Easy Garter Stitch Baby Cardigan

Free Baby Cardigan Knitting Pattern

This easy-to-knit baby cardigan features garter-stitch and an ultra-soft I-cord finish along all edges.

Size: 18/24 months

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
-Increasing: make 1 (m1)
-Decreasing: k2tog
-I-cord, applied I-cord

Materials: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes 100% wool worsted weight yarn 110 yards (101 meters) / 50 grams, color - 3 skeins (MC)
Knit Picks Wool of the Andes 100% wool worsted weight yarn 110 yards (101 meters) / 50 grams, color - 1 skein (CC)

Needles: US 7 (4.50 mm) OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE.

Gauge: 16 st x 36 rows = 4" x 4" (10 cm x 10 cm) in garter st.

Notions:
- Yarn needle

Abbreviations:
dpn – double pointed needles
K – knit
P – purl
St, sts – stitch, stitches
pu&k - pick up and knit
as est. - as established, work as the pattern demands, here knit the RS rows and purl the WS rows.
co – cast on
RS – right side
WS – wrong side
m 1 - 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 it as a regular stitch
cdd - central double decrease: 1) slip 2 sts on the right needle knitwise, 2) knit the next st, 3) insert the left needle in the slipped 2 sts and pass them over the just knitted st. = 2 sts decrease
bb – button band
sm - slip marker


Pattern Notes

Garter Stitch all rows: knit

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

See video instructions for knitting applied I-cord.

Short Overview of the item:

The cardigan is worked in garter stitch as one piece starting from the bottom of the back and finishing at the bottom of the front (see drawing). The edges are finished with applied I-cord.


Cardigan

With MC yarn cast on 50 st. Odd rows are RS, even rows are WS

Rows 1-14: sl1, knit to the last st, p1. 50 sts

Rows 15-18: with CC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 19-22: with MC yarn sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 23-26: with CC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 27-30: with MC yarn sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 31-34: with CC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 35-51: with MC yarn sl1, knit to the last st, p1

Sleeves

Row 52: with MC yarn sl1, knit to the end of the row. Cast on 28 sts. 78 sts.

Row 53: knit to the end of the row, cast on 28 sts. 106 sts.

Rows 54-88: sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Neckline Shaping

Row 89: sl1, k 44, cast off 16 sts, knit to the last st, p1.

Continue to work the left and right fronts and sleeves from 2 balls of yarn.


Left Front and Sleeve

Rows 90-102: sl1, knit to the last st, p1. 45 sts.

Row 103 (increase row): sl1, m1, knit to the last st, p1. 46 sts.

Row 104: sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Repeat rows 103-104 four more times. 50 sts after row 112.

Row 113: sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Row 114: sl1, knit to the end of the row, cast on 5 sts. 55 sts.

Rows 115-133: sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Row 134: cast of 28 sts, knit to the last st, p1. 27 sts.

Rows 135-152: sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 153-156: with CC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 157-160: with MC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 161-164: with CC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 165-168: with MC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 169-172: with CC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 173-186: with MC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Cast off.


Right Front and Sleeve

Rows 90-102: sl1, knit to the last st, p1. 45 sts.

Row 103 (increase row); sl1, knit to the last st, m1, p1. 46 sts.

Row 104: sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Repeat rows 103-104 four more times. 50 sts after row 112.

Row 113: sl1, knit to the end of the row, cast on 5 sts. 55 sts.

Row 114: sl1, knit to the last st, m1, p1.

Rows 115-132: sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Row 133: cast of 28 sts, knit to the last st, p1. 27 sts.

Rows 134-152: sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 153-156: with CC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 157-160: with MC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 161-164: with CC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 165-168: with MC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 169-172: with CC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Rows 173-186: with MC yarn, sl1, knit to the last st, p1.

Cast off.


Finishing:

Join the side and the sleeve seams.

Work applied I-cord around the bottom, center fronts, neckline and sleeve bottoms.

Enjoy!