Little Hearts Cardigan

Beginner Stockinette Cardigan with White Heart Motifs (Child 2–10 years)

MATERIALS

• Worsted weight yarn (MC: black): 550 (650, 750, 900, 1050) yd / 500 (600, 685, 820, 960) m
• Worsted weight yarn (CC: white): 80 (100, 120, 140, 160) yd / 75 (90, 110, 130, 145) m
• US 5 (3.75 mm) straight or circular needles for ribbing
• US 7 (4.5 mm) straight or circular needles for stockinette
• Stitch holders or waste yarn
• Tapestry needle
• 5 (5, 6, 6, 7) buttons, ⅝" / 16 mm diameter
• Optional: stitch markers

GAUGE

20 sts and 26 rows = 4" / 10 cm in stockinette stitch on US 7 (4.5 mm) needles.
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain gauge.

SIZES

2 (4, 6, 8, 10) years
To fit chest: 21 (23, 25, 27, 28.5)" / 53.5 (58.5, 63.5, 68.5, 72.5) cm
Finished chest: 24 (26, 28, 30, 32)" / 61 (66, 71, 76, 81.5) cm
Finished length: 14 (15.5, 17, 18.5, 20)" / 35.5 (39.5, 43, 47, 51) cm
Sleeve length to underarm: 9.5 (11, 12.5, 13.5, 15)" / 24 (28, 32, 34.5, 38) cm

Shown in size 6 (approx. 5-year-old). Positive ease 3–3.5".

ABBREVIATIONS

• beg: beginning
• BO: bind off
• CC: contrasting color (white)
• CO: cast on
• dec: decrease
• k: knit
• k2tog: knit 2 together
• MC: main color (black)
• p: purl
• pm: place marker
• rem: remain(ing)
• RS: right side
• ssk: slip, slip, knit
• st(s): stitch(es)
• St st: stockinette stitch (knit RS, purl WS)
• WS: wrong side
• wyib: with yarn in back
• wyif: with yarn in front

NOTES

• Cardigan is worked flat in pieces from the bottom up and seamed.
• Hearts are worked in simple stranded colorwork or intarsia (beginner option: knit entire piece in MC and add hearts with duplicate stitch after blocking).
• Heart Chart is 7 sts wide × 7 rows tall. Work hearts scattered on Back and Fronts only (not sleeves or ribbing). Begin first heart row after ribbing; space motifs at least 4 sts and 6 rows apart. Keep floats loose.
• Carry unused color loosely across WS or use separate bobbins for intarsia. Twist yarns at color changes to avoid holes.
• Buttonholes are worked on the Right Front band for girls (or Left Front for boys—simply swap bands).
• All measurements are given after light blocking.
• Inline stitch checks appear as (count → result ✓).

Heart Chart (7 sts × 7 rows)
Row 1 (RS): K3 MC, k1 CC, k3 MC
Row 2: P2 MC, p3 CC, p2 MC
Row 3: K1 MC, k5 CC, k1 MC
Row 4: P7 CC
Row 5: K1 MC, k5 CC, k1 MC
Row 6: P2 MC, p1 CC, p1 MC, p1 CC, p2 MC
Row 7: K3 MC, k1 CC, k3 MC

(Read RS rows right to left, WS rows left to right. Or duplicate-stitch the same motif later.)

BACK

With smaller needles and MC, CO 60 (66, 70, 76, 80) sts.
Work 1½" / 4 cm in k1, p1 rib.
Change to larger needles.
Work in St st and MC, placing Heart Chart motifs as desired (begin first motif after 4 rows of St st). Continue until piece measures 8.5 (9.5, 10.5, 11.5, 12.5)" / 21.5 (24, 26.5, 29, 32) cm from CO edge, ending after a WS row.

Shape armholes
BO 4 (4, 5, 5, 6) sts at beg of next 2 rows. 52 (58, 60, 66, 68) sts.
Dec 1 st each end of every RS row 3 (4, 4, 5, 5) times as follows: k1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
46 (50, 52, 56, 58) sts remain. (60-4-4-3-3=46 ✓; 66-4-4-4-4=50 ✓; 70-5-5-4-4=52 ✓; 76-5-5-5-5=56 ✓; 80-6-6-5-5=58 ✓)
Work even in St st (continue hearts if space allows, avoiding edge 3 sts) until armhole measures 5 (5.5, 6, 6.5, 7)" / 12.5 (14, 15, 16.5, 18) cm, ending after a WS row.

Shape shoulders
BO 6 (7, 7, 8, 8) sts at beg of next 2 rows, then BO 6 (7, 7, 8, 8) sts at beg of following 2 rows.
Place rem 22 (22, 24, 24, 26) sts on holder for back neck. (46-6-6-6-6=22 ✓ etc.)

FRONTS

Left Front
With smaller needles and MC, CO 33 (36, 38, 41, 43) sts.
Work 1½" / 4 cm in k1, p1 rib.
Change to larger needles.
Work in St st and MC with Heart motifs (keep at least 3 sts clear of front edge for band pick-up later) until piece measures same as Back to armhole, ending after a WS row.

Shape armhole
BO 4 (4, 5, 5, 6) sts at beg of next RS row. 29 (32, 33, 36, 37) sts.
Dec 1 st at armhole edge (beg of RS rows) every RS row 3 (4, 4, 5, 5) times: k1, ssk, knit to end.
26 (28, 29, 31, 32) sts. (33-4-3=26 ✓; 36-4-4=28 ✓; 38-5-4=29 ✓; 41-5-5=31 ✓; 43-6-5=32 ✓)
Work even until armhole measures 2.5 (3, 3.25, 3.5, 3.75)" / 6.5 (7.5, 8.5, 9, 9.5) cm less than Back armhole depth, ending after a WS row.

Shape neck
Next RS row: Knit to last 8 (8, 9, 9, 10) sts, place these sts on holder for front neck, turn. 18 (20, 20, 22, 22) sts.
Dec 1 st at neck edge every RS row 6 (6, 6, 6, 6) times: knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
12 (14, 14, 16, 16) sts remain. (18-6=12 ✓)
Work even until armhole matches Back, ending after a WS row.

Shape shoulder
BO 6 (7, 7, 8, 8) sts at beg of next RS row, work 1 row even, BO rem 6 (7, 7, 8, 8) sts.

Right Front
Work as for Left Front, reversing all shaping.

• Armhole BO and decs occur at beg of WS rows / end of RS rows (k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1).
• Neck shaping begins on a WS row (or work neck sts onto holder at beg of RS row after matching length).
• Shoulder BO at beg of WS rows.
  Place hearts symmetrically.

SLEEVES (make 2)

With smaller needles and MC, CO 32 (34, 36, 38, 40) sts.
Work 1½" / 4 cm in k1, p1 rib.
Change to larger needles and St st (MC only—no hearts).
Inc 1 st each end of every 6th (6th, 6th, 6th, 6th) row 8 (9, 10, 11, 12) times: k1, m1, knit to last st, m1, k1.
48 (52, 56, 60, 64) sts. (32+16=48 ✓; 34+18=52 ✓; 36+20=56 ✓; 38+22=60 ✓; 40+24=64 ✓)
Work even until sleeve measures 9.5 (11, 12.5, 13.5, 15)" / 24 (28, 32, 34.5, 38) cm from CO, ending after a WS row.

Shape cap
BO 4 (4, 5, 5, 6) sts at beg of next 2 rows. 40 (44, 46, 50, 52) sts.
Dec 1 st each end of every RS row 8 (9, 10, 11, 12) times. 24 (26, 26, 28, 28) sts.
BO 3 sts at beg of next 4 rows. 12 (14, 14, 16, 16) sts.
BO remaining sts.

BUTTON_BANDS

Block pieces lightly to measurements. Sew shoulder seams.

Button Band (Left Front for girls)
With smaller needles, RS facing and MC, pick up and knit 3 sts for every 4 rows along Left Front edge (approximately 58 (64, 70, 76, 82) sts).
Work 7 rows k1, p1 rib. BO loosely in rib.

Buttonhole Band (Right Front for girls)
Pick up the same number of sts along Right Front edge.
Work 3 rows k1, p1 rib.
Buttonhole row (RS): Work 4 (4, 3, 4, 3) sts in rib, *yo, k2tog, work 10 (11, 11, 11, 11) sts in rib; repeat from * 4 (4, 5, 5, 6) more times, yo, k2tog, work rem sts in rib.
(5 (5, 6, 6, 7) buttonholes created ✓)
Work 3 more rows rib. BO loosely in rib.

Neckband
With smaller needles, RS facing and MC, pick up and knit 8 (8, 9, 9, 10) sts from Right Front holder, 14 (15, 16, 17, 18) sts up Right neck, k22 (22, 24, 24, 26) from Back holder, pick up 14 (15, 16, 17, 18) sts down Left neck, k8 (8, 9, 9, 10) from Left Front holder.
66 (68, 74, 76, 82) sts.
Work 7 rows k1, p1 rib. BO loosely in rib.

FINISHING

Sew sleeve caps into armholes, matching center of cap to shoulder seam and easing to fit.
Sew side and sleeve seams.
Weave in all ends, closing any colorwork gaps.
Sew buttons opposite buttonholes.
Block finished cardigan gently to measurements, pinning hearts flat.
(Optional: if hearts were omitted during knitting, duplicate-stitch Heart Chart motifs now with CC.)

Enjoy your Little Hearts Cardigan!