Beginner crochet baby cardigan – The Little Dot

Adorable and easy crochet baby cardigan. Great project for the confident beginner.

This is the very first baby garment design I ever made. I have made lots of baby hats in the past but never something that a little person could wear on their body.

Pin me for later… 😉

*** Get the ad-free pdf pattern on Etsy, Ravelry or Lovecrafts. ***

The Little Dot baby cardigan comes in sizes from 3-6 months until 3-4 years and combines once again lots of texture with an easy to make crochet pattern.

The inspiration

The inspiration behind this cardi is the tops that ballerinas wear in the warm-up part of their practice. I always thought they looked lovely! And what better to design to kick off my baby knitwear collection.

Well, I know you can’t call it a collection if it only has one item, but be patient, we will get there. I have a lot of things planned for 2020, and beyond, actually.

The yarn

The yarn for this lovely little crochet cardigan was once again gifted to me by the lovely folks over on Hobium yarns. Unfortunately, they ceased their business just a few days ago, with the hopes that this won’t be permanent and they will meet us again down the road.

That is really unfortunate because they were some of the nicest and kindest people I have ever met with a big collection of amazing yarns on their hands. I am just glad that I was a small part of their marketing efforts so more people could get to know their yarns.

You can find a small selection of the yarns they used to carry on their Amazon shop.

I used the La Mia Angora yarn in grey for this crochet baby cardigan, but there are more shades for you to choose from.

It is one of the softest yarns I have ever touched. You won’t believe how soft it is. Excellent for baby garments. The truth is that it sheds, just like having a pet on your lap, but I think that the softness tops it all!

You can find the La Mia Angora yarn here if you would like to give it a try. And if you do, leave a comment and tell me your thoughts.

The materials

In order to make the Little Dot crochet baby cardigan you will need:

US 7/4.50 mm crochet hook or size needed to obtain gauge
yarn needle
scissors
3-light DK yarn

Yardage

3-6 mo: 300-370 m (328-404 yds)
6-12 mo: 350-420 m (382-459 yds)
12-18 mo: 400-470 m (437-513 yds)
18-24 mo: 450-520 m (492-568 yds)
2-3 years: 500-550 m (546-601 yds)
3-4 years: 550-650 m (601-710 yds)

Bust size measurements

3-6 mo: 17”
6-12 mo: 18”
12-18 mo: 19”
18-24 mo: 20”
2-3 years: 21”
3-4 years: 23”

Please, choose the size for your child depending on the bust measurements and not age. This crochet cardigan is designed with 2” positive ease, so it is meant to be close-fitting.

Gauge

For hdc: 14 sts and 13 rows is 4 inches
For sc, dc (front panels): 16 sts and 14 rows is 4 inches

You will have to make both gauge swatches to ensure that the garment will be even and it will fit your child. The gauge is measured before blocking. You may even have to use a different crochet hook for the back and front panels. I used the same crochet hook and my pieces came out even.

Crochet baby cardigan construction

The Little Dot is crocheted in pieces and then sewn together using the whip stitch, or any other sewing technique you feel comfortable with.

I provide you with a photo tutorial to make the sewing process as easy as possible even for someone that has not tried their hand on sewing a crochet garment before.

The ties are really easy to make and you can sew them on the piece after you have finished or you can follow my second photo tutorial and crochet them on immediately. I guess there are more people like me out there that will avoid sewing at any cost, am I right?

Pin now, make later… 😉

*** Get the ad-free pdf pattern on Etsy, Ravelry or Lovecrafts. ***

Well, that is all that I can say for my latest crochet project, the very first of a kid’s knitwear collection. Is there anything particular you would like to see in a kid’s line? Tell me in the comments below…

More posts you may like: