MillaMia Celine Cardigan Knitting Pattern

MillaMia Celine Cardigan

What is Being Made

The MillaMia Celine Cardigan is a classic fair isle children's cardigan designed to fit ages 1–5 years. This button-front garment features a modern graphical fair isle pattern in multiple colorways, combining traditional knitting aesthetics with contemporary design. The cardigan is available in four sizes with chest measurements ranging from 55 cm to 70 cm, making it suitable for toddlers and young children.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several key construction and embellishment techniques:

• Bottom-up construction: The cardigan is knitted from the bottom upward, allowing for straightforward shaping and sizing adjustments
• Stranded colorwork (fair isle): The pattern incorporates stranded knitting with multiple colors worked simultaneously. The pattern notes emphasize maintaining even tension while working fair isle sections and advise against holding stranded yarns too tightly—a common mistake in this technique
• Buttonholes: Functional buttonholes are integrated into the front bands for button closure
• Button bands: The cardigan features button bands worked in stockinette stitch, finished with six buttons for closure

Stitches Used

The Celine Cardigan employs fundamental knitting stitches suitable for intermediate crafters:

• Stockinette stitch (stocking stitch): The primary stitch used throughout the body and sleeves, creating a smooth, classic fabric
• Garter stitch: Used for ribbing and structural elements to add elasticity and definition
• Fair isle colorwork stitches: Knit stitches worked in multiple colors using the stranded technique to create the graphical pattern

Materials and Specifications

The pattern calls for specific materials and tools to achieve the intended finished garment:

• Yarn: MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino, exclusively available at LoveCrafts. The main color is Lipstick Red (108) in Petal, requiring 3–5 balls of 50g each depending on size. Additional colors include Ice (125), Pitch Black (122), Mist (164), Butterscotch (168), and Plum (162), with one 50g ball of each required
• Needles: Pairs of 2.75mm (US 2), 3mm (US 2), and 3.25mm (US 3) straight needles, plus circular 3.25mm (US 3) needles for working the neckline
• Notions: Six buttons for the front closure
• Gauge: 15 stitches and 19 rows over 10 cm (4 inches) in stockinette stitch using 3.25mm (US 3) needles

Difficulty Level

Rated as Improving (intermediate), this pattern is suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle stranded colorwork. The fair isle technique requires attention to tension management and color changes, making it an excellent project for developing advanced knitting competency.

Alternative Colorways

The pattern suggests multiple alternative color combinations beyond the primary Lipstick Red with ice, black, mist, butterscotch, and plum. Additional colorway options include Cloud, Scarlet, Daisy, Berry, Yellow, and Grey, allowing crafters to customize the cardigan to personal preference while maintaining the same graphical fair isle design.