Cable Cardigan for 18-inch Doll

Free Doll Cardigan Knitting Pattern

This pattern makes a cable cardigan for an 18-inch doll. You work the cardigan from the top down in one piece. The design uses simple cables and stockinette stitch. You knit back and forth in rows with no seams to sew. Buttons close the front. The finished cardigan looks neat and fits well on most 18-inch dolls.

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

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

Materials: Knit Picks (affiliate link) Palette fingering weight 100% wool yarn, 231 yds (210 m)/ 50 g, 1 ball of any color

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

Gauge: 24 st x 40 rows = 4" x 4" (10 cm x 10 cm) in stockinette stitch.

Notions:
yarn needle, 4 stitch markers, small buttons, sewing needle and thread of matching color, small embellishments of your choice (optional).

Abbreviations:

k - knit
p - purl
k2tog – knit 2 stitches together
p2tog – purl 2 stitches together
pu&k- pick up and knit
yo – yarn over
m1 - make 1 increase - 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
sm - slip marker
pm - place marker
rm - remove marker
as est. - as established
bb – button band
cross cable: 2/2 LC -Slip 2 stitches onto a cable needle and hold in front, k2 then k2 from cable needle.

Pattern Notes:

1x1 rib in rows:
Row 1 (RS): * k1, p1 – repeat across from *
Row 2: *p1,k1 – repeat across from *

Reversed stockinette in rows:
Row 1 (RS): purl
Row 2: knit
Repeat 2 rows

Reversed stockinette in rounds: all rounds purl.

Garter stitch in rows: all rows knit.

2x2 cables
Rows 1 and 3 (RS): knit 4
Rows 2,4,6 – purl 4
Row 5 cross cable: slip 2 sts on a cable needle and hold before the work, knit the next 2 sts, return the sts from the cable needle to the left needle and knit them one by one (this is 2/2LC)

Raglan increases: in every right side (RS) row, work till the marker, m1, slip marker (sm), work cable pattern over 4 raglan sts, m1. There are 4 raglan lines, repeat on each raglan line, thus the number of sts in each RS row will increase by 8.

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

Button Bands (bb) are worked in garter stitch on 3 stitches in the beginning and in the end of each row.

Button holes (bh) are worked in every 15th RS row at the end of the row on the right button band in the following way: k2tog, yo, k1, in the next, WS row, knit all sts, including the yo.


Short Overview of the Pattern:

The cardigan is worked top-down, back and forth with cables on the front, as raglan lines, sides and hem. There are 2 options for working sleeves – you can work them flat and then seam, or in rounds on dpn, the choice is yours. The cardigan is worked in reversed stockinette and 2x2 cables with button bands in garter stitch and raglan increases. The sleeves also feature cables on cuffs.


Cardigan

Cast on 71 and work 4 rows in 1x1 rib:

Row 1 (RS): k1, *k1, p1 – repeat across to the end of the row.

Row 2: k1, *p1, k1 – repeat across till the last st, p1.

Repeat rows 1-2 one more time.

Check the stitches and place markers: 1 edge - 3 bb - 8 left front – 4 raglan (place the first marker before these 4 sts) - 8 left sleeve - 4 raglan (place the second marker before these 4 sts) - 15 back - 4 raglan (place the third marker before these 4 sts) – 8 right sleeve - 4 raglan (place the forth marker before these 4 sts) - 8 right front - 3 bb - 1 edge

Row 5 (RS, increase row, button hole): *knit 4 (bb), p2, k4, p2, m1, sm, k4, m1, p8, m1, sm, k4, m1, p15, m1, sm, k4, m1, p8, m1, sm, k4, m1, p2, k4, p2, (bb and bh): k2tog, yo, k1 (bb), p1 = 79 sts

Row 6 (WS): k4, k2, p4, k3, p4, k10, p4, K17, p4, k10, p4, k3, p4, k2, k3, p1

Row 7 (RS and all RS rows): work as est., m1 before and after each 4 raglan sts. = 87 sts

Row 8 (WS) and all WS rows: work as established, knit all sts added on raglan lines in RS rows.

Work as est. for 20 more rows, crossing cables in every 5th row of the cable pattern, these are rows 9, 15, 21, 27, etc.; add sts (m1) before and after each raglan sts in every RS row; make button holes at the end of RS rows every 15 row. Work WS rows as est. knitting increased sts.

The number of sts after

row 5 = 79, button hole

row 7 = 87

row 9 = 95, cross cable

row 11 = 103

row 13 = 111

row 15 =119, cross cable

row 17 = 127

row 19 = 135, button hole

row 21 = 143, cross cable

row 23 = 151

row 25 = 159

row 27 = 167, cross cable

row 29 = 175

row 31 = 183


Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Row 33 (RS, cross cable and button hole): work 28 sts as established, rm, transfer the next 40 sts on a piece of waste yarn, rm, co5, work 28 sts, rm, transfer the next 40 sts on a piece of waste yarn, rm, co5, work 28 as est., make button hole on the right button band. = 113 sts

Row 34: work as est, work 5 underarm sts: p2, k1, p2

In the RS rows work 5 underarm sts: k2, p1 (place marker before this st.), k2.

Work rows 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 (cross cable), 40 as est.

Row 41 (increase row): (work as est until marker, m1, sm, p1, m1) twice, work as est. till the end of the row. = 117 sts

In the following WS rows knit the added sts and purl them in RS rows.

Work rows 42, 43, 44, 45 (cross cable), 46, 47 (button hole), 48, 49, 50 as est.,

Row 51 (RS, increase row, cross cable): (work as est until 1 st remains before the marker, m1, p3, m1) twice, work as est. till the end of the row.= 121 sts

In the following WS rows knit the added sts and purl them in RS rows.

Rows 52, 53, 54 work as est.

Row 55: k4, p2, k4, (p3, k4) twice, p2, k4, p5, k4, p2, k4, (p3, k4) 5 times, p2, k4, p5, k4, p2, (k4, p3) twice, k4, p2, k3, p1.

Row 56, 57 -cross cable, 58, 59, 60, 61- button hole, 62, 63 – cross cable, 64, 65, 66 work as est.

Bind off. Cut yarn.


Sleeves

Work one sleeve at a time.

Transfer 40 sts from waste yarn on dpn, pu&k 5 underarm sts = 45 sts. The middle, 3rd, underarm st will be the beginning of the round.

Alternatively, you can pick up the 3rd underarm st twice and work the sleeve flat in rows, then seaming it close.

Work 24 rounds in reversed stockinette, all rounds purl.

Round 25 (decrease round): (p3, p2tog) 9 times around = 36 sts

Round 26: *p2, k4 – repeat from * around.

Work rounds 27, 28 (cross cable), 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 (cross cable), 35, 36, 37, 38 as est.

If you want a narrow sleeve, like on the green cardigan, gradually decrease the sts from 45 to 36 during 24 rounds: p2 in every third round alternatively before and after the middle, 3rd, underarm stitch.

Bind off, cut yarn.


Finishing:

Weave in all yarn ends. Sew buttons on the button bands.

Have fun!