Crew Neck Baby Cardigan (newborn, 0- 3 months) in DK

My son and his partner are now over the half way stage of their pregnancy and due to have their 20 week scan. There has been much debate as to whether they should find out the gender of the baby and they are still split on this decision but I'm sure they will have resolution by the time they are having the scan.  My son would like to know and his partner doesn't want to know. For the time being I am still making everything in neutral colours.  They love the colour of the Waffles & Ice Cream blanket and of the Bootees, Mitten & Hat set so I thought I would carry on and make a little cardigan to match. This is the same pattern that was passed down to me from my mother and grandmother and is the same pattern I used to make for my own children. From this basic pattern you could then go onto adjust to make other patterns and colour combinations as you went along. I've had these little buttons sat in my button box for years and I think they go just right and finish the little cardigan off a treat.

If you would like to have ago at making this little cardigan then this is how you do it. Just as with the Bootees, Mittens & Hat set you will need needle size 2.75mm and 3.25mm for a new born size or  3.75mm and 4mm for 0-3 months, a darning needle (wool needle) and to finish off five buttons.

The yarn I have used is Stylecraft Special DK in Parchment and Cream, but it will work in any double knitting yarn and you will need 100g of your main colour plus approximately 50g of a contrast colour.

Back

Using the contrast colour and the smaller needles cast on 54 stitches and working in 2 x 2 rib work 10 rows

Change to larger needles and main colour and work approximately 30 rows or until piece measures 12 cm in stocking stitch (one row knit one row purl)

Shape armholes

Continuing in stocking stitch and cast off 3 stitches at the beginning of next two rows.

Decrease 1 stitch at each end of the next and every alternate row until 44 stitches remain.

Continuing in stocking stitch, without any further decreasing, work a further 27 rows.

Shape shoulders

Cast off 6 stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows, then 5 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows. Now leave the remaining 22 stitches on a stitch holder or spare needle.

Left Front


Using the contrast colour and smaller needles cast on 26 stitches and work 10 rows in 2 x 2 rib as for the back.

Change to larger needles and your main colour and work the same number of rows as worked for the back in stocking stitch up to the armhole shaping. With the right side facing cast off 3 stitches at the beginning of the next row and then work 1 row.

Decrease 1 stitch at the armhole edge only  (knit two together) on the next and every alternate row until 21 stitches remain. Work a further 16 rows in stocking stitch so that you have the wrong side facing for your next row.

Shape Neck

Cast off 6 stitches at the beginning of the next row.

Decrease 1 stitch at the neck edge only on the next and every alternate row until 11 stitches remain. Work 3 rows without any further decreasing, you will now have the right side facing for your next row.

Shape shoulder

Cast off 6 stitches at he beginning of the next row. Work 1 row. Cast off the remaining 5 stitches.

Right Front

Work as for the left front reversing the shaping and working an extra row at the armhole and shoulder shaping.

Sleeves x 2

With smaller needles and contrast colour cast on 30 stitches and work 9 rows of 2 x 2 rib.

Increase row - rib 7 M1 (by picking up the horizontal loop lying before the next stitch and working into the back of it) rib 7 M1 until you have 34 stitches and rib to the end.

Change to larger needles and main colour work in stocking stitch increasing 1 stitch at each end of the 3rd and every following 6th row until you have 44 stitches. Now work approx 7 rows or until your sleeve measures 11cm.

Shape the armhole

With the right side facing cast off 3 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows.  Now continue decreasing 1 stitch at each of end of the next and every alternate row until you have 22 stitches, then on every row until 8 stitches remain. Cast off the remaining 8 stitches.


Button Border (Right for a boy or left for a girl) if gender not known I tend to put the buttons on the left.

With smaller needles and contrast colour cast on 8 stitches and work 56 rows of 2 x 2 rib so that when slightly stretched fits along the front of your cardigan. Leave the 8 stitches on a safety pin ready for the neck and break the yarn.

Buttonhole Border (left for a boy or right for a girl) if gender not known I tend to put the buttonhole on the right.

With smaller needles and contrast colour cast on 8 stitches and work 4 rows of 2 x 2 rib.

Next row (buttonhole row) rib 4 yon (yarn over the needle) and knit 2 together and rib to the end.

Work 13 rows of 2 x 2 rib

repeat the last 14 rows twice more then repeat the buttonhole row again. You will now have 4 buttonholes in total.

work a further 9 rows and leave stitches on a safety pin but do not break the yarn.

To make up

Block so that your pieces are flat when joining.

Join the shoulder seams

Join side and sleeve seams. Insert sleeves.

Sew borders in position.

Neck Border

With right side facing and smaller needle and contrast, rib across the 8 stitches from right border, pick up and knit 20 stitches from right side of neck, 22 stitches from the back (left on stitch holder), pick up and knit 20 stitches from left side of neck and 8 stitches from left border. (78 stitches)

starting with 2 purl work in 2 x 2 rib for 7 rows adding a buttonhole as before in the 4th row.  Now cast off loosely in rib.

And there you have it a lovely little crew neck cardigan to make whether it be for a family member, close friend or work colleague and of course you can make it in a solid colour of whatever colour combination you so choose.

Enjoy

Mx