String Playdate Cardigan Knitting Pattern

String Playdate Cardigan: Seamless Top-Down Baby Knit with Cable Details

What is Being Made

The String Playdate Cardigan is a seamless, top-down knitted baby cardigan designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This garment is worked primarily in the round and flat, featuring a button-front closure and ribbed finishing throughout. The cardigan is sized for infants from 0–3 months through 12–24 months, with finished chest measurements ranging from 16 to 22 inches.

Construction Techniques

This cardigan employs several advanced knitting techniques that create a polished, professional finish:

• Seamless, top-down construction: The garment begins at the neckline and is worked downward, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a more comfortable fit for babies.
• Worked flat and in the round: The yoke and body sections are worked flat on circular needles, while the sleeves are completed in the round using double-pointed needles.
• Cable knitting: Decorative cable stitches frame the front edges, adding visual interest and texture to the cardigan's design.
• Increase shaping: Strategic yarn-forward increases (kfb) are worked during the yoke section to create proper sleeve and body shaping without disrupting the cable pattern.
• Stitch markers: Markers delineate separate sections (left front, left sleeve, back neck, right sleeve, right front), allowing for organized increases and easy sleeve separation.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns Used

The String Playdate Cardigan incorporates several foundational and decorative stitches:

• Ribbing (k1, p1): Used for the collar, cuffs, button bands, and lower body hem. This elastic stitch provides stretch and a refined, finished appearance.
• Stockinette stitch (St st): The primary stitch for the body and sleeves, creating a smooth, classic fabric.
• Cable stitches: Worked on the left and right front edges as "Left Front Cable" and "Right Front Cable," adding structural and decorative elements that frame the button band.
• Yarn forward increases (kfb—knit front and back): Used throughout the yoke to increase stitches while maintaining pattern continuity.

Pattern Structure and Sizing

The cardigan is offered in four sizes with the following specifications:

• Size 0–3 months: 16" chest, 67 cast-on stitches
• Size 3–6 months: 18" chest, 71 cast-on stitches
• Size 6–12 months: 20" chest, 75 cast-on stitches
• Size 12–24 months: 22" chest, 79 cast-on stitches

The yoke is worked over 14–19 increase rounds (depending on size), building from the neckline to the armholes. Body length ranges from 4.5 to 6 inches, and sleeve length matches the body length, with all pieces finished in k1, p1 ribbing.

Materials and Needles

While the PDF excerpt does not specify yarn weight or fiber content, the pattern requires the following needle types:

• Circular needles: For working the yoke, body, and button bands flat or in the round
• Double-pointed needles: For working the sleeves in the round

The pattern calls for picking up stitches along the front edges at a ratio of 3 stitches for every 4 rows, a standard gauge for creating neat, proportional button and buttonhole bands.

Finishing Details

The cardigan features six evenly spaced buttonholes worked on the right front band, with corresponding buttons on the left front band. The button bands are created by picking up stitches along the front edges and working in k1, p1 ribbing for 0.5 inches. All edges—collar, cuffs, body hem, and button bands—are finished with ribbing and bound off loosely to prevent puckering and ensure comfort against delicate baby skin.