Stash Busting Baby Cardigan

This cardigan is knitted flat all in one piece! Sewing things together always frustrates me – I can never seem to get them to sit how I want them to. This pattern only involves sewing together the seams of the arms! This has lots of advantages (other than lack of sewing!) – it means less pieces of keep track of, no messy seams, and means for stripes there isn’t the worry about lining them up when stitching together. And stripes are, of course, great for stash busting!

The border colour is indicated by the parts of the pattern that are underlined. If you wish to use a single colour just ignore the underlining. If you plan to work different colours inside the border, then each of the stitches underlined should be worked in border colour. For the example I worked the first two rows inside the border in grey and the next two in white, repeating this pattern until the end. Of course, you can use any colour combination and stripe length that you wish 😊

Feel free to use this pattern to make baby cardigans for whatever you like – friends, grandchildren, or to sell. I am on a mission to make and donate as much as possible to charity this year, so it would be awesome if you felt like making one for charity too! Also you could take a look at my other knitting patterns for more stash busting ideas!

Size & Materials

I knitted this jersey with left over DK/Light Worsted Weight yarn and 4 mm needles. Of course you could make this with different sized yarn (worsted weight would be a good option) however this will change the size. Worsted weight would make a larger sized cardigan (or you could use smaller needles).

Using DK/light worsted weight wool and 4 mm needles the cardigan measures:

Under arm: 44 cm (17″)

Length (neck to bottom): 21 cm (8.5″)

Yarn: approximately 300 m (330 yards) in total for DK/light worsted weight wool

Abbreviations:

K – Knit

P – Purl

K2TOG – Knit two stitches together

P2TOG – Purl two stitches together

SL1, K1, PSSO – slip one stitch, knit the next stitch onto the needle, pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch

YO – yarn over – wrap the yarn around the needle to create another stitch

SL – slip stitch (slide stitch onto needle without working it)

Pattern

Starting at neck (underline indicates border colour):

Cast on 45

Row 1: (K1, P1) to last stitch, K1

Rows 2-5: Repeat Row 1 four more times (5 rows in total)

Row 6: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (P1, inc K wise) to last 6 sts, P1, K1, P1, YO, P2TOG, K1 (the last four stitches form a button hole) (62)

Row 7: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P to last 5 sts, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 8: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K7, YO, K1, YO, K8, YO, K1, YO, K18, YO, K1, YO, K8, YO, K1, YO, K7, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (70)

Note: when purling into the yo from the previous row, always purl through the back loops to avoid holes along the raglan seams.

Row 9 and all odd row up to and including Row 33: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P to last 5 sts, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 10: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K8, YO, K1, YO, K10, YO, K1, YO, K20, YO, K1, YO, K10, YO, K1, YO, K8, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (78)

Row 12: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1,, K9, YO, K1, YO, K12, YO, K1, YO, K22, YO, K1, YO, K12, YO, K1, YO, K9, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (86)

Row 14: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K10, YO, K1, YO, K14, YO, K1, YO, K24, YO, K1, YO, K14, YO, K1, YO, K10, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (94)

Row 16: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K11, YO, K1, YO, K16, YO, K1, YO, K26, YO, K1, YO, K16, YO, K1, YO, K11, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (102)

Row 18: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K12, YO, K1, YO, K18, YO, K1, YO, K28, YO, K1, YO, K18, YO, K1, YO, K12, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (110)

Row 20: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K13, YO, K1, YO, K20, YO, K1, YO, K30, YO, K1, YO, K20, YO, K1, YO, K13, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (118)

Row 22: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K14, YO, K1, YO, K22, YO, K1, YO, K32, YO, K1, YO, K22, YO, K1, YO, K14, K1, P1, YO, P2TOG, K1 (126)

Row 24: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K15, YO, K1, YO, K24, YO, K1, YO, K34, YO, K1, YO, K24, YO, K1, YO, K15, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (134)

Row 26: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K16, YO, K1, YO, K26, YO, K1, YO, K36, YO, K1, YO, K26, YO, K1, YO, K16, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (142)

Row 28: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K17, YO, K1, YO, K28, YO, K1, YO, K38, YO, K1, YO, K28, YO, K1, YO, K17, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (150)

Row 30: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K18, YO, K1, YO, K30, YO, K1, YO, K40, YO, K1, YO, K30, YO, K1, YO, K18, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (158)

Row 32: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K19, YO, K1, YO, K32, YO, K1, YO, K42, YO, K1, YO, K32, YO, K1, YO, K19, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (166)

Row 33: as for row 7

You should now have the following:

Divide for first arm:

Row 1: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K55 turn leaving the remaining stitches on needle

Row 2: K1, P 32, K1 turn (working on only these 34 sts from now on)

Row 3: K34

Row 4: K1, P to last stitch, K1

Row 5: K1, SL1, K1, PSSO, K to last 3 stitches, K2TOG, K1

Row 6: K1, P to last stich, K1,

Row 7: K all stitches

Row 8: K1, P to last stitch, K1

Row 9: K1, SL1, K1, PSSO, K to last 3 stitches, K2TOG, K1

Row 10: K1, P to last stich, K1,

Rows 11-22: Repeat rows 7-10 three more times (24 sts remain)

Row 23: K 24

Row 24: K1, P to last stitch, K1

Row 25: K24

Row 26: K1, P to last stitch, K1

Row 27: K24

Row 28: (K1, P1) to end

Row 29: (P1, K1) to end

Rows 30-33: repeat rows 28-29 two more times

Fasten off.

Divide for second arm:

Join yarn to main body of cardigan where you turned for the first sleeve.

Row 1: K80 turn leaving the remaining stitches on needle

Work from Row 2 as for first arm.

Main body:

Join yarn to main body of cardigan where you turned for the second sleeve.

Row 1: K21, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 2: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P88, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (98)

Row 3: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K88, K1, P1, YO, P2TOG, K1

Row 4: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P88, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 5: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K88, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1

Rows 6-17: Repeat Rows 4-5 six more times

Row 18: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P88, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 19: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K88, K1, P1, YO, P2TOG, K1

Row 20: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P88, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 21: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, K88, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 22: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, inc, K87, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1 (99)

Row 23: (K1, P1) to end

Rows 24-28: Repeat Row 23 five more times.

Fasten off.

Sew up seam under arm, attach buttons and you’re all done!