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Check out this fun cardi for the active child on your gift list. With its Fair Isle-like front and sleeves it's great for spring or fall. The small sizes showcase self-patterning yarn to great effect. And even though the sweaters are knit with fingering weight yarn, the tiny sizes knit up quick.

The back of this sweater is knit in a co-ordinating solid color, but you can throw in a little surprise designer detail if you like. I've provided instructions for a small rectangle inserted below the neckline, or a long stripe of pattern up the solid color back. Choose one, or personalize even more by designing your own variation.

The model shown is a size 1-2 years and although it was knit using DGB Confetti, you can knit it with any of the other self-patterning sock yarns around. So far, I've used a number of the other yarns including Fortissima Mexiko, Regia, Lang Jawoll Jacquard and Opal. They all look great.

Choose a coordinating solid color in the same gauge for all the edgings and the sweater back.

To match the striping on the cardigan fronts and sleeves, when joining MC start at the beginning of a solid color in the patterning sequence. Use the same solid color to start both fronts. Do the same for the sleeves, although you may begin with a different solid color. This will create some wastage but you will have plenty of yarn to complete your sweater.

Another trick to help match the striping on the cardigan fronts is to start one front with a knit row and the other front with a purl row. This makes the two fronts mirror images of one another.

In order to maintain the color patterning, when the ball runs out, be sure to join self-patterning yarn in the same solid-colored section of the pattern sequence.

model: Devan Yeoh photo: Nigel Pottle

SIZE
0-6 mo[6-12 mo, 1-2 yrs, 2-3 yrs]
 
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Chest: 20.5[23.5, 26, 29] inches
Length: 10[12, 13.75, 15] inches
When measuring the length from an edge with a rolled hem, allow a 0.5 inch at the cast-on edge to roll out to the RS. Do not unroll the edge completely before measuring.

 

MATERIALS

[MC] DGB Confetti [75% superwash wool & 25% nylon; 229 yd/210 m per 50 g skein];
color: 24001; 2[2, 2, 3] skeins
[CC] DGB Confetti [75% superwash wool & 25% nylon; yd/229 yd/210 m per 50 g skein];
color: silver (9026); 1[1, 2, 2] skeins

1 set 2.5 mm straight needles
1 set 3 mm straight needles
4 stitch holders
4 stitch markers
4[5, 5, 5] buttons

 

GAUGE

30 sts/42 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch

 
STITCH PATTERNS

LM1 -- left-slanting make one increase - with the left-hand needle, pick up the strand between the last st worked and the st on your left-hand needle from the front to the back, work into the back of the st to make an increase

RM1 - right-slanting make one increase - with the left-hand needle, pick up the strand between the last st worked and the st on your left-hand needle from back to front, work into the front of the st to make an increase

SM - slip marker

 
DIRECTIONS

Left Front
With smaller needles and CC, CO 39[45, 49, 55] sts. Beg with a K row, work even in st st for 6 rows.
Change to MC and work 2 more rows.
Change to larger needles and work even in st st until piece measures 5.5[7, 8.25, 9] inches from beg, ending with RS facing.

Shape armhole and neck
BO 3[5, 5, 5] sts at beg of next row, knit to last 4 sts, K2tog, K2.
Dec 1 st (use SSK on RS and SSP on WS) at armhole edge (right-hand edge of garment) of next 3[4, 4, 4] rows and, at the same time, at neck edge dec 1 st (use K2tog) EOR row 8[8, 5, 7] times; then every 4th row 6[7, 10, 10] times. (18[20, 24, 28] sts).
Work even in st st until armhole measures 4.5[5, 5.5, 6] inches, ending with RS facing.
Place shoulder sts on a holder.
Break yarn, leaving a tail 14 inches long.

Right Front
With smaller needles and CC, CO 39[45, 49, 55] sts. Beg with a P row, work even in st st for 6 rows.
Change to MC and work 2 more rows.
Change to larger needles and work even in st st until piece measures 5.5[7, 8.25, 9] inches from beg, ending with WS facing.

Shape armhole and neck
BO 3[5, 5, 5] sts at beg of next row.
Dec 1 st (use K2tog on WS and P2tog on WS) at armhole edge (left-hand edge of garment) of next 3[4, 4, 4] rows and,at the same time, at neck edge dec 1 st (use SSK) on next and then EOR 8[8, 5, 7] times; then every 4th row 6[7, 10, 10] times. (18[20, 24, 28] sts).
Work even in st st until armhole measures 4.5[5, 5.5, 6] inches, ending with WS facing.
Place shoulder sts on a holder.
Break yarn, leaving a tail 14 inches long.

Sleeves (make 2)
With smaller needles and CC, CO 42[48, 48, 54] sts. Beg with a K row, work even in st st for 6 rows.
Change to MC and work 2 more rows.
Change to larger needles and inc 1 st at each edge of next and then every foll 4th row 7(7, 14, 4) times, (58(64, 78, 64) sts), then every foll 6th row 4 (6, 3, 13) times. (66[76, 84, 90] sts).
Work even in st st until sleeve measures 6.5[7.5, 8.5, 10.5] inches from beg, ending with RS facing.

Sleeve cap
BO 3[5, 5, 5] sts at beg of next 2 row
Dec 1 st at each edge of next 3[4, 4, 4] rows. (54[58, 66, 72] sts).
BO.

Back -- stripe version

With smaller needles and CC, CO 78[90, 98, 110] sts.
Beg with a K row, work even in st st for 6 rows.
Next row: K33[39, 43, 49] sts, join a ball of MC and K 12 sts, join a second ball of CC and K rem 33[39, 43, 49] sts. Be sure to twist yarns MC and CC on WS when changing colors to avoid forming holes.
P next row in color patt as established.
Change to larger needles and work even as established until piece measures 5.5[7, 8.25, 9] inches from beg, ending with RS facing.

Shape armholes
BO 3[5, 5, 5] sts at beg of next 2 rows. Dec 1 st at each edge of next 3[4, 4, 4] rows. (66[72, 80, 92] sts).
Work even in st st until armhole measures 4.5[5, 5.5, 6] inches, ending with RS facing.

Shape neck and shoulders
K18[20, 24, 28] sts and place these shoulder sts on a holder, BO 30[32, 32, 36] sts, K to end and place these 18[20, 24, 28] sts on a holder.

Back -- patch version
This detail works best with a jacquard self-striping yarn.
With smaller needles and CC, CO 78[90, 98, 110] sts. Beg with a K row, work even in st st for 8 rows.
Change to larger needles and work even in st st until piece measures 5.5[7, 8.25, 9] inches from beg, ending with RS facing.

Shape armholes
BO 3[5, 5, 5] sts at beg of next 2 rows. Dec 1 st at each end of next 3[4, 4, 4] rows. (66[72, 80, 92] sts).
Work even in st st until armhole measures 2.75[3.25, 3.75, 4.25] inches, ending with a RS facing.

Patch detail
K25[28, 32, 38] sts, join a solid color from a ball of MC and K16 sts, join a second ball of CC and K rem 25[28, 32, 38] sts. Be sure to twist yarns MC and CC on WS when changing colors to avoid forming holes.
Next row: P in color patt as established.
Next 8 rows: Work as established, but use jacquard section of MC for next 2 rows of rectangle (see photo), then 2 rows of a different solid from MC, 2 rows jacquard and a final 2 rows of a third solid color from MC. This completes the rectangle.
Work even in st st with CC only until armhole measures 4.5[5, 5.5, 6] inches, ending with RS facing.

Shape neck and shoulders
K18[20, 24, 28] sts and place these shoulder sts on a holder, BO 30[32, 32, 36] sts, K to end and place these 18[20, 24, 28] sts on a holder.

 
FINISHING

Block all pieces allowing 0.5 inch at CO edges to roll up to RS. Holding RSs tog, join both shoulder seams using three-needle bind-off, working from shoulder edge towards neck edge.

Front band

With RS facing, smaller needles and CC, beginning and ending 4 rows up from lower CO edge, pick up 41[53, 62, 68] sts up right front opening to start of V-neck shaping, PM, pick up 1 st, PM, pick up 32[35, 40, 43] sts to right shoulder seam, pick up 2 sts down back of right shoulder, K30[32, 32, 36] sts from back neck holder, pick up 2 sts up back shoulder to left shoulder seam, pick up 32[35, 40, 43] sts to left V-neck shaping, PM, pick up 1 st, PM, pick up 41[53, 62, 68] sts down left front opening edge. (182[214, 242, 264] sts).

1st row: (WS) K all sts, slipping markers as you go.
2nd row:
For girl's sweater: K1, P2[2, 3, 1], *YO, P2tog, P10[10, 12, 14]; rep from * to last 2 sts before first marker, YO, P2tog, SM, RM1, P1, LM1, SM, P to next marker, SM, RM1, P1, LM1, SM, P to last st, K1.
For boy's sweater: K1, *purl to first marker, SM, RM1, P1, LM1, SM; rep from * once, **YO, P2tog, P10[10, 12, 14]; rep from ** to last 5[5, 6, 4] sts, YO, P2tog, P2[2, 3, 1], K1. (4[5, 5, 5] buttonholes).
3rd row: K all sts, slipping markers.
4th row: K1, *P to first marker, RM1, P3, LM1 (removing markers as you go); rep from *, P to last st, K1. (190[222, 250, 272] sts).
BO knitwise (WS).

Use mattress st to sew sleeves onto body, then sew side and sleeve seams allowing 0.5 inch at cast-on edges of body and sleeves to roll up to RS. Use an edge-to-edge seam on the roll so the seam lies flat. Sew on buttons to correspond with buttonholes.

A

10.25[11.75, 13, 14.5] inches

E

5.5[6.5, 6.5, 7.25] inches

B

10[12, 13.75, 15] inches

F

6.5[7.5, 8.5, 10.5] inches

C

5.5[7, 8.25, 9] inches

G

8.75[10, 11.25, 12] inches

D

4.5[5, 5.5, 6] inches

 

 

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

You can see more of Holli's work soon at Bee's Knees Knits.