Blossoming with happy little buds of color, Sandi Rosner’s free Growing Garden Cardigan knitting pattern for babies and toddlers combines our new 100-gram balls of Cotton Chirp DK yarn with our popular four-color bundles of Cotton Chirp DK Minis… Big and little playing side by side, just like the knitter and the wee sprout you’re knitting for!

Growing Garden Cardigan | Purl Soho

You’ll use the 100-gram yarn balls as the background color, with a few furrowed rows of garter stitch at the neck, hem, cuffs, and button band. The bundle of Minis acts as the seeds you scatter, forming staggered rows of textured purl bumps. Thanks to simple slip stitches, you only need to work one color per row, making this a gentle, joyful first step into colorwork knitting!

Growing Garden Cardigan | Purl Soho

If you’ve always wanted to knit a colorwork sweater, this is a great place to start. The technique is easy, the scale is small, and Sandi’s straightforward top-down pattern walks you through every single step.

Growing Garden Cardigan | Purl Soho

Our 100-gram balls of Cotton Chirp DK are the grown-up counterparts to our Cotton Chirp DK Minis. They come in the same brilliant palette of 32 colors, and they’re the exact same amazing 100% Peruvian Pima cotton yarn. Unbelievably soft, wonderfully durable, and machine washable, too, this isn’t your garden-variety cotton yarn!

Growing Garden Cardigan | Purl Soho
Growing Garden Cardigan | Purl Soho

Pick up one or two 100-gram balls of Cotton Chirp DK and choose any of our 8 four-color bundles of Cotton Chirp DK Minis, like Wild Poppy (above), blooming with bold warmth, or Ebb Tide, a bouquet of cornflower, hydrangea, forget-me-not, and delphinium.

Growing Garden Cardigan | Purl Soho

The Growing Garden Cardigan pattern comes in four sizes, for tiny newborns and busy garden explorers up to 24 months. Simple, engaging, and cheerful… Knit a colorful little world you grow stitch by stitch!

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!

Growing Garden Cardigan | Purl Soho

Designed for Purl Soho by Sandi Rosner. Based in South Carolina, Sandi has been a knitter and crocheter for more than 45 years. She has owned a local yarn store, been the creative director of a large yarn company, and worked as a freelance technical editor, designer, teacher, and writer. Sandi writes a popular weekly newsletter on Substack called A Good Yarn. Thank you for sharing your talent and expertise with us, Sandi!

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!

Materials

Growing Garden Cardigan | Purl Soho
Growing Garden Cardigan | Purl Soho
  • Main Color (MC): 1 (2, 2, 2) ball(s) of Purl Soho’s Cotton Chirp DK, 100% Peruvian Pima cotton. Each ball of this Light Worsted/DK-weight yarn is 232 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 230 (300, 380, 445) total yards required. We used Heirloom White.
  • Contrast Colors (CC’s): 1 bundle of Purl Soho’s Cotton Chirp DK Minis, 100% Peruvian Pima cotton. Each bundle includes four 58 yards/ 25-gram balls. We used the Ebb Tide and Wild Poppy bundles.
    • CC1: Approximately 20 (25, 30, 35) total yards required
    • CC2: Approximately 30 (30, 45, 50) total yards required
    • CC3: Approximately 25 (40, 40, 50) total yards required
    • CC4: Approximately 15 (25, 25, 30) total yards required
  • US 6 (4 mm), 24-inch circular knitting needles
  • A set of US 6 double pointed needles
  • Stitch holders or scrap yarn
  • A stitch marker
  • 4 (4, 5, 5) buttons, ⅜-inches in diameter. We used Purl Soho’s Small Corozo Buttons in Pale Oats.

GAUGE

22 stitches and 40 rows = 4 inches in Dotted Stripe Pattern, Flat (see Stitch Patterns)

SIZES

NOTE: For help picking a size, please check out our Understanding Ease + Selecting Your Size Tutorial!

Newborn (6–12 Months, 12–18 Months, 18–24 Months)

To fit actual chest circumference of 15-16 (17-18, 19-20, 21-22) inches, with approximately 1–2 inches of ease

  • Finished Chest Circumference: 17 (19½, 21, 23½) inches, buttoned
  • Finished Body Length from Bottom Edge to Underarm: 4½ (5¼, 5¾, 6½) inches
  • Finished Body Length from Bottom Edge to Top of Shoulder: 9 (10, 11¼, 12½) inches
  • Finished Sleeve Length from Underarm: 5¼ (6½, 7, 8¼) inches

SAMPLES: The Ebb Tide sweater shown here is size Newborn, and the Wild Poppy sweater is size 12–18 months.

Growing Garden Cardigan | Purl Soho

NOTES

CONSTRUCTION

You will work this cardigan flat in one piece from the Collar down. At the Armholes, you will put the Sleeve stitches on hold and continue the Body to the lower edge. You will then work the Sleeves in the round down to the Cuffs.

SLIP STITCHES

Slip all stitches purlwise.

CHANGING COLORS

When switching yarns throughout pattern, do not cut Main Color unless instructed. Simply drop the old yarn in front and pick up the new yarn from the back.

Cut Contrast Colors between stripes, leaving tails to weave in.

STITCH PATTERNS

DOTTED STRIPE PATTERN, FLAT

(Worked flat over a multiple of 2 stitches plus 1)

Row 1 (right side): With Contrast Color 1 (CC1), k2, *slip 1 with yarn in back (wyib), k1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Row 2: Continuing with CC1, k2, *slip 1 with yarn in front (wyif), k1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Row 3: With Main Color (MC), knit to end of row.

Row 4: Continuing with MC, k1, purl to last stitch, k1.

Rows 5 and 6: Repeat Rows 3 and 4 one more time.

Row 7: With CC2, k1, *slip 1 wyib, k1, repeat from * to end of row.

Row 8: Continuing with CC2, k1, *slip 1 wyif, k1, repeat from * to end of row.

Row 9: With MC, knit to end of row.

Row 10: Continuing with MC, k1, purl to last stitch, k1.

Rows 11 and 12: Repeat Rows 9 and 10 one more time.

Rows 13-18: Using CC3, repeat Rows 1-6.

Rows 19-24: Using CC4, repeat Rows 7-12.

Rows 25-30: Using CC3, repeat Rows 1-6.

Rows 31-36: Using CC2, repeat Rows 7-12.

Repeat Rows 1–36 for pattern.

DOTTED STRIPE PATTERN, IN THE ROUND

(Worked in the round over a multiple of 2 stitches)

Round 1: With CC1, *slip 1 wyib, k1, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 2: Continuing with CC1, *slip 1 wyib, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Rounds 3–6: With MC, knit to end of round.

Round 7: With CC2, *k1, slip 1 wyib, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 8: Continuing with CC2, *p1, slip 1 wyib, repeat from * to end of round.

Rounds 9–12: With MC, knit to end of round.

Rounds 13-18: Using CC3, repeat Rounds 1-6.

Rounds 19-24: Using CC4, repeat Rounds 7-12.

Rounds 25-30: Using CC3, repeat Rounds 1-6.

Rounds 31-36: Using CC2, repeat Rounds 7-12.

Repeat Rows 1–36 for pattern.

PATTERN

COLLAR

With Main Color (MC), cast 55 (57, 59, 61) stitches onto circular needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Starting with a wrong-side row…

Knit 3 rows.

YOKE

Increase Row 1 (right side): K3 (6, 2, 4), [make 1 left (m1L), k7 (5, 5, 4)] 7 (9, 11, 13) times, m1L, knit to end of row. [63 (67, 71, 75) stitches]

Next Row (wrong side): K1, purl to last stitch, k1.

Begin to work in Dotted Stripe Pattern, Flat (see Special Instructions), increasing every few rows as follows…

Work 4 rows in pattern (Rows 1–4).

Increase Row 2 (right side): With MC, k6 (5, 7, 6), [m1L, k3] 17 (19, 19, 21) times, m1L, knit to end of row. [81 (87, 91, 97) stitches]

Work 5 rows in pattern (Rows 6–10).

Increase Row 3 (right side): With MC, k6 (5, 7, 6), [m1L, k4] 17 (19, 19, 21) times, m1L, knit to end of row. . [99 (107, 111, 119) stitches]

Work 5 rows in pattern (Rows 12–16).

Increase Row 4 (right side): With MC, k7 (6, 8, 7), [m1L, k5] 17 (19, 19, 21) times, m1L, knit to end of row. [117 (127, 131, 141) stitches]

Work 5 rows in pattern (Rows 18–22).

Increase Row 5 (right side): With MC, k7 (6, 8, 7), [m1L, k6] 17 (19, 19, 21) times, m1L, knit to end of row. [135 (147, 151, 163) stitches]

Work 5 rows in pattern (Rows 24–28).

Increase Row 6 (right side): With MC, k8 (7, 9, 8), [m1L, k7] 17 (19, 19, 21) times, m1L, knit to end of row. [153 (167, 171, 185) stitches]

Beginning with Row 30 of Dotted Stripe Pattern, Flat, work 9 (15, 21, 27) more rows in pattern, ending with Row 2 (8, 14, 20). [Piece measures approximately 4¼ (5, 5½, 6) inches from cast-on edge]

DIVIDE BODY + SLEEVES

NOTE To cast on the Underarm stitches, use a Make 1 Backwards Loop. Our tutorial shows you how!

Division Row (right side): With MC, k22 (25, 25, 28), place next 32 (34, 36, 36) stitches onto stitch holder or scrap yarn for Sleeve, cast on 2 (4, 8, 8) stitches for Underarm, k45 (49, 49, 57), place next 32 (34, 36, 36) stitches onto stitch holder or scrap yarn for Sleeve, cast on 2 (4, 8, 8) stitches for Underarm, k22 (25, 25, 28). [93 (107, 115, 129) stitches remain for Body]

BODY

Beginning with Row 4 (10, 16, 22) of Dotted Stripe Pattern, Flat, work 41 (47, 53, 59) more rows, ending with Row 8 (20, 32, 8). [Piece measures approximately 4¼ (4¾, 5½, 6) inches from Underarms]

With MC, knit 4 rows even.

With right side facing you, bind off knitwise.

Cut yarn.

SLEEVES

Place one set of on-hold Sleeve stitches onto three double pointed needles, distributing stitches as evenly as possible.

Round 1: With MC and beginning at center of Underarm cast-on edge, pick up and knit 1 (2, 4, 4) stitch(es) from cast-on edge, k32 (34, 36, 36), pick up and knit 1 (2, 4, 4) more stitch(es) from cast-on edge. [34 (38, 44, 44) total stitches]

Place marker and join to work in the round.

Beginning with Round 4 (10, 16, 22) of Dotted Stripe Pattern, In The Round (see Special Instructions), work 47 (59, 65, 77) more rounds in pattern, ending with Round 14 (32, 8, 26). [Sleeve measures approximately 4¾ (6, 6½, 7¾) inches from Underarm]

CUFF

With MC…

Round 1: [K3 (4, 4, 4), knit 2 together (k2tog)] 6 times, knit to end of round. [28 (32, 38, 38) stitches remain]

Round 2: Purl to end of round.

Round 3: Knit to end of round.

Next Round: Repeat Round 2.

Bind off knitwise.

Cut yarn.

Repeat for other Sleeve.

RIGHT BUTTON BAND

Weave in all ends on Right Front.

Orient piece with right side of Front facing you and Right Front selvage at top.

With MC and circular needle, pick up and knit 52 (60, 66, 72) stitches (approximately 3 stitches for every 5 rows) along Right Front selvage, from bottom corner to Collar.

Row 1 (wrong side): Knit to end of row.

Row 2 (right side): K28 (36, 36, 42), [k2tog, yarn over, slip slip knit, k2] 4 (4, 5, 5) times. [48 (56, 61, 67) stitches remain]

Row 3: K3, [knit front and back (kfb), k4] 3 (3, 4, 4) times, kfb, knit to end of row. [52 (60, 66, 72) stitches]

With right side facing you, bind off knitwise.

Cut yarn.

LEFT BUTTON BAND

Orient piece with right side facing you and Left Front selvage at top.

With MC, pick up and knit 52 (60, 66, 72) stitches along Left Front selvage from Collar to bottom corner.

Starting with a wrong-side row…

Knit 3 rows.

With right side facing you, bind off knitwise.

Cut yarn.

Sew buttons to Left Button Band to correspond with buttonholes.

FINISHING

Weave in all ends and gently wet block.

Growing Garden Cardigan | Purl Soho

Learn About Cotton Chirp DK Minis + All Our Beautiful Yarns

Our 25-gram Cotton Chirp DK Minis are the perfect cotton yarn for your most cheerful knitting! Think playful colorwork, like stripes or log cabin projects, and also piles of small knits, like baby booties and washcloths. In bundles of 4 coordinating colors, this light worsted/DK-weight yarn is made from 100% Peruvian Pima cotton, which has a lustrous finish and an incredibly soft and supple hand. And for larger amounts of the same yarn in the same colors, be sure to pick up our 100-gram balls of Cotton Chirp DK!

More Free Knitting Patterns

More Light Worsted/DK-Weight Yarns

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Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting 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 knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!