634 Maia Baby Cardigan - Knitting Pattern for Babies in Valley Yarns Longmeadow

Pattern Summary: 634 Maia Baby Cardigan – Knitting Pattern by Kirsten Hipsky in Valley Yarns Longmeadow

What Is Being Made

The 634 Maia Baby Cardigan, designed by Kirsten Hipsky, is a clever and charming baby cardigan available in four finished sizes: 16, 18, 20, and 22 inches. What makes this pattern truly unique is its construction method: the cardigan is built from two matching geometric shapes that function as three-dimensional forms made up of six right angles. While they resemble hexagons visually, they are in fact cleverly engineered 3D structures that, when joined, form the body of a complete baby cardigan. This is an imaginative and mathematically satisfying approach to garment construction that sets this pattern apart from traditional baby sweater designs. Two buttoning straps are attached to either front, making the finished garment suitable for any gender.

Construction and Techniques

This pattern uses a combination of seamed construction, working in the round, and stripe patterning to achieve its distinctive look and structure. The two hexagon pieces are each knitted separately and then joined using a 3-needle bind off, a technique that creates a sturdy seam while also remaining reversible — meaning the seam can be undone and the cardigan can be extended as the baby grows. This is a particularly thoughtful design feature for a baby garment, acknowledging that infants grow quickly.

Simple stripes wrap all the way around the outer edges of each hexagon piece, providing a visual cue to the observant knitter about how the geometry of the construction works. The stripe detail adds color interest without requiring complex colorwork techniques, making it accessible while still visually engaging.

The finishing configuration is specifically noted in the pattern: the seams of both hexagons are positioned on the back of the finished garment for a clean, polished appearance on the outside.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Garter stitch — the primary stitch pattern throughout; the gauge is measured in garter stitch at 5.5 stitches and 11 rows per inch
• Kfb (knit in the front and back) — the main increase stitch used to shape the hexagon panels and create the characteristic geometric form
• 3-needle bind off — used to join the two hexagon pieces together at finishing; creates a firm seam that can be reopened for resizing
• Stripe colorwork — simple stripe sequences worked around the outer edges of each hexagon using three colors
• Stitch markers — five stitch markers are used to delineate the six sections of each hexagon during construction
• Knit (k) — worked on both right side and wrong side rows in garter stitch fashion

Materials: Yarn

The pattern is written specifically for Valley Yarns Longmeadow, described in the pattern as exceptionally soft. This yarn is a DK weight blend of 60% Cotton and 40% Microfiber, sold in 50g/117-yard skeins. The cotton-microfiber blend makes it an excellent choice for baby garments, offering softness against delicate skin along with breathability from the cotton content.

Three colorways are used in this pattern:

• Winter Lake (Color A) — the main color, requiring 2 skeins for sizes 16 and 18 inches and 3 skeins for sizes 20 and 22 inches
• Seafoam (Color B) — one skein required across all sizes
• Lettuce (Color C) — one skein required across all sizes, also used during the finishing stage

Materials: Needles and Notions

The pattern calls for two US size 5 (3.75mm) 32-inch circular needles, or the size needed to achieve the stated gauge. Two circular needles are specified to accommodate the working in the round and the 3-needle bind off technique. Additional notions include five stitch markers and a spare needle to work the 3-needle bind off, as well as