American Girl Doll Faux Fair Isle Cardigan

Free Doll Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Fair Isle without the fuss! Get your doll ready for her next winter adventure with this casual but elegant cardigan.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
-Increasing: make 1 (m1), yarn over (yo)
-Decreasing: knit 2 together (k2tog), purl 2 together (p2tog)
-Working in the round on double pointed needles
-Picking up stitches

Size: fits 18-inch dolls like American Girl, Our Generation and other dolls with similar body.

Materials: Self-striping sock yarn (A) of fingering weight (1/2 ball, about 100 yards),
Knit Picks (affiliate link) Palette fingering weight 100% wool yarn 231 yds (210 m)/ 50 g, of any matching color (B) small amount.

Needles: circular US #1 (2.25mm) and double pointed needles (dpn) 2.50 mm for the sleeves OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge: 30 sts x 40 rows = 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm) in stockinette st.

Notions:
yarn needle, 4 stitch markers, 4 small buttons, sewing needle and thread of matching color,

Abbreviations:
k - knit
p - purl
k2tog - knit 2 together
p2tog - purl 2 together
pu&k- pick up and knit
yo - yarn over
m1 - make 1 increase - I used the increase described by Elizabeth Zimmerman: make a backward loop over the right-hand needle and in the next row/round purl/knit as a regular stitch.
RS - right side
WS - wrong side


Pattern Notes:

Stockinette in rows:
Row 1 (RS): knit
Row 2: purl
Repeat 2 rows.

Stockinette in rounds:
All rounds knit

1x1 Rib:
Row 1 (RS): *k1, p1 - repeat from * across
Row 2 (WS): *k1. p1 - repeat from * across
Repeat 2 rows.

The selvedge/edge stitches are worked as follows: knit the first stitch and purl the last one.


Short Overview of the Pattern:

The cardigan is worked top-down, seamlessly, back and forth. The round yoke has several rows with increases. The sleeves are worked in rounds on dpn. Button bands are worked on each edge of the front by picking up stitches in 1x1 rib pattern.

Cardigan

On circular needles, with yarn B, cast on 56 sts

Row 1 (RS): knit 55, p1.

Row 2 (WS): k1, p55

Repeat rows 1-2 four more times.

Row 11 (RS, increase row): (k2, m1) x 27 times, k1, p1 (83 sts)

Row 12 (WS): k1, p82

Change to yarn A

Row 13 (RS): k82, p1

Row 14: k1, p82

Row 15 (RS, increase row): K2, (m1, k3) x26 times, m1, k2, p1 (110 sts)

Row 16: k1, p 109.

Row 17: k109, p1

Row 18 like row 16.

Row 19 (RS, increase row): k3, (m1, k4) x 26 times, m1, k2, p1 (137 sts)

Row 20: k1, p136

Row 21: k136, p1

Row 22: like 20

Row 23 (RS, increase row): k3, (m1, k10) x 13 times, m1, k3, p1 (151 sts)

Row 24: K1, p150

Row 25: k150, p1

Rows 26-28 in stockinette as established


Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Row 29 (RS): k19, transfer the next 36 sts to a piece of waste yarn, co 2 for underarm, k41, transfer the next 36 sts to a piece of waste yarn, co 2 for underarm, k18, p1. = 83 sts

Row 30: k1, p82

Row 31: k82, p1.

Repeat rows 30 and 31 14 more times (30 rows in all). Cut yarn A.

Work 6 rows in 1x1 rib with yarn B:

RS rows: k1, (k1, p1)x 41 times

WS rows: (k1, p1) x 41 times, p1.

Bind off. Cut yarn.


Sleeves

Work one sleeve at a time.

Transfer 36 sts from waste yarn to 3 dpn, 12 sts per needle, pu&k 2 underarm sts/ = 38 sts.

Work 30 rounds, all rounds knit.

Round 31: (k2tog, k2) - repeat around 9 times, k2tog. (28 sts) Cut yarn A.

Rounds 32-37 with yarn B: (k1, p1) x 14 times.

Bind off, cut yarn.


Button bands:

Left button band:

With RS facing, with yarn B, along the proper left edge of the front, starting on the 11th row and going down, evenly pu&k 45 sts.

Work the next 5 rows in 1x1 rib:

WS rows: *k1, p1, repeat from * to last st, p1

RS rows: k1, *k1, p1 - repeat from *.

Bind off, cut yarn.


Right button band:

With RS facing, with yarn B, along the proper right edge of the front, starting on the last row and going up, pu&k 45 sts, finishing on the 11th row.

Work the next row (WS) in 1x1 rib: *k1, p1 -repeat to last st, p1.

The next RS row (with button holes): k2, p1, k1, yo, k2tog, *(p1, k1) x 5 times, p1, yo, p2tog, repeat from * 3 times, k1, p1.

Work the next (WS) row in 1x1 rib: *k1, p1 -repeat to last st, p1.

Work 2 more row in 1x1 rib as established. Bind off, cut yarn.


Finishing:

Weave in all yarn ends. Sew buttons on the proper left button band.

Have fun!