Purple Aster Cardi in Cascade Yarns North Shore - DK570 - Downloadable PDF

Purple Aster Cardi in Cascade Yarns North Shore – DK570 by Amanda Lilley

The Purple Aster Cardi is a charming knitted children's cardigan designed by Amanda Lilley and published by Cascade Yarns as pattern DK570. This free, downloadable PDF pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty and is sized for babies and young children, making it a delightful handknitted wardrobe staple for little ones. The design is worked in a soft lilac colorway that gives it a sweet, floral-inspired aesthetic perfectly suited to its name.

Sizing and Fit

The Purple Aster Cardi is offered in three sizes designed to fit children at different stages of early development:

• 1 year – to fit an 18" chest measurement
• 2–3 years – to fit a 24" chest measurement
• 4–5 years – to fit a 26" chest measurement

The pattern sample shown is knitted in the 4–5 years size, giving knitters a clear visual reference for the finished garment's proportions and drape.

Materials Required

This cardigan is knitted using Cascade Yarns North Shore, a 100% acrylic DK-weight yarn that comes in 100 g (3.5 oz) skeins with approximately 220 yards (200 meters) per skein. The pattern calls for 2 skeins across all three sizes, worked in color #05 (Lilac) — a soft purple tone that suits the pattern's name beautifully. Being 100% acrylic, North Shore is a practical choice for children's knitwear, offering durability and easy care.

• US 6 (4.0 mm) 32" circular knitting needle
• US 6 (4.0 mm) double pointed knitting needles (DPNs)
• US 8 (5.0 mm) double pointed knitting needles (DPNs)
• 2 stitch holders or scrap yarn
• A frog closure
• Yarn needle for finishing

Gauge

Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper sizing in any garment project. For the Purple Aster Cardi, the target gauge is 20 stitches × 26 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) worked in stockinette stitch on the US 6 needles. Knitters should always work a gauge swatch before beginning and adjust needle size as needed to match this specification.

Construction Technique

The Purple Aster Cardi is constructed using a top-down, seamless raglan method, a popular and highly practical approach for knitting children's cardigans. This technique begins at the neckline and works downward, with raglan increases shaping the yoke simultaneously across the fronts, back, and sleeves. Working top-down means knitters can try the garment on as they go and easily adjust the length before binding off — a significant advantage when knitting for growing children.

The construction begins on a 32" circular needle worked flat (not joined in the round), with markers placed to delineate the raglan sections. Increases are made using the Kfb (knit into the front and back) method at regular intervals on right-side rows to shape the yoke. Additional stitches are cast on mid-construction to extend the body, and sleeve stitches are later placed on holders or scrap yarn so the body can be completed separately. The use of double pointed needles in two sizes suggests the sleeves are finished in the round on DPNs, which is a standard technique for small circumference knitting such as children's sleeve cuffs.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stockinette stitch – the primary fabric stitch, created by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side
• Kfb (knit into the front and back) – the increase stitch used throughout the raglan yoke shaping
• Flat knitting on a circular needle – used for the body and