Plymouth Yarn Girl's Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Plymouth Yarn Girl's Cardigan in DK Merino Superwash

What Is Being Made

This is a classic children's cardigan designed to fit girls ages 2 through 10 years. The pattern offers five graduated sizes with finished chest measurements ranging from 24 inches for the smallest size up to 32 inches for the largest size, and lengths from 16 inches to 19 inches. Sleeve length from the underarm ranges from 9 inches to 14 inches depending on size. The cardigan features a button-front closure with seven buttons and is designed as a practical layering piece for young children.

Techniques Used

This cardigan is constructed using a bottom-up approach, meaning the garment is knitted starting from the lower edge and working upward. The pattern is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, which means pieces are knitted back and forth in rows. The finished pieces are then seamed together to create the final garment. This construction method allows for straightforward shaping and makes it easy to try on the garment during the knitting process.

Stitches Used

• Stockinet Stitch (St St): The primary fabric stitch used for the body and sleeves, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric with a V-pattern texture on the right side.
• 1x1 Ribbing: Used for all cuffs and edgings, including the cast-on ribbing at the lower edge, the cuff ribbing at the wrist, and the ribbed bands at the armholes and neckline. This elastic stitch provides stretch and helps the garment fit snugly.
• Decreases: Techniques including ssk (slip, slip, knit) and k2tog (knit two together) are used to shape the armholes and neckline, creating a fitted silhouette.
• Bind-off: Used to close off stitches at armhole and neck shaping points.

Materials and Tools

This pattern calls for DK Merino Superwash yarn in the color Pea Pod (color 1100). The yardage required varies by size: the smallest size requires 4 balls of 50-gram weight, while the largest size requires 7 balls. DK Merino Superwash is a machine-washable wool yarn, making it practical for children's garments that require frequent washing.

The pattern requires two sizes of US knitting needles: size US 4 needles are used for ribbed sections, and size US 6 needles are used for the stockinet stitch body. This needle size variation helps create proper gauge and fabric density in different areas of the cardigan. Additional notions include a stitch holder for holding stitches during construction and seven buttons for the front closure.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 22 stitches and 34 rows over 4 inches in stockinet stitch using size 6 needles, and 6 stitches equal 1 inch in 1x1 ribbing using size 4 needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for the cardigan to fit properly, as all sizing is based on these measurements. The pattern is written for the smallest size with larger sizes provided in parentheses throughout, allowing knitters to easily scale the project to the desired finished size.