Best Friend Sweater Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Best Friend Sweater by Spud and Chloe

Project Overview

The Best Friend Sweater is a children's cardigan knitting pattern available in seven sizes, ranging from 1 to 12 years old. This garment is designed as a practical, everyday sweater featuring a classic cardigan construction with functional pockets and button closures.

Finished Measurements

The sweater is offered in the following finished chest and length measurements across all seven sizes:

• Chest: 25¾ inches (size 1) through 34½ inches (size 12)
• Length: 13½ inches (size 1) through 23 inches (size 12)
• Sleeve Length: 7½ inches (size 1) through 14½ inches (size 12)

Construction Technique

The Best Friend Sweater is worked in one piece from the bottom up, a popular seamless construction method that minimizes finishing work. The body is knit first on a circular needle, followed by the sleeves, which are knit separately and then joined to the body. This modular approach allows knitters to work the sleeves in the round on double-pointed needles (dpns) before attaching them to the main garment. The pattern notes suggest using a 24-inch circular needle for the body and 16-inch circular needles for each sleeve, with the option to use a second 24-inch needle to hold stitches when needed.

Stitch Patterns and Techniques

The sweater employs two primary stitch patterns:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The main fabric stitch used throughout the body and sleeves, creating a smooth, classic appearance
• Ribbed Border: A K2, P2 rib pattern worked over a multiple of 4 stitches, used for finishing the front edges, neckline, and cuff areas to provide elasticity and structure

The pattern incorporates several intermediate knitting techniques, including slip, slip, knit (ssk) decreases and knit two together (k2tog) decreases for shaping. Stitches are picked up around the neckline and armhole areas, and bound off to finish edges. The pattern uses standard abbreviations including slip (sl), slip marker (sm), and round (rnd) for circular knitting.

Pocket Construction

A distinctive feature of the Best Friend Sweater is the inclusion of functional pockets. The pockets are created by knitting separate pocket linings that are later joined to the main body. The pattern involves holding stitches for pocket linings and then joining them to the sweater body using a bind-off technique that secures both layers together. This method creates durable, finished pockets suitable for children's everyday wear.

Finishing Details

The cardigan closes with 4 to 6 buttons (depending on size), each measuring 7/8 inches (22mm) in diameter. The button bands are created by picking up stitches along the front edges and working them in the ribbed pattern for a professional, finished appearance. After the sleeves are joined to the body, the armhole edges may be tight for a few rows, but this resolves as the knitter continues and binds off stitches progressively.

Materials and Gauge

The pattern is designed to be worked with yarn that achieves a gauge of 19 stitches and 29 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch. This gauge information is essential for selecting appropriate yarn weight and needle size. The pattern calls for circular needles in multiple sizes and double-pointed needles for sleeve construction, along with a tapestry needle for weaving in ends and any necessary seaming. The specific yarn brand recommended is Spud and Chloe, with the photographed sample shown in the Chipmunk colorway (#7511).

Skill Level

The Best Friend Sweater is suitable for intermediate knitters who are comfortable with circular needle techniques, picking up stitches, and managing multiple needles simultaneously. The one-piece construction and pocket details require attention to pattern instructions and careful stitch management, making this an engaging project for developing knitting skills.