Diamond Placket Cardigan Pattern

My recent obsession over diamonds is now well documented.

Diamonds in knitwear are often tied to argyle, a pattern with a surprisingly rich and layered history. Argyle originated in Scotland, associated with the tartan of Clan Campbell of Argyll, and later became popularized through hosiery and golf wear in the early 20th century. Over time, it evolved into a symbol of both tradition and subversion — from classic menswear to punk reinterpretations and high fashion runways. I love that argyle carries that duality: polite and rebellious, old and endlessly reworked.

For this cardigan, I wasn’t interested in a full argyle field. Instead, I wanted to isolate the diamond and let it act as an accent rather than a takeover. The diamond placket becomes a focal point: a small, intentional moment of pattern that draws you in, frames the garment, and quietly nods to that long lineage.

And then there’s the stockinette.  Followers of DEGEN will know that sometimes our patterns can be complicated and necessitate focus.  Not this one.

I will always advocate for patterns that understand how knitters actually knit. I love visual interest, but I also love the deep, meditative pleasure of long stretches of stockinette.  The stitch created for conversation, TV, and commute. This pattern is built around that balance. The diamond placket gives you something engaging to work through, a section where you slow down and pay attention, and then it opens back up into expanses of smooth, satisfying knitting.

Like all my work, this cardigan is rooted in craft tradition but filtered through how I want to dress now. I want dressing to feel easy but still interesting. The button band really brings that energy.  And the option to use different types of buttons is thrilling to me as a person who would typically go toward matching classic corozo buttons.

We do have these buttons in the shop!  Here are the terrazzo black ones and here are the checkered white ones.  

This pattern releases on Thursday February 12th at 10am ET