Cubby

Cubby Oversized Hooded Cardigan by JustJussi

What Is Being Made

Cubby is an original knitwear design by Justine Turner featuring an oversized hooded cardigan with animal-themed intarsia tummy patches. This playful children's cardigan is available in three character versions: Red Panda, Bear, and Kitty. The design includes a distinctive hood with ears and a charming decorative patch on the front, making it both functional and whimsical for young wearers.

Sizes and Fit

The Cubby cardigan is designed for children ranging from 6 months through 14 years old. Chest measurements span from 45.5 cm (18.2 inches) for the smallest size up to 80 cm (32 inches) for the largest size, with intermediate sizes at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 years. The pattern includes 20% ease, meaning the finished garment will be larger than the child's actual chest measurement for comfortable, oversized wear.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several fundamental and decorative techniques to achieve its finished look:

• Garter Stitch - Created by knitting every row, this classic stitch provides texture and structure throughout the cardigan
• Intarsia - A colorwork technique used to create the animal tummy patches, allowing for detailed pictorial designs within the knitted fabric
• Increases and Decreases - Essential shaping techniques including kfb (knit front and back) increases and k2tog (knit two together) decreases to form the cardigan's silhouette and accommodate the hood with ears
• Cast On and Bind Off - Standard techniques for beginning and finishing the knitted pieces

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The designer recommends using a merino and alpaca blend boucle yarn in a chunky weight to create an authentic fur-like effect that complements the animal character designs. The specific yarn used in the original design is Rare Yarns Pure Boucle, which provides the textured, plush appearance ideal for this cozy children's cardigan. While the pattern specifies needle requirements in the full PDF instructions, knitters will need appropriately sized needles for chunky-weight yarn construction.

Design Details

The Cubby cardigan's standout features include a functional hood with dimensional ears and an intarsia-worked tummy patch depicting one of three animal characters. The oversized fit and textured boucle yarn create a soft, huggable garment perfect for young children, while the intermediate skill level makes it accessible to knitters with foundational experience in shaping and colorwork techniques.