New Zealand Merino Kids Top Down Cardigan Knitting Pattern (K3067)
📥📬 Available as Digital Download or Printed Copy (choose option below)
Lolly Raglan Top Down Cardigan Knitting Pattern – K3067
Let a printed yarn provide the colour changes while you knit a classic children's cardigan. Naturally K3067 combines a stocking stitch body, raglan shaping, garter stitch front bands and ribbed neck, hem and cuffs. The photographed yarn is New Zealand Merino Prints DK/8ply.
Construction and skills
The cardigan is worked flat from the neck down, with raglan increases and front bands worked as you go. Sleeve stitches are held while the body is completed. The sleeves are then worked back and forth and seamed underneath, with the underarm gaps closed during finishing.
Suggested skill level: intermediate. Be comfortable with ribbing, increasing and decreasing, buttonholes, holding stitches and seaming. Read the pattern before casting on and choose which front band will carry the buttonholes.
Sizes and fit
Choose by chest measurement; ages are a guide. The confirmed finished measurements allow 5 cm of ease at the chest.
| Age (years) | To fit chest (cm) | Finished chest (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 55 | 60 |
| 3–4 | 60 | 65 |
| 5–6 | 65 | 70 |
| 7–8 | 70 | 75 |
| 9–10 | 75 | 80 |
| 11–12 | 80 | 85 |
The PDF does not give full finished body or sleeve lengths. Its underarm length targets are measured before adding the hem and cuffs.
Yarn requirements
New Zealand Merino Prints DK/8ply: 138 m per 50 g ball. The following approximate quantities are for one cardigan worked with a single strand.
| Age (years) | Yarn (m) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 552 |
| 3–4 | 552 |
| 5–6 | 690 |
| 7–8 | 690 |
| 9–10 | 828 |
| 11–12 | 966 |
Tension
22 stitches and 26 rows over 10 cm in stocking stitch on 4 mm needles. Wash and dry your swatch before measuring, and adjust needle size as needed to match the pattern tension.
Needles and notions
- 3.25 mm and 4 mm circular needles with a 60 cm cord, or sizes needed for tension. The PDF also permits straight needles.
- 5 buttons.
- 4 stitch markers.
- 2 stitch holders or waste yarn for sleeve stitches.
- Tapestry needle.
Pattern clarification
Wild & Woolly clarification: the finished chest measurements are 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 and 85 cm for ages 2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, 9–10 and 11–12 years respectively. This corrects the repeated values in the PDF's measurement table. The original PDF has not been amended.
Pattern format
📥📬 Available as Digital Download or Printed Copy (choose option below).
Choose Digital PDF – Emailed or Printed Pattern – Posted. This is the Naturally pattern only; yarn, tools and other materials are sold separately.
Frequently asked questions
Is this cardigan completely seamless?
No. The yoke and body are worked together from the top down, but the sleeves are worked flat and sewn underneath. The underarm gaps also need closing.
Can I change the body or sleeve length?
The top-down construction allows you to check length as you work. Follow the size instructions for shaping and allow extra yarn if you add length.
Can I use straight needles?
Yes. Although the materials list specifies circular needles with a 60 cm cord, the pattern permits straight needles. The cardigan and sleeves are worked flat.