The Riga cardigan is knitted from the top down, starting with the collar, which is knitted in the round using the magic loop method. The collar is then closed by joining the stitches together, whilst the stitches for the button plackets are left on hold. The shoulder seams are formed using the ‘contiguous’ method (increases on either side of the shoulder seam) and short rows. The shoulder cap (top of the sleeve) is formed with a series of increases. To finish the upper section, increases are worked on both the body and the sleeves until the armhole height is reached.

The sleeve stitches are left on hold and new stitches are cast on at the underarm to join the front and back pieces, thus forming the body of the cardigan. A few rows of stockinette stitch are worked, followed by a horizontal cable and pearl rib to finish the pattern at the bottom of the body. A wide strip of stockinette stitch, folded over to the wrong side of the work, finishes off the bottom of the cardigan.

Both sleeves are knitted in the round and follow the same structure as the body. The cuffs are worked in double stockinette stitch. The two button plackets are also knitted in double stockinette stitch, having first picked up stitches from the edge of the body.