Willow & Lark Clara Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Willow & Lark Clara Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Clara Cardigan is a baby cardigan designed by Willow & Lark, sized for infants from 0–18 months. This garment features a classic button-front closure and is available in four sizes with finished chest measurements ranging from 46cm to 63cm (18 to 24¾ inches). The cardigan includes long sleeves with varying lengths depending on size, and finished lengths range from 20cm to 32cm measured to the back neck.

Techniques Used

The Clara Cardigan employs several intermediate-level knitting techniques to create visual interest and structure. The garment is worked flat, meaning pieces are knitted separately and then joined together through seaming rather than worked in the round. Buttonholes are incorporated into the front bands to accommodate the button closures. The design features both cable and lace stitch patterns, which add texture and decorative detail to the finished piece. All pieces are carefully seamed together to create a polished, professional finish.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with more decorative stitch work. Stocking stitch (knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows) forms the base fabric and is used to measure tension at 22 stitches and 30 rows over 10cm using 4.00mm needles. Cable stitches create raised, twisted rope-like textures throughout the design, while lace stitches introduce openwork elements through yarn-forward increases and decreases. Standard abbreviations include knit (k), purl (p), yarn forward (yfwd), yarn round needle (yrn), increases (inc), decreases (dec), and slip stitches (sl 1).

Materials

The Clara Cardigan is designed to be knitted using Willow & Lark Poetry yarn in Rhubarb Pink (colorway 616). Yarn requirements vary by size: the smallest size (0–3 months) requires 2 balls of 50g/1¾oz yarn, while the largest size (12–18 months) requires 4 balls. The pattern specifies 3.75mm (US 5) knitting needles and 4.00mm (US 6) knitting needles for working different sections. Between 4 and 5 buttons are needed depending on the size selected. The pattern notes that yarn quantities are approximate and based on average requirements, and recommends using the specified Willow & Lark Poetry yarn for best results.