"Handsome Cables" Knitted Baby Boy Cardigan Free Knitting Pattern

"Handsome Cables" Knitted Baby Boy Cardigan Free Knitting Pattern

When expecting my fifth baby, I decided to knit a "going home" outfit in blue, in case the baby was boy, and in pink, if it was a girl (I did not know what I was having). The idea was that once the baby is born, it will be dressed in the appropriate outfit, and the unused set  would end up being a doll's outfit for other kids to play with.

I love cables and I love lace, so the idea for "Handsome Cables" Baby Boy cardigan pattern was born.

"Handsome Cables" Top Down Raglan Style
Baby Boy Cardigan Free Knitting Pattern

Following the seamless top-down raglan style cardigan rules (as I did not fancy sewing any seams - for a beginner it seems daunting), I knitted up this cute baby boy cardigan. I am happy to share my pattern notes for this baby boy cardigan for free, providing that you follow this copyright notice:

Copyright Notice
Feel free to share a link to this pattern by linking to my blog and giving copyright credit to © CraftsAdore, but do not copy the pattern and claim as your own. The pattern is as-is, and I cannot provide any individual support on it. This pattern may not be used to produce items for commercial purposes - you may knit from this pattern for own personal use only or for charity. Please feel free to share your finished project by adding your comment to this post. ❤ Happy Knitting! ❤

"Handsome Cables" Top Down Raglan Style
Baby Boy Cardigan Free Knitting Pattern

Key:

K - Knit Stitch

P - Purl Stitch

C4F - Cable 4 Front

C4B - Cable 4 Back

K2tog – knit two together

YO – yarn over

PSSO – pass the slipped stitch over

Sl 1 – slip one st knitwise unless otherwise stated

SSK – slip slip (knitwise) knit through the back loop

K2Tog tbl – knit two together through back loop
x - e.g. x2 or x3 - repeat that many times the pattern in the preceding round () brackets

Level : Advanced Beginner

Tags : Newborn, Newborn-size, Baby, Top-Down, Raglan, Cardigan, Sweater, Buttoned, Seamless, Hospital, Home Coming, Layette

Yarn: DK or Worsed Yarn,

Gauge: 5st per 1inch, (20st per 4 inch), 7 rows per 1 inch (28 rows per 4 inch)

Chest: 18” (0-6 months)  - CO 56st

Length from back of neck: 10” (make it 12” if want longer)

Sleeve length from under arm: 5-6”

across shoulders: 7.25”

Equipment: 4 markers in one color (marker PM), and 4 markers in another color (marker IM)

4mm UK / 6 US long circular needles for main body & sleeves on magic loop

3.25mm UK / 3 US long circular needles for cast on of neck & bottom rim and sleeve rims

Cable needle

Cast On:

Using 3.25mm circular needles (knitting back and forth, not in the round),

CO 54 st , using long tail method (it is then increased to 68 st in row 6)

Collar: (in seed rib stitch aka hurdle stitch)

Row 1 WS:           Sl1 purlwise, Knit (this will be the wrong side of your work)

Row 2 RS:            Sl1 purlwise, *K1, P1; repeat from * to last st, K1.

Row 3 WS:           Sl1 purlwise, Knit to end

Row 4 RS:            Sl1 purlwise, *K1, P1; repeat from * to last st, K1.

Row 5 WS:           Sl1 purlwise, Knit to end

Row 6 RS:            Sl1 purlwise, *K1, P1; repeat from * to last st, K1.

Row 7 WS:           Sl1 purlwise, Knit  to end

Row 8 RS:            Sl1 purlwise, *K1, P1; repeat from * to last st, K1,

Row 9 WS:           CO 7st, Sl1 purlwise, Knit to end, turn work & CO 7st  (68st)

Set up “increment” stitch markers (IM) and “pattern markers” (PM) as follows:
(IM markers are shown in Red on my picture below, and PM markers Blue and Black)

7st (rim PM) - 10st (front 1 IM) – 7st (sleeve IM) – 20 st (back IM) – 7st (sleeve IM) – 10st (front 2 PM) – 7st (rim PM),
(you will only use 2 PM to start, the others will be used after row 22 - see special notes below)

Knitted Baby Boy Cardigan Free Pattern

Yoke (with increments done on RS rows only):

Switch to 4mm circular needles (knitting back and forth, not in the round)

Row 1 (RS):

Rim 1:                 Sl1 purlwise, (P1, K1) x3

Front 1:               [P2, K1, YO, SSK], [P2, (C4B) x2, P2], [K1, YO, SSK, P2]

Sleeve:                K all st to 1 st before next IM, KFB, slip IM, KFB

Back:                  K all st to 1 st before next IM, KFB, slip IM, KFB

Sleeve:                K all st to 1 st before next IM, KFB, slip IM, KFB, K any stitches to PM

Front 2:               [P2, K1, YO, SSK], [P2, (C4F) x2, P2], [K1, YO, SSK, P2]

Rim 2:                 (K1, P1) x3, K1

Row 2 (WS):

Rim 1:                  Sl1 purlwise, K6

Front 1:                [K2, P3], [K2, P8, K2], [P3, K2]

Sleeve:                 P all st, slip IM

Back:                   P all st, slip IM

Sleeve:                 P all st, slip IM, P any stitches to PM

Front 2:                [K2, P3], [K2, P8, K2], [P3, K2]

Rim 2:                  K7

Row 3 (RS):

Rim 1:                  Sl1 purlwise, (P1, K1) x3

Front 1:               [P2, K2tog, YO, K1], [P2, K2, C4F, K2, P2], [K2tog, YO, K1, P2]

Sleeve:                 K all st to 1 st before next IM, KFB, slip IM, KFB

Back:                   K all st to 1 st before next IM, KFB, slip IM, KFB

Sleeve:                 K all st to 1 st before next IM, KFB, slip IM, KFB, K any stitches to PM

Front 2:               [P2, K2tog, YO, K1], [P2, K2, C4B, K2, P2], [K2tog, YO, K1, P2]

Rim 2:                 (K1, P1) x3, K1

Row 4 (WS):

Rim 1:                  Sl1 purlwise, K6

Front 1:                [K2, P3], [K2, P8, K2], [P3, K2]

Sleeve:                 P all st, slip IM

Back:                   P all st, slip IM

Sleeve:                 P all st, slip IM, P any stitches to PM

Front 2:                [K2, P3], [K2, P8, K2], [P3, K2]

Rim 2:                  K7

SPECIAL NOTES FOR FRONT1/FRONT2 Cable Pattern & increases:
First few row repeats will not have enough stitches yet to complete full "Front 1"/"Front 2" patterns, so until the increments are added, you can only fit as much as you can of the cable repeats (i.e. first several stitches of pattern st for "Front 1", and last several stitches of pattern st for "Front 2" – if there is not enough stitches to do a full cable pattern, just K those stitches). This way you will have at least partial cable pattern  "squeezed" to fit into this space and it will look nicer than just knitting those stitches. For example:

Row 1 - Front 1 Do the first and Third brackets, end with a kfb. 
Row 3 - Front 1 do first bracket, {Knit all stitches for First cable bracket bit} Purl 2, knit 3, End with a Kfb. Front 2 KFB, Knit 3, purl 2 and do last bracket. 
Row 4 - Front 1 knit 2 purl to marker. Front 2 purl to last two and knit those. 
Row 5 - Front 1 do first bracket, Purl 2, Knit 4, Kfb. Front 2 kfb, Knit 4, Purl 2, Do last bracket. 
Row 7 - Front 1 Do first bracket, purl 2, knit to last stitch, kfb. Front 2 work front 1 backwards.
Row 9 - Front 1 Do first bracket, do up two second cable and kfb in last stitch of cable. Now have enough stitches to work the cables and the increases will be easy to add in the pattern now. Front 2 slip 2 st on cable needle, KFB then work stitches on cable needle, continue in pattern.

SPECIAL NOTES FOR MARKERS SET UP:

On first 22 rows, PM and IM will actually be in the same position (so you can use just IM) - KFB 1 st before and after marker.

Once you reach 22st on Front 1 & 2, you can place a PM and you’d be K those extra st between PM and IM on RS, and P on WS, remembering to increase 1 st before and after IM by KFB on RS only till row 32.

Knitted Baby Boy Cardigan Free Pattern

Continue in pattern - i.e. repeat 1-4 pattern till 32 rows as follows (rows in bracket - don't forget to add button holes):

RS  Row 1 pattern:   1, 5, (9), 13, 17, (21), 25, 29

WS Row 2 pattern:   2, 6, 10, 18, 22, 26, 30

RS  Row 3 pattern:   3, 7, 11, 19, 23, 27, 31           Boys Button Rows: (9), (21), (33) i.e. every 12 rows                                                                               (see “Single Button Row” instructions) on Rim 1

WS Row 4 pattern:  4, 8, 12, 20, 24, 28, 32

Knitted Baby Boy Cardigan Free Pattern

Main Body:

Divide work for fronts & back and sleeves:

Row 1 : Continue as per pattern to sleeve marker (DON’T forget the button hole), K2, CO 5st using cable cast on, slip Sleeve rest of stitches on spare yarn, continue pattern to next Sleeve marker, K2, CO 5st, slip Sleeve stitches on spare yarn, continue in pattern till end. Remove all IMs, Continue with Row 2-4 pattern.

Repeat row 1-4   till back from collar measures 8’’ (about 8 repeats), or continue for longer if prefer longer style e.g. 10’’, but without any more IM, (keep PM and follow Rims & Front1/2 patterns).

Row 1 & 3, knit between “pattern” markers

Row 2 & 4, purl between “pattern” markers

Knitted Baby Boy Cardigan Free Pattern

Bottom Rim:

Switch to 3.25mm needles

Repeat seed rib stitch for 9 rows as per collar pattern, starting on RS pattern:

RS : Slip first stitch purlwise, *K1, P1* repeat till end

WS: K all stitches

BO on WS: K1, *K1, Slip second st over first st * repeat to end

Single Row Button:
If you need visual help on single row button technique, there are some great youtube videos, e.g.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY4vBzLo-Xs 

Step 1: Once you have reached to row in your knitting where you want to place the button (i.e .row 9 in this pattern, and then (21), (33) i.e. every 12 rows - depending how many buttons you want, I did 3), first do (Sl1 purlwise, K1, P1), then bring the working yarn forward and continue as follows:

Step 2: Slip the next stitch from your main needle purl wise.

Step 3: Bring the working yarn back.

Step 4: Slip the next stitch from your main needle purl wise again.

Step 5: Pass the second stitch on your working needle over the first stitch.

Repeat steps 4 and 5 for as many stitches as is needed to fit your button (x2). Slip last st back on main needle

Step 6: Turn your work over.

Note: You may want to pull very tight on your working yarn before the next step and continue pulling tight for the first stitch. This will prevent or limit holes next to the buttonhole.

Step 7: Using the cable cast on, add the same number of stitches as was bound off to your main needle + 1. (3st)

Step 8: Turn your work over again.

Step 9: Slip the next stitch from you main needle purl wise.

Step 10: Pass the additional stitch from you cast on over the first stitch on your working needle.

Step 11: Pass the first stitch on your working needle back to the main needle.

Step 12: Work the next stitch in pattern and continue knitting as normal.

Note: You may need to k2tog/ p2tog or through the back loop to tighten up any loose stitches.

Knitted Baby Boy Cardigan Free Pattern

Sleeves:

Transfer stitches from spare yarn, join in round, picking up & knitting into extra 10 st from under arm. Continue to knit in round till under arm measures 4”.

Switch to 3.25mm and repeat seed rib pattern for 10 rows:

Round 1 : *K1, P1*, repeat to end.

Round 2 : P all st

BO in purl pattern.

Note: sleeves knitted in the round will not match exactly the gauge of main body, so either knit more loosely, switch to larger needles or knit flat and then sew the edges under arm.

Knitted Baby Boy Cardigan Free Pattern

Update: my baby ended up being a boy, and this blue cardigan, together with a Gnome hat and some knitted converse booties, was my favourite outfit for him for the first 6 months. And the beauty of this design is that if the cardigan is a bit too big, you just roll up the sleeves, and once it gets too small, the sleeves become 3/4 style, so I actually managed to get a year's worth wear out of it, which made all this knitting worth it!.

My Baby Boy @ 2 weeks old in his handsome cables baby cardigan

Happy in his baby cardigan @ 10 weeks

And still loving it @ 6 months

Why not try some matching baby boy booties to go with this baby cardigan ? My cute stay on baby boy booties free knitting pattern is available here.

Please feel free to share your finished project by adding your comment to this post. ❤ Happy Knitting! ❤