Simply The Best Cardigan for Babies + Toddlers in Pepper
Everything you need to know about the Simply The Best Cardigan For Babies + Toddlers is right in the name! We’ve updated this very beloved pattern so you can knit it in Pepper, our hand-dyed superwash wool yarn that’s incredibly soft, charmingly speckled, and conveniently machine washable, too.
A simple pattern that’s easy to knit and easy for little ones to wear, the Simply The Best Cardigan is all in garter stitch with super simple shaping. You’ll have plenty of space in your mind as you’re knitting to imagine all the joy that new little life will bring!
You now have two heirloom-quality DK-weight yarns to choose from when you knit this pattern. Nigh DK is the original, a beyond-extraordinary 100% cashmere wonder that’s light as air and astonishingly soft. Also amazing, Pepper is another great pick for this cardigan, a single ply of beautiful superwash merino wool that is absolutely soft enough for baby’s sensitive skin.
Pepper’s whimsical palette is made by hand-dyeing 3 or 4 colors onto a warm white base, creating happy, baby-friendly colorways like the fun Eastern Bluebird we used!
Pick up a few skeins of Pepper and cast on for a cardigan that knitters, parents, and babies will all agree is simply the best!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Gianna Mueller. Click here to see even more of Gianna’s designs!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoSimplyTheBestCardiganForBabiesAndToddlers, and #PurlSohoPepper. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 2 (2, 3, 3, 4) skeins of Purl Soho’s Pepper, 100% superwash merino wool yarn. Each skein of this light worsted/dk-weight yarn is 218 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 355 (395, 475, 595, 790) total yards required. We used the color Eastern Bluebird.
- US 5 (3.75 mm), 24- or 32-inch circular knitting needles, depending on size you are making
- A stitch holder or scrap yarn
- A ⅜ inch button. We used one of Purl Soho’s Small Corozo Buttons in Pale Oats.
- A Simply The Best Cardigan For Babies + Toddlers pattern PDF
GAUGE
23 stitches and 46 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
SIZES
Newborn (6–12 Months, 1–2 Years, 2–3 Years, 3–4 years)
To fit actual chest circumference of 15–17 (17–19, 18–20, 21–23, 23–25) inches, with approximately 3½–5½ inches of ease
- Finished Chest Circumference: 20½ (22½, 23½, 26½, 29) inches
- Finished Body Length from Bottom Edge to Underarm: 6 (6½, 7, 7¾, 8½) inches
- Finished Body Length from Bottom Edge to Top of Shoulder: 9½ (10¼, 11, 12¼, 13½) inches
- Finished Sleeve Length: 6¼ (7¼, 7¾, 8½, 10½) inches
Sample: The Pepper version modeled here is the 6–12 Month size, and the one shown flat is the 2–3 Year size.
PATTERN
Our Simply The Best Cardigan For Babies + Toddlers pattern is available for purchase as a PDF download only.
LEARN ABOUT PEPPER + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
A plush, single-ply yarn like Pepper is perfect for this project, with its luminous glow and incredible softness. 100% superwash merino wool (yes, that means you can put it in the washing machine!), Pepper knits up at a sport to light worsted/DK weight, with surprising pops of hand-sprinkled color to charm you all along the way. Cast on with this zesty delight of a hand-dyed yarn!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our growing collection of free Pepper knitting patterns and cast on!
More Light Worsted/DK-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of light worsted/DK-weight yarns (What does DK-weight yarn mean, really? Our guide to DK yarn will answer your questions and demystify.)
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fibers
- Shop superwash wool yarn
- Shop machine washable yarn
- Shop merino wool yarn
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our crochet patterns and crochet tutorials, buy one of our many kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next crochet or knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
if you buy the yarn does pattern come without charge
Hi Loretha,
I’m afraid that this pattern is still a paid pattern either way. But as a heads up, when we have yarn on sale, the pattern is usually on sale as well! So you can get a discount on the Simply The Best Cardigan pattern right now (and if you miss the sale, just reach out to us and we’ll see what we can do)!
All the best,
Lili
I already bought the simply best baby cardigan pattern and I’ve knitted several sweaters — is there any difference in using the same pattern with the Pepper yarn? You say the pattern has been updated for Pepper — what does that mean?
(Just received my Pepper skeins and it’s luscious! Gorgeous! Can’t wait to get started!)
Hi Ann,
Nope, the pattern itself has not been changed! We just knit up a new sample with Pepper to show how the cardigan looks in that yarn.
All the best,
Lili
I have a question about the garter stitch knit in the round:
According to your directions, you “knit” every round. How does that create a garter stitch? Don’t you have to knit 1 round, purl the next round to create a garter stitch?
Hi Mary,
Are you working on the Simply The Best Cardigan? If so, then this pattern is knit entirely flat, so you will just be knitting each row to create garter stitch.
All the best,
Lili
Thank you for your reply! Yes, I am knitting the Simply the Best Cardigan. ..and am confused by the use of circular needles for a flat project – a first for me. So there is no joining “in the round”, correct? A more detailed explanation would be helpful with this project. Wish there were some tutorials that could support the adding on of the sleeves.
Hi Mary,
The reason you’ll need to use circular needles for this project is because there are too many stitches on the needles at once for it to work on straight needles. Typical straight needles are only 12 inches long, so the stitches would be super packed together if you tried to use those, and they’d be at risk of falling off! And yes, even on circular needles, you will not join the work in the round.
And I’m happy to help out with the sleeves! Did you have any specific questions about getting those started? Happy to answer those, and I’d also recommend taking a look at our Cable Cast-On tutorial to learn more about the technique used to add stitches for the sleeves.
All the best,
Lili
Many thanks, Lili! Great tutorial. Will circle back if I have questions.
Could I use Quartz yarn to knit this sweater?
Hi Barbara,
I would recommend holding two strands of Quartz at once in order to match the gauge of this pattern! It’s designed for a DK weight yarn, so 2 strands of a fingering weight yarn like Quartz should work great.
All the best,
Lili
Thank you Lili. I am so happy I will be able to use Quartz yarn to knit this adorable baby sweater.
Happy New year to you and to Zha Zha. 💕
Hello,
Here’s a question for a first time sweater-knitter. I think this is how it works. I knit part of the back, stop and cast on the left sleeve and knit across the back. Then I cast on the right sleeve and knit all the way across the right sleeve, back and left sleeve. Is this correct?
Thank you!
Hello,
Yes, that’s exactly how this pattern works! Please let me know if any other questions come up along the way!
All the best,
Lili
Hello,
The pattern makes a buttonhole on each side of the front, so the button can be either on the left side front or right side depending if for a boy or girl. The pattern says that you put the button over the hole on the side you want the button. I’m having trouble visualizing the button put on over the hole. If I know it’s for a girl could I just skip the button hole on the side it won’t be needed and put a stitch marker there so I know where to put the button? Thank you! Lisa
Hi Lisa,
If you want to omit one of the yarn overs, I’d recommend replacing it with a kfb in order to maintain the correct stitch count!
All the best,
Lili
I hadn’t thought of the stitch count issue! Thanks for your help. I’m an advanced beginner type of knitter and it’s very reassuring to know that when I choose your patterns and yarn, I can always get quick answers to questions.
You’re very welcome, Lisa!
All the best,
Lili
Your baby models are absolutely adorable, and I love this sweater. Is this sweater knitted in one piece?
Thanks.
Hi Cheryl,
They totally are!! And yes, this pattern is knit in one piece. You knit the entire thing flat and then seam up the sides and the underarms to join it all together!
All the best,
Lili
Hello. I’d like to knit this in Plein Air yarn. Will that work? The gauge looks similar. Thanks.
Hi Barbara,
Plein Air would be a wonderful choice for this pattern! Since it’s also a DK weight yarn, you should be able to achieve the gauge of the pattern easily, though you may need to choose a different needle size based on your swatch. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
I’m casting on the sleeves. I successfully cast on both left sleeve and right sleeve, and now I’m to the point of repeating row 3 and row 4. Can you tell me if row 3 is right side or wrong side? That will help me make sure I’m repeating correctly. Thank you!
Hi Kate,
Thanks for writing in! Row 3 is a wrong side row!
All the best,
Lili
Hello! I am almost done making this sweater in serif but I want to make another in a lighter weight cotton yarn. I was thinking of using cotton pure. I know the gauge will be completely different. Any advice on how many skeins to buy for the 2-3 year-old size? Thank you!
Hi Susan,
I’d recommend sticking to the same yardages listed in the pattern since it sounds like you are looking for a more lightweight fabric. That way you can follow the pattern as is but with a more airy and breathable result. You can stick to the same gauge with this method as well!
I hope this helps and happy making!
Gavriella
Hello. just finished knitting this pattern in the 6mo size. I now have to attach the button over one of the buttonholes. Do you have a tutorial for this, I’m not quite sure how to attach it over the hole.
Thank you
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for writing in! You can sew on the button in the same way you’d do normally (see our Sewing a Button onto Knitwear tutorial for extra guidance!), but make sure to grab strands of yarn from across the hole left by the yarn over to simultaneously close it up. You could also sew the hole closed before sewing on the button!
All the best,
Lili