Basic cardigan with fine detail - size premature up to 18 months

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A cardigan knit in one go, without very much mounting but with the finest details. The cardigan is knitted up and down, where the raglan stitch is used. The cardigan is knitted in Infinity Hearts Baby Merino, which is a super soft and itch-free merino wool.

The pattern is also available from 2 - 7 years and can be found here.

Dimensions 

Size: Premature (0-3 months) 3-6 months (6-9 months) 9-12 months (12-18 months) 18-24 months

Width across chest: 22 (23) 24 (25) 26 (27) 28 cm

Length: 23 (26) 27 (29) 30 (31) 32 cm

Material 

Circular needles and stocking needles 3.50 mm

Yarn: Infinity Hearts Baby Merino. Contains 100% Merino wool length 50 g = approx. 170 m.

Buttons: Infinity Hearts Buttons Coconut 15mm

Amount of yarn needed

100 (100) 150 (150) 150 (150) 200 gram

Buttons 

6 (7) 7 (7) 7 (7) 8 pcs.

Abbreviations 

n: needle

rs: right side

ws: wrong side

ktog: knit stitches together 

Loop cast-on: Wrap the yarn around the needle to create a loop.

Border stitch: 

Lift the first s. Lift it off as if to knit it, do this on each needle, but only at the beginning of the work. Knit this stitch as usual at the end of the work. This gives you a slightly firmer border. But make sure that the one you are lifting does not become loose.

Buttonholes: 

Knit buttonholes along the left front edge. Knit the first buttonhole on the 4th needle, i.e. only on the right needle and then at a distance of 4 (4) 4 (4,5) 4,5 (4,5) 5. Knit buttonholes as follows: You are on the front, left front piece, work 2 s right, 2 ktog, turn needle, then right. Make sure that there are even distances between all buttonholes, please count the rows, remember there must also be border stitches at the buttonholes.

Method 

Neckline and support piece:

Cast 68 (72) 74 (78) 78 (84) 84 s on n 3.5. Knit 8 rows rib (1 rs, 1 ws) Remember buttonholes along the left front edge.

The first and last 6 s on each needle are knit rib (1 rs, 1 ws) so that an edge is formed that is connected to the neck rib.

You now need to subdivide the ranglan with stitch markers, as follows:

13 (14) 14 (15) 15 (16) 16 s (= Left front piece), 1 stitch marker, 1 M (= stich mark), 1 stitch marker, 9 (9) 10 (10) 10 (11) 11 s (= Left sleeve), 1 stitch marker, 1 M, 1 stitch marker, 20 (22) 22 (24) 24 (26) 26 s (= back piece), 1 stitch marker, 1M, 1 stitch marker, 9 (9) 10 (10) 10 (11 ) 11 s (= Right sleeve), 1 stitch marker, 1 M, 1 stitch marker, 13 (14) 14 (15) 15 (16) 16 s (= Right front piece)

To avoid holes in the raglan seams, you can knit as follows:

Knit to first M (= stitch mark) or first marker, take the left needle under the yarn between the stitches, from the last needle you knit, grasp the yarn from the back of the work so that the yarn comes up on the needle, see picture 1. Knit this stitch right, now knit M. Then decrease on opposite side as follows: insert the left needle under the yarn between the stitches, this time from the front of the work, knit this stitch right. Continue straight to the next marker. Leave the stitch markers on each side of the M-masks, through all the decreases.

Raglan stitch:

Knit raglan as follows: Knit the front edge / rib border 6 s rib (1rs, 1ws), then straight forward to first marker (remember border stitch), * knit raglan, 1M knit right, knit raglan, knit right to next stitch marker *, knit from * until * until 6 s remain, knit rib (1 ws, 1 rs) or preferably as neck rib, so that it is continued.

Work the wrong side as follows: 6 s rib (1 ws, 1 rs) (remember the border stitch), continue to the last 6 s on needle, knit rib (1 ws, 1 rs)

Continue the raglan stitch, as above, in total: 20 (22) 23 (24) 25 (26) 27 times, remember the buttonholes. You now have 228 (248) 258 (270) 278 (292) 300 s on the needle. Knit stockinette back and forth over all stitches, close to the edges (6 s), you are now on the right side.

If you want to knit a small heart into the left front piece, when the work measures 6 (6) 7 (7) 7 (7) 8 use the pattern below:

Work 6 s on border rib, then 6 (6) 7 (7) 7 (7) 8 s and start your pattern. Continue over the raglan decreases and remember the pattern. The pattern is read from the bottom right corner (1)

Stomach piece:

You now need to assemble the back piece with the front pieces by knitting right, over the left front piece 33 (36) 37 (39) 42 (44) 45 s, until the first M, this one must be on the stomach piece. You can put the sleeve stitches over to a stitch holder or residual yarn 49 (53) 56 (58) 60 (63) 65 s. Cast on 4 s with loop stitches (these will be under the sleeve) Then knit right over the back piece 60 (66) 68 (72) 74 m, incl. M (= stitch marks), then put stitches from right sleeve onto the stitch holder or right yarn 49 (53) 56 (58) 60 (63) 65 s. Cast on 4 s with loop stitches (these will be under the sleeve), finally knit right over right front piece 33 (36) 37 (39) 42 (44) 45 s.

Now work stockinette back and forth over all stitches on the needle, but still with rib knit over the first and last 6 stitches. Don’t forget the buttonholes.

Pockets (Double Layer):

If you want pockets on the cardigan, these must be knitted when the work measures 17 (18) 19 (20) 21 (22) cm. You are now on the right needle, knit 8 (10) 11 (11) 12 (13) 12 s (remember border stitch and buttonholes if necessary). Now work 16 (16) 16 (16) 18 (18) 20 s on a stocking needle, knit over these 20 stitches until the "pocket" measures 8 (8) 8 (8) 10 (10) 10 cm. Then work until there are 24 (26) 27 (27) 30 (31) 32 left on the needle. Then knit the other pockets over the next 16 (16) 16 (16) 18 (18) 20 s, you can also put them on a stocking needle. Knit these 20 stitches until the "pocket" measures 8 (8) 8 (8) 10 (10) 10 cm. And then knit the stick out, do not cut off the pocket stitches, but just knit over all stitches, thus the pocket becomes double and has to be sewn together at the sides.

Pockets (single layer with ribbed and heart):

This pocket can be good to choose in the small sizes as the "double layer pocket" may seem too thick.

If you want pockets in the cardigan, these must be knit when the work measures 17 (18) 19 (20) 21 (22) cm. You are now on the right needle, knit 7 (9) 10 (10) 11 (12) 11 s (remember the border stitch and buttonholes if necessary). Now work 17 (17) 17 (17) 19 (19) 21 s on a stocking needle, knit over these 20 stitches for this "pocket piece" measures 5 (5) 5 (5) 6 (6) 6 cm, close the pocket stitches by knitting then continue until there are 24 (26) 27 (27) 30 (31) 32 left on the needle. Then knit the other pockets over the next 17 (17) 17 (17) 19 (19) 21 s, you can also put them on a stocking needle. Knit these 20 stitches until the "pocket" measures 5 (5) 5 (5) 6 (6) 6 cm. And then knit the stick out.

On the next needle, knit 17 (17) 17 (17) 19 (19) 21 s with loop stitch where you closed off the pocket stitches so that a pocket front is formed. Knit stitches over both pockets. These s are knit rib (1 rs, 1 wr) 6 rows, then knit stockinette stitches over all stitches, but remember the border stitches. You can now choose to place a heart on your pocket as follows:

Work 3 (3) 3 (3) 4 (4) 5 s, then pattern, in the same way as at the chest. The pattern is read from the bottom right corner (1)

Whichever pocket you choose, knit like this:

When the work measures approx. 21 (23) 25 (27) 28 (29) 30 cm, then knit 8 rows of rib stitches (1rs, wr), preferably to fit the ribs / front borders or otherwise adjust the number of stitches here. Remember the buttonhole, which should be a buttonhole in this closing rib, if the buttonholes do not fit as desired, you can advantageously place an extra button in this piece of rib. Solved by as the stitches show, i.e. right over right and wrong over wrong.

Sleeves: 

Now distribute the stitches to the sleeves on the stocking needles. The sleeves are knitted stockinette on the stocking needles. Knit 4 stitches under the arm, preferably place a stitch marker in the middle of these stitches, as this will be used when decreasing the sleeves.

Taking in the sleeves: 

You need to make the decreases at 2 cm intervals so that the sleeve becomes narrower down the arm, knit these as follows:

3 s before the knit marker, work 2 rows ktog, 2 s right, 2 ktog, then the decreases lie side by side, down the sleeve.

Knit for sleeve gauge: 13 (14) 15 (16) 18 (19) 21 or the desired length, measured under the sleeve. Finish with 8 rows of rib (1rs, 1ws). Knit the other sleeve.

Assembly: 

Sew together all loose ends. The double pockets are sewn into the sides. Staple the bottom of the pockets to the front piece "invisibly" and the single-layer pockets are mounted flat and sewn invisibly to the front piece. Sew buttons.

Happy knitting!

Feel free to use #ritokrea and #ritohobby when sharing photos of the finished project on social media so we can see the result :-)