan very much. It is not particularly warm, so it is more suited for summer, and it looks good over hight waisted skirts and trousers.

The Jamie cardigan is a very quick make, particularly if you have access to an overlocker. It fills a gap in my wardrobe for a cropped, wider cardigan and is a very practical layering piece.

Pattern: Jamie cardigan from Readytosew
Size: M
Fabrics: Remnants for the color blocked version, 1.5 m offwhite jersey for the second version.
Time: Half a day