Baby Cardigan - Lace Panel (Cast on multiple of 8 + 3)
This baby cardigan is worked in pieces using the 12-row lace panel you supplied. The pattern is written for five common baby sizes; each piece (back, left front, right front, sleeves) is cast on with a stitch count that fits the lace repeat (multiple of 8 + 3). The left and right fronts include step-by-step neck shaping so you can shape a neat neckline for buttons or a centre-front overlap.
Yarn & Yardage
- Yarn weight: DK/light worsted (recommended)
- Suggested yarn: soft baby DK, superwash or natural-fibre blend for baby wear
- Yardage (approximate, depending on gauge and length):
- Newborn (NB): 200 yards / 183 m
- 0-3 months: 225 yards / 206 m
- 3-6 months: 275 yards / 251 m
- 6-12 months: 350 yards / 320 m
- 12-18 months: 400 yards / 366 m
Needles
Use smooth, pointy tips for lace work.
- Main needles: US 6 / UK 8 / 4.0 mm
- Optional slightly smaller for button bands and clean edges: US 5 / UK 6 / 3.75 mm
- Longer circular or straight needles OK for flat pieces
Gauge
Pattern stitch gauge: 20 sts = 4 in / 10 cm, 24 rows = 4 in / 10 cm, worked in the 12-row lace pattern on US 6 (4.0 mm). Always make a swatch in the 12-row repeat and block it as you will the garment.
Sizes & Finished Chest
Sizes included and approximate finished chest (un-stretched):
- NB (0-1 mo) — Chest: ~16.2 in / 41 cm — Total stitches (back+2 fronts) = 81
- 0-3 mo — Chest: ~17.8 in / 45 cm — Total stitches = 89
- 3-6 mo — Chest: ~21.0 in / 53.5 cm — Total stitches = 105
- 6-12 mo — Chest: ~22.6 in / 57.5 cm — Total stitches = 113
- 12-18 mo — Chest: ~25.8 in / 65.5 cm — Total stitches = 129
These totals are achieved by cast-on counts that follow the lace repeat (multiple of 8 + 3) for each piece — see the Materials table below for exact cast-ons per piece.
Materials
| Size | Back cast-on | Each Front cast-on | Sleeve cuff cast-on | Yarn (yd/m) |
|---|
| NB | 43 sts | 19 sts | 35 sts | 200 y / 183 m |
| 0-3 mo | 51 sts | 19 sts | 35 sts | 225 y / 206 m |
| 3-6 mo | 51 sts | 27 sts | 43 sts | 275 y / 251 m |
| 6-12 mo | 59 sts | 27 sts | 43 sts | 350 y / 320 m |
| 12-18 mo | 59 sts | 35 sts | 51 sts | 400 y / 366 m |
Notes: The sleeve cuff cast-ons are chosen to produce a comfortable upper-arm circumference; increase for a looser sleeve if desired (always keep multiple of 8 + 3).
Abbreviations
- k = knit
- p = purl
- yo = yarn over
- k2tog = knit two together (right-leaning decrease)
- ssk = slip, slip, knit (left-leaning decrease)
- k3tog = knit three together
- RS = right side
- WS = wrong side
Lace Panel (12-row repeat) — work on RS rows as written, purl all WS rows when instructed
Cast on any multiple of 8 + 3.
Row 1 (RS): K3, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3; repeat from * to end.
Rows 2,4,6,8,10,12: Purl.
Row 3: K2, *k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k1; repeat from * to last st, k1.
Row 5: K1, k2tog, *yo, k5, yo, k3tog; repeat from * to last 8 sts, yo, k5, yo, ssk, k1.
Row 7: K2, *yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k1; repeat from * to last st, k1.
Row 9: K3, *yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k3; repeat from *.
Row 11: K4, *yo, k3tog, yo, k5; repeat from * to last 7 sts, yo, k3tog, yo, k4.
Repeat rows 1-12 for pattern repeat.
Body — Back
- Cast on the back cast-on number for your size (see Materials table). Work in lace panel in 12-row repeats, placing a stitch marker at the center if you like to help matching front pieces later.
- Work full 12-row repeats until piece measures from cast-on edge to start of armhole depth:
- NB: work until 6.5 in / 16.5 cm (approx) total length before armhole shaping begins
- 0-3 mo: 7 in / 18 cm
- 3-6 mo: 7.5 in / 19 cm
- 6-12 mo: 8.25 in / 21 cm
- 12-18 mo: 9 in / 23 cm
- Armhole & shoulder/neck shaping: At the armhole line, work one full right-side 12-row repeat then proceed as follows (these are straightforward, seamed shoulders; these numbers are conservative and create a small neck opening suitable for baby cardigans):
Bind off center stitches for back neck then shape shoulders. Bind off center 7 sts (all sizes) for the back neck. Now each shoulder = (back cast-on - 7) / 2 stitches. Work each shoulder separately as follows: With RS facing, bind off at the neck edge 3 sts once, then bind off 3 sts again on the next RS row (or next WS depending on your preferred sequence), then bind off remaining shoulder sts.
Example (NB back = 43): center 7 sts bound off, left shoulder = 18 sts. After binding off 3 + 3 = 6 sts, 12 sts remain; bind off remaining 12 sts.
Keep remaining shoulder stitches on scrap yarn if you prefer to graft or seam later; repeat symmetrically for the other side.
Body — Fronts (Left & Right)
Make two, mirror images (instructions given for the left front with neck shaping on the right edge; reverse for right front).
- Cast on the front cast-on number for your size (see Materials table). Work the lace panel pattern across the front, keeping the first 3 sts at the cast-on edge as the band edge and working the lace pattern from stitch 4 onward, so the band remains neat. (If you prefer, work the 3-stitch selvedge in garter or 1x1 rib using smaller needles.)
- Work full 12-row repeats until the front measures the same length as the back to the armhole (use the same measurements given for the back). Keep an identical number of full pattern repeats on both fronts and back so shoulder rows match at seaming time.
- Neck shaping (left front): When you reach armhole depth, begin neck decreases on the RS every other right-side appearance as follows. These decreases are worked at the neck edge (the edge that will form the centre-front). Decrease counts below are the number of times to decrease 1 stitch at the neck edge; perform decreases on RS rows only unless otherwise stated. After each decrease row, work a WS row in pattern as established (purl row when row calls for purl). Continue lace pattern across remaining stitches.
Decrease counts per size (decrease 1 st at neck edge on RS every other row):
- NB: dec 5 times
- 0-3 mo: dec 6 times
- 3-6 mo: dec 7 times
- 6-12 mo: dec 8 times
- 12-18 mo: dec 9 times
Example (Left front NB, cast on 19): Work until armhole, then on RS row: work lace pattern until 2 sts remain at the neck edge, k2tog (or slip last stitch, then k together with next - choose a left or right-leaning decrease to give a neat line), complete row. Work corresponding WS row. Repeat the RS decrease row the required number of times. Continue in pattern until the front reaches the same shoulder height as the back, then bind off shoulder stitches to correspond to the back shoulders (mirror the back's bind-off sequence).
Button band: If you want an integrated button band, work the edge 3 sts in garter stitch (or 1x1 rib) on the front when you cast on and work the first 3 edge sts in garter on every row. For a separate band worked later, pick up stitches along the front edges and work a 1x1 rib or garter band with buttonholes.
Sleeves
- Cast on the sleeve cuff number shown for your size. Work in the lace pattern in the round or flat according to preference — the lace repeat works flat; if knitting sleeves in the round, convert WS purl rows to k the stitch pattern accordingly or work flat and seam.
- Increase for the sleeve: every 12 rows (i.e., at the end of the 12-row repeat) increase 1 stitch each side (M1) until the sleeve top equals the upper-arm target circumference. Sample increases (approx):
- NB & 0-3 mo: increase until you have ~43 sts
- 3-6 & 6-12 mo: increase to ~51 sts
- 12-18 mo: increase to ~59 sts
Work until sleeve measures (from cuff to underarm):
- NB: 4.5 in / 11.5 cm
- 0-3 mo: 5 in / 12.5 cm
- 3-6 mo: 5.5 in / 14 cm
- 6-12 mo: 6 in / 15 cm
- 12-18 mo: 6.5 in / 16.5 cm
At underarm, bind off or place live sts on waste yarn to seam into the armhole opening later.
Finishing & Assembly
- Block all pieces lightly to the stated measurements (matching the length to armhole marks and total body length). Blocking helps the lace settle into pattern.
- Seam shoulders: align shoulder edges and mattress stitch seam (or your preferred seaming method). If you used the bind-off shoulder method, seam the remaining shoulder sections together neatly.
- Set in sleeves: match underarm points and seam sleeve into armhole, easing if necessary. Use mattress stitch for a neat join.
- Seam sides and sleeve undersides.
- Button band (if not worked): pick up stitches along right front edge using smaller needles; work 3 sts in garter (or 1x1 rib) and the rest in pattern as preferred; on the left front, mirror and include buttonholes spaced evenly (approx. 4-5 buttonholes for larger sizes, 3 for smallest). Buttonhole example: make 1 yo, k2tog on RS within the band, keeping the edge neat. Work buttonholes about 1.5-2 in / 4-5 cm apart depending on size.
- Weave in all ends and trim.
Notes & Tips
- The lace stitch pattern depends on precise stitch counts. If you need to adjust width, always increase or decrease whole 8-st repeats so the multiple of 8 + 3 is preserved.
- To make the bands neater, use slightly smaller needles for the first and last 3 sts of each row (edge selvedges) or work the selvedge sts in garter.
- For mirror fronts, work decreases on the opposite edge (if the left front decreases on the right edge, the right front decreases on the left edge), and reverse any directional decreases (k2tog vs ssk) as necessary so the slant of decreases matches the neck shaping.
- Swatching: make a large swatch of the 12-row repeat (at least 6 repeats across and 3 repeats high), wash and block it the same way you will block the final cardigan — lace opens up with blocking and that affects final dimensions.
Support
If you have questions or need help adapting stitch counts, please visit https://purljam.verde.uk or email team@verde.uk. Share your makes using #purljam on social media.
Happy knitting!