Valley Yarns Buckeye Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Buckeye Infant Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Buckeye is a gender-neutral infant baseball-inspired cardigan jacket designed by Julie Turjoman. This adorable knit project is sized to fit active babies from newborn through toddler stages, with finished chest measurements ranging from 18 inches to 24 inches. The cardigan features classic baseball styling with contrast color raglan sleeves, a button front closure, and a ribbed collar. It's specifically designed to work up quickly, making it an ideal special project for gifting to a little one.

Techniques Used

The Buckeye cardigan employs several intermediate knitting techniques that place it at the Advanced Beginner skill level. The garment is constructed using a bottom-up construction method, meaning knitting begins at the lower edge and progresses upward toward the neckline. The cardigan body is worked in one continuous piece to the underarms before the sleeves are attached separately. Raglan shoulder shaping is used on both the body and sleeves to create the characteristic sloped shoulder line typical of baseball-style jackets. The design incorporates buttonhole construction along the front opening to accommodate the button closures. Individual sleeves are seamed to the body after being knit separately, requiring basic seaming skills. The pattern also includes striped ribbing at the hems, where the main color and contrast color alternate in the ribbed sections.

Stitches Used

The Buckeye cardigan primarily utilizes two fundamental knitting stitches. The main fabric is worked in stockinette stitch, which creates the smooth, classic appearance of the cardigan body and sleeves. All hemmed edges, including the cuff ribbing on the sleeves and the collar, are worked in K1/P1 Rib (knit one, purl one ribbing). The ribbed sections are worked in alternating stripes of the main color and contrast color, adding visual interest while providing the stretch and recovery necessary for proper fit around the wrists, hem, and neckline.

Materials and Yarn

The Buckeye is designed to be knit with Valley Yarns Montague, a 100% cotton bouclé yarn that is described as comfortably soft against baby's skin. The yarn comes in 50-gram hanks with 110 yards per hank. The pattern calls for the main color (MC) in Navy (Color 007), requiring 2 to 4 hanks depending on size. The contrast color (CC) is Sky Blue (Color 005), requiring 1 to 2 hanks. The cotton bouclé construction provides a textured, slightly nubby appearance while maintaining breathability and softness suitable for infant wear.

Needles and Notions

The pattern requires US size 7 (4.5 mm) needles as the primary needle size for working the main fabric to achieve the correct gauge of 19 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch when blocked. US size 6 (4 mm) needles in both 24-inch circular and double-pointed needle formats are used for the ribbed edgings and are optional for creating I-cord trim details. Additional notions include stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats, stitch holders or waste yarn for holding stitches, a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, and 5 to 6 half-inch buttons depending on size. A sewing needle and thread matching the yarn color or buttons are required for securely attaching the buttons to the finished cardigan.

Pattern Overview

The Buckeye pattern begins with the sleeves, which are knit separately from the bottom up. Each sleeve is cast on using the Long-Tail method and begins with ribbed cuffs that feature stripes alternating between the main navy color and contrast sky blue color. After the cuff ribbing is complete, the sleeve is switched to stockinette stitch in the contrast color and shaped with raglan decreases. The cardigan body is then worked in one piece from the bottom up in the main navy color, beginning with a striped ribbed hem. The body is knit in stockinette stitch until the underarm point, where raglan shaping begins. Once the body reaches the appropriate length, the contrast-colored sleeves are seamed into place using the raglan shaping. The cardigan is finished with a ribbed collar and button bands, with buttonholes worked into the front opening to accommodate the decorative buttons.