American Girl Doll Aran Sweater
IntermediateFree Doll Sweater Knitting Pattern
Aran Sweaters are the traditional sweaters of the Aran Islands of Ireland, and feature raglan-style sleeves, cabling and Celtic knotwork. The designs of real Aran sweaters are super complex. This is my simplified version for the American Girl Doll!
I have 2 versions of this pattern: an oversized/unisex sweater and a fitted sweater for a girl. The oversized sweater is worked in the worsted weight yarn, the fitted sweater is worked in the sport weight yarn. The sweater has a rear opening. The oversized/unisex version is worked back and forth with the back opening ending just below the waistline, and then it is worked in the round. The fitted version is worked back and forth with the back opening from the neckline to the bottom edge. The sleeves are worked on dpn's in the round. I used sew-on snaps.
The sweaters are worked top-down, back-and-forth with raglan sleeves and a button band on the back. The oversized version is worked with the back opening ending just a little lower than the waist line, and then it is worked in the round. The fitted version is worked back and forth with the back opening from the neckline to the bottom edge. The sleeves are worked on dpn’s in the round.
Skills Required/Technique Used:
-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
-Increasing
-Working in the round on double pointed needles
-Picking up stitches
-Cable stitch
Materials for oversized version: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Worsted Yarn, 50 g / 100 m (110 yards) - 2 balls.
Needles for oversized version: US #3 (3.25 mm) and US #5 (3.75 mm) circular and a set of US #5 (3.75 mm) 4-5” long double pointed needles of the same size for sleeves OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE.
Materials for fitted version: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport weight yarn 184 yd (168 m)/50g – 1 ball.
Needles for fitted version: US #1 (2.25) and US #2 (2.75 mm) circular and a set of #2 (2.75 mm) 4-5” long double pointed needles of the same size for sleeves OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE.
Notions:
- Stitch markers
- Stitch holders or 2 pieces 10” long of contrasting color waste yarn to hold stitches
- Yarn needle
- Cable needle
- 4-5 sew-on snaps size 2/0 or 3/0
- sewing needle and thread of color matching the yarn for attaching the snaps
Gauge for oversized sweater in seed stitch: 20 sts x 34 rows = 4" (10cm)
Gauge for fitted sweater in seed stitch: 26 sts x 48 rows = 4" (10cm)
Abbreviations:
dpn – double pointed needles
K – knit
P – purl
St – stitch
Sts - stitches
pu&k - pick up and knit
as est. - as established, work as the previous row
co – cast on
RS – right side
WS – wrong side
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.
bb – button band
sm -slip marker
Pattern Notes
Stockinette in rows:
Row 1 (RS): knit
Row 2: purl
Repeat 2 rows.
Stockinette in rounds: All rounds knit.
Garter stitch in rows: all rows knit
Seed Stitch:
Even number of stitches
Row 1: * K1, p1; rep from * to end of row.
Row 2: * P1, k1; rep from * to end of row.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2.
2x2 rib in rows:
Row 1: *k2, p2 – repeat to the end of the row.
Row 2: *p2, k2 – repeat to the end of the row.
Repeat 2 rows.
2x2 rib in rounds: *k2, p2 – repeat to the end of the round.
2x2 Cable:
On 6 sts
Rows 1 and 3: p 1, k 4, p 1.
All WS (even) rows (2, 4, 6): k 1, p 4,k 1.
Row 5: p 1, 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), p1.
Repeat rows 1-6.
The selvedge/edge stitches are worked as follows: slip the first stitch knitwise and purl the last one.
Raglan: Raglan line stitches are worked in stockinette, that’s knit in the RS rows, purl in the WS rows. All increases for raglan are done only in odd/right side (RS) rows in the following way: work until 1 stitch remains before the marker, m1, knit 2 (the marker is between these 2 stitches, slip it), m1. Repeat on all raglan lines, thus 8 stitches are added in each RS row. In each following wrong side row, m1-stitches are worked in seed pattern, that’s why they may be k or p depending on the pattern.
Button Band (bb) is worked together with the body of the sweater in garter stitch on 2 stitches in the beginning and in the end of each row.
Oversized Worsted Weight Sweater
Cast on 62 (1 edge – 2 bb – 56 sts – 2 bb – 1 edge).
Odd rows make the RS, even rows make the WS.
Work 4 rows (rows 1-4): slip 1 (edge), k 2 (bb), work 2x2 rib on 56 sts, k 2 (bb), p1 (edge).
Distribute the stitches as follows:
1 edge – 2 right bb – 6 right back – 2 raglan (place a marker between these 2 sts) – 10 right sleeve - 2 raglan (place a marker between these 2 sts) – 16 front – 2 raglan (place a marker between these 2 sts) – 10 right sleeve - 2 raglan (place a marker between these 2 sts) – 6 left back – 2 bb – 1 edge.
Row 5 (RS): sl 1 (edge), k 2 (bb), work seed st on 6 sts of the right back, m1, k 1, sm, k1 (raglan), m1, work 10 sleeve sts as follows: 2 sts seed, 6 sts cable: (p1, k4, p1), 2 seed, m1, k1, sm, k1 (raglan), m1, work 16 front sts as follows: 6 sts cable (p1, k4, p1), 4 sts seed, 6 sts cable (p1, k4, p1), m1, k1, sm, k1 (raglan), m1, work 10 sleeve sts as follows: 2 sts seed, 6 sts cable: (p1, k4, p1), 2 sts seed, m1, k1, sm, k1 (raglan), m1, work left back sts as follows: 6 seed, 2 k (bb), p1 (edge). = 70 sts
All added (m1) stitches along the raglan lines are worked in seed pattern in the WS rows.
Work 15 more rows as established. After row 20 the number of sts is 126.
Divide for sleeves and bodice:
Row 21 (RS): work 18 sts as est.(right back), transfer the next 28 to a piece of waste yarn (right sleeve), co 5, work the next 34 as est. (front), transfer the next 28 to a piece of waste yarn (left sleeve), co 5, work the remaining 18 as est. (left back) = 80 sts
Row 22 (WS) and all even rows: sl 1, k 2, work the next 14 sts in seed pattern as est, p 1, work 5 underarm sts in seed pattern, p1, work 32 front sts as est., p1, work 5 underarm sts in seed pattern, p1, work 17 sts as est. Work as established 16 more rows.
In row 37 join the work into round, for this transfer the last 3 sts (bb) in the row to a spare needle, overlap the button bands – place the 3 stitches on the spare needle under the first 3 stitches on the left needle. Work the bb stitches together in seed pattern: insert the right hand needle in the first/selvedge stitch on the left needle and in the first stitch on the spare needle, work them together. In the same way, work together the remaining 2 sts, place a marker after these 3 sts knitted together, this is the beginning of the round. Continue to work in the round. = 77 sts
Work as est. 10-11 rounds
Work the next round as follows: p 2, *k 2, p 2 – repeat from * 6 times, (k 2, p 2, k 4, p2) twice, *k 2, p 2 – repeat from * 7 times, k2, p1. Repeat this round 5 more times.
Sleeves
Transfer 28 stitches from the waste yarn to dpn, distributing them evenly, pu&k 5 sts underarm = 33 sts.
Round 1: k1 , work seed pattern on 10 sts as est., work cable on 6 sts as est., work seed pattern on 10 sts as est, k1, work seed pattern on the 5 underarm sts.
Work as est. 25 rounds.
Work the next round as follows: *k 1, p1 – repeat from * 6 times, k 4, *p 1, k 1 – repeat from * 8 times, p 1.
Repeat this round 5-7 times.
Fitted Sport Weight Sweater:
Cast on 62 (1 edge – 2 bb – 56 sts – 2 bb – 1 edge).
Odd rows make the RS, even rows make the WS.
Work 4 rows (rows 1-4): slip 1 (edge), k 2 (bb), work 2x2 rib on 56 sts, k 2 (bb), p1 (edge).
Distribute the stitches as follows:
1 edge – 2 right bb – 6 right back – 2 raglan (place a marker between these 2 sts) – 10 right sleeve - 2 raglan (place a marker between these 2 sts) – 16 front – 2 raglan (place a marker between these 2 sts) – 10 right sleeve - 2 raglan (place a marker between these 2 sts) – 6 left back – 2 bb – 1 edge.
Row 5 (RS): sl 1 (edge), k 2 (bb), work seed st on 6 sts of the right back, m1, k 1, sm, k1 (raglan), m1, work 10 sleeve sts as follows: 2 sts seed, 6 sts cable: (p1, k4, p1), 2 seed, m1, k1, sm, k1 (raglan), m1, work 16 front sts as follows: 6 sts cable (p1, k4, p1), 4 sts seed, 6 sts cable (p1, k4, p1), m1, k1, sm, k1 (raglan), m1, work 10 sleeve sts as follows: 2 sts seed, 6 sts cable: (p1, k4, p1), 2 sts seed, m1, k1, sm, k1 (raglan), m1, work left back sts as follows: 6 seed, 2 k (bb), p1 (edge). = 70 sts
All added (m1) stitches along the raglan lines are worked in seed pattern in the WS rows.
Work 19 more rows as established. After row 24 the number of sts is 142
Divide for sleeves and bodice:
Row 25 (RS): work 19 sts of the right back as est, k 1, transfer the next 32 sts (right sleeve) to a piece of waste yarn, co 2, k 1, work 36 front stitches as est, k1, transfer 32 sts (left sleeve) to a piece of waste yarn, co 2, k 1, work 19 sts of the left back as est. = 82 sts
Row 26 (WS) and all even, WS, rows: work 19 sts as est, p 4, work 36 sts as est, p 4, work 19 sts as est.
Work 25 more rows as established, then work 6 rows in 2 x 2 rib.
Sleeve
Transfer 32 sts to dpn distributing them evenly, pu&k 2 = 34.
Round 1: k1, work seed pattern on 12 sts, work cable on 6 sts, work seed pattern on 12 sts, k 3 ( 1 of the last transferred and 2 underarm sts),
Work 33 rounds as established, then work 6 rounds in 2x2 rib.
Finishing
Weave in the yarn ends. Sew on snaps on the button bands.
Have fun!
