Timeless Raglan Sweater for 18-Inch Doll

Free Doll Sweater Knitting Pattern

This pattern creates a classic pullover sweater for an 18-inch doll. It is worked seamlessly from the top down in one piece. The raglan increases shape the yoke. You can choose short sleeves or long sleeves to fit the season or style. The simple design makes it easy to knit and customize with different yarns or colors. The finished sweater fits dolls like American Girl well and looks great with skirts or jeans.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
---Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
--Increasing, make 1 (m1)
--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: 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 #2 (2.75mm) OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge: 36 st x 48 rows = 4" x 4" (10 cm x 10 cm) in stockinette stitch.

Notions:
yarn needle, stitch markers, sew-on snaps, sewing needle and thread of matching color, small embellishments of your choice (optional).

Abbreviations:
k - knit
p - purl
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
co – cast on


Pattern Notes:

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

Stockinette stitch in rounds: all rounds knit

Garter stitch in rows: all rows knit.

Seed stitch in rows: over even number of stitches
Row 1 (RS): *k1, p1 – repeat from *
Row 2: *p1, k1 – repeat from *
Repeat 2 rows.

Seed stitch in rounds:
Round 1: *k1, p1 – repeat from *
Round 2: *purl over knit sts and knit over purl sts

1x1 Rib in rounds: all rounds: *k1, p1 – repeat from *

Raglan increases: in every right side (RS) row, work till 1 st remains before the marker, m1, k1, slip marker (sm), k1, 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.


Short Overview of the Pattern:

The sweater is worked top-down, seamlessly, first back and forth for about 4”, from there on, in rounds. The yoke is worked in stockinette with a panel over 13 stitches in seed stitch on the front and with button bands in garter stitch on the back, and raglan increases. The sleeves are worked in rounds on dpn.
Note: you can place additional 2 markers on the borders of the seed panel on the front.

Sweater

Cast on 59 sts and work 2 rows in garter stitch: knit 58, p1.

Check the sts and place markers:: 1 edge -right, 3 bb - 5 right back - 2 raglan (place the first marker between these 2 sts) - 10 right sleeve - 2 raglan (place the second marker between these 2 sts) - 13 front - 2 raglan (place the third marker between these 2 sts) – 10 left sleeve - 2 raglan (place the forth marker between these 2 sts) - 5 left back - 3 left bb - 1 edge

Row 1 (RS): *knit till 1 st remains before marker, m1, k1, sm, k1, m1 - repeat from * one more time, on the front work the seed panel over 13 sts [(p1, k1) 6 times, p1], m1, k1, sm, k1, m1, knit till 1 st remains before the 4th marker, m1, k1, sm, k1, m1, knit till last st, p1. + 8 sts = 67 sts

Row 2 (WS): k4, purl till the seed stitch panel on the front, (p1, k1) 6 times, purl till last 4 sts, k3, p1.

Repeat rows 1-2 thirteen (13) more times.

The number of sts after
row 1 = 67
row 3 = 75
row 5 = 83
row 7 = 91
row 9 = 99
row 11 = 107
row 13 = 115
row 15 = 123
row 17 = 131
row 19 = 139
Row 21 = 147
Row 23 = 155
Row 25 = 163
Row 27 = 171


Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Row 29 (RS): k24, rm, transfer the next 40 sts on a piece of waste yarn, rm, co 5, k15, work the panel of seed st on the next 13, k15, rm, transfer the next 40 sts on a piece of waste yarn, rm, co 5, k23, p1. = 101 sts

Row 30: k4, purl till the seed st. panel, work the panel as est., purl till the last 4 sts, k3, p1.

Row 31 (RS): knit till the seed st. panel, work the panel as est, knit till the last st, p1.

Row 32: k4, purl till the seed st. panel, work the panel as est., purl till the last 4 sts , k3, p1.

Repeat rows 31-32 until the button band is about 4” long.

In the next, RS row, work it as est. to the last 4 sts of the bb, fold the working piece to make the beginning and the end of the rows meet, right side facing, from the right needle transfer the last 4 sts of the row (left bb) on a spare needle, overlap with the first 4 sts (right bb) on the left needle, hold the left and spare needles in left hand. Insert the working, right, needle in the first st on the spare needle, then in the first st on the left needle, yo, pull yarn through both sts. Repeat with the remaining 3 sts. Thus you close the work into round. Place a marker between the 2 sts of the bb to mark the beginning of the round. From now on knit all sts except for the seed stitch panel on the front.

For the blue sweater, work as est. 1 ½” more and then bound off.

For the orange sweater, work for 1” more in 1x1 rib.

Bind off. Cut yarn.


Sleeves

Work one sleeve at a time.

For the blue sweater: Transfer 40 sts from waste yarn on 2-3 dpn and bind off.

For the orange sweater: Transfer 40 sts from waste yarn on 4 dpn, 10 sts per needle, pu&k 5 underarm sts/ = 45 sts, place a marker before the third underarm stitch to mark the beginning of the round.

Work in stockinette, all rounds knit for 2”, or to desired length. Work ½” in seed stitch. Bind off, cut yarn.


Finishing

Weave in all yarn ends. Block. Sew snaps on the button bands. Add any embellishments on the front (optional).

Have fun!