Baby Crochet Pattern - Isn't this little cardigan just too cute? Crochet it for your own toddler or give it as a gift! Crocheted in the sand stitch, the cardigan is nice and sturdy and feels wonderfully comfortable. The yarn comes in lots of different colors, so pick your favorite and get started with this free toddler and baby pattern!
Treat your little one—or someone else’s—to this cool yet incredibly cute cardigan! The baby cardigan is made from the soft Rico Baby Classic DK yarn. This yarn, made of 50% Polyamide and 50% Acrylic, is supple, easy to work with, and comes in a wide variety of colors. We’ve chosen a basic color (color 31) with a fun, bright accent, but with so many colors to choose from, you can of course create endless variations.
Cardigan Size Chart:
The cardigans were measured flat.
| Size 62 (Blue) | Size 86 (Pink) | |
| 1 - Length of the cardigan | 29 cm | 34 cm |
| 2 - Width | 21 cm | 27 cm |
| 3 - Sleeve (from the neckline to the end of the sleeve) | 27 cm | 37 cm |
| 4 - Sleeve opening | 10 cm | 13 cm |
| 5 - Side Length (Length minus sleeve opening) | 19 cm | 21 cm |
| 6 - Armhole (bottom) | 7 cm | 8 cm |
Crocheted Cardigan - Sizes 62 through 86
The baby cardigan is described in three sizes. Size 62 is listed in full; for size 74, use the first number in parentheses; and for size 86, use the second number in parentheses. Generally, size 62 is suitable for babies aged 2 to 4 months, size 74 for about 9 months, and size 86 for toddlers aged 18 months to 2 years. The image below shows the largest and smallest sizes.
What do you need to make the baby cardigan?
- 3 balls (4 balls - 4 balls) Rico Baby Classic DK, color 31
- 1 ball of Rico Essentials Big, size 26 / 1 ball of Rico Essentials Big, size 35
- 5 and 4.5 mm Crochet Hooks
- 2 x 2 Rico wooden buttons, 20 mm
Stitches used:
l. = chain stitch
hv. = slip stitch
v. = single crochet
pc. = double crochet
sand stitch = 1 sc, 1 dc in 1 stitch, skip 1 stitch
The number of stitches in the sand stitch must be divisible by 2 + 1 stitch, plus 2 for the cast-on chain.
Gauge swatch: 10 x 10 cm = 15 stitches and 15 rows
Crochet Pattern for a Baby Cardigan in Sand Stitch:
Size 62 (74–86)
Start with a chain of 83 ch. (93 ch. – 103 ch.) using a size 5 Crochet Hook.
Round 1: Continue with size 4.5 Crochet Hook. In the 3rd ch. from the Crochet Hook, work 1 dc, skip 1 stitch, work single crochet stitches to the end of the round, and finish with 1 sc. Repeat this round 1 time. 81 (91–101) stitches.
2nd row: 1 single crochet in the first stitch, skip 1 stitch, work in the sand stitch until the end of the row, end with 1 single crochet, repeat once.
Rows 3 through 24 (25–26): Repeat Row 2
25th (26th–27th) row: buttonhole. In the first stitch, 1 single crochet, 2 chain stitches, skip 3 stitches, 3 sand stitches, skip 1 stitch, in the next stitch 1 single crochet, 1 single crochet, 2 chain stitches, skip 3 stitches. Repeat the sand stitches to the end, ending with 1 single crochet, 1 slip stitch.
Rows 26–27 (27–28 – 28–29): repeat Row 2
Starting on row 28 (29–30), we’ll divide the section we’ve crocheted so far into 3 parts (front, back, front). We’ll crochet the front section—which is where we’ll start—across 21 (25–29) stitches.
28th (29th–30th) row: 1 single crochet in the first stitch, skip 1 stitch, 9 (11–13) sand stitches, end with 1 single crochet, repeat once.
Rows 29 through 38 (30 through 41 – 31 through 44): repeat Row 2 over 21(25–29) stitches.
Shoulder
Row 39 (42–45): in the first stitch, 1 single crochet, skip 1 stitch, 5 (6–7) sand stitches, end with 1 single crochet, turn.
40th (43rd–46th) row: Skip 2 stitches, 5x (6x–7x) sand stitch, end with 1 sc, repeat once.
41st (44th–47th) row: 1 single crochet in the first stitch, skip 1 stitch, 4x (5x–6x) sand stitch, end with 1 single crochet, repeat once.
42nd (45th–48th) row: Skip 2 stitches, 4x (5x–6x) sand stitch, end with 1 sc, repeat once.
43rd (46th–49th) row: 1 single crochet in the first stitch, skip 1 stitch, 3x (4x–5x) sand stitch, end with 1 single crochet, repeat once.
Rear Building
We’ll crochet the back panel using 33(35–37) stitches.
Round 1: Join a new strand of yarn in the 4th stitch from the front. Ch 1, then work 1 single crochet in the same stitch; skip 1 stitch; work 15 (16–17) sand stitches; end with 1 single crochet; turn.
Rows 2 through 16 (18–20): Repeat Row 2 across 33 (35–37) stitches.
Shoulder
Round 17 (19–21): Crochet this round over 9 (11–13) stitches. In the first stitch, work 1 single crochet, skip 1 stitch, work 3 (4–5) sand stitches, and finish with 1 single crochet; repeat once.
18th (20th–22nd) row: Skip 2 stitches, 3x(4x–5x) sand stitch, end with 1 sc, turn.
Stitch it up.
2e shoulder
Row 1: Join a strand of yarn in the 16th (14th–12th) stitch from your first shoulder.
1 ch., skip 1 stitch, 3x(4x–5x) sand stitches, end with 1 sc., 1 ch.
Row 2: 1 single crochet in the first stitch, skip 1 stitch, 2x(3x - 4x) sand stitches, skip 1 stitch, 1 single crochet and 1 single crochet in the next stitch, 1 slip stitch in the last stitch.
Stitch it up.
2e Front
Row 1: Join a strand of yarn in the 4th stitch from the back panel.
1 row and 1 stitch in the same stitch, skip 1 stitch, 9x(11x - 13x) sand stitch, end with 1 single crochet, 1 row.
Rows 2 through 7 (9 through 11): repeat Row 2
8th (10th–12th) row: buttonhole, 1 single crochet in the first stitch, 2 chain stitches, skip 3 stitches, 3 sand stitches, skip 1 stitch, 1 single crochet in the next stitch, 1 single crochet, 2 chain stitches, skip 3 stitches. Repeat the sand stitch pattern to the end, ending with 1 single crochet, 1 chain stitch.
Rows 9 through 11 (11 through 13 – 13 through 15): repeat Row 2
Shoulder
Place the right side of your front piece facing up (buttonholes on the right side)
12th (14th–16th) row: Join a new yarn in the 9th (11th–13th) stitch, skip 1 stitch, and crochet 5 (6–7) sand stitches, ending with 1 single crochet; turn.
Round 13 (15–17): in the first stitch, 1 single crochet, 4x(5x–6x) sand stitch, skip 1 stitch, end with 1 single crochet.
14th (16th–18th) row: Skip 2 stitches, 4x(5x–6x) sand stitch, skip 1 stitch, end with 1 sc, repeat once.
Round 15 (17–19): in the first stitch, 1 single crochet, 3x(4x–5x) sand stitch, skip 1 stitch, end with 1 single crochet.
Round 16 (18–20): Skip 2 stitches, 3x(4x–5x) sand stitch, skip 1 stitch, end with 1 sc.
Stitch it up.
Hood
Start with a chain of 25 sts (27 sts – 29 sts) using a size 5 Crochet Hook.
Round 1: Continue with size 4.5 Crochet Hook. In the 3rd ch. from the Crochet Hook, work 1 dc, skip 1 stitch, work single crochet stitches to the end of the round, finish with 1 sc, turn. 23(25–27) stitches.
Rows 2 through 59 (62–65): in the first stitch, 1 single crochet; skip 1 stitch; work in the sand stitch until the end of the row; end with 1 single crochet; repeat once.
Stitch it up.
Fold the hood in half (see Figure 1) and sew one side of the hood together with a needle and thread (see Figure 2). This is the center back seam of the hood.
Pick up the cardigan and make sure the front and back overlap properly.
Girls, cross your arms from right over left.
Guys, cross your arms—left over right.
Now use a needle and thread to sew the hood to the neckline, starting at the center front (the center front is exactly halfway between the buttonholes).
Sleeves 2x
Round 1: Attach a strand of yarn in the center of the armhole (underarm), and crochet 1 single crochet in the same stitch. Distribute 14(15–16) chain stitches across the armhole and finish with 1 single crochet, 1 turn. Do not fasten off; turn the work.
Rows 2 through 12 (14–16): in the first stitch, 1 single crochet, skip 1 stitch, work in the sand stitch pattern to the end of the row, end with 1 single crochet, repeat once.
13th (15th–17th) row: Skip 2 stitches, 13 (14–15) sand stitches, skip 1 stitch, 1 single crochet, skip 1 stitch, 1 slip stitch, turn.
14th (16th–18th) row: Skip 1 stitch, 1 single crochet, skip 1 stitch, 12 (13–14) sand stitches, skip 1 stitch, 1 single crochet, turn.
Rows 15–21 (17–27 – 19–33): in the first stitch, 1 single crochet, skip 1 stitch, 12x(13x – 14x) sand stitches to the end of the row, end with 1 single crochet, turn.
22nd (28th–34th) row: Skip 2 stitches, 11 (12–13) sand stitches, skip 1 stitch, 1 single crochet, skip 1 stitch, 1 slip stitch, turn.
23rd (29th–35th) row: Skip 1 stitch, 1 single crochet, skip 1 stitch, 10 (11–12) sand stitches, skip 1 stitch, 1 single crochet, repeat once.
Rows 24–30 (30–36 – 36–42): in the first stitch, 1 single crochet, skip 1 stitch, 10x(11x – 12x) sand stitches to the end of the row, end with 1 single crochet, turn once.
31st (37th–43rd) row: Crochet a row of single crochet. At the end of the row, do not turn, but work along the open side of the sleeve in single crochet toward the underarm, and then back up along the other open side.
Tie it off, but leave a longer thread to close the sleeve. Sew the sleeve closed from the inside using a needle and thread.
Finally, crochet a border using single crochet with a size 4.5 Crochet Hook all the way around the cardigan.
To finish, cut a strand of Rico Essentials Big yarn and weave it back and forth along the cardigan, skipping one stitch at a time. Do the same for the sleeves.
Finally, make a small pompom and attach it to the hood.
