Babies Shawl Collar Jacket in Bergere de France Ideal - 71136-357 - Downloadable PDF

Babies Shawl Collar Jacket in Bergere de France Idéal – Pattern 71136-357

This easy-rated knitting pattern from Bergere de France produces a charming babies' shawl collar jacket, designed in five sizes to fit infants from 3 months through 24 months. The finished garment features a classic striped body, a cosy shawl collar, and neat navy fastenings, making it an ideal project for beginner knitters looking to create a practical and stylish baby garment.

What Is Being Made

The pattern creates a baby jacket with a shawl collar, constructed in separate pieces — a back, a left front, and additional panels — that are seamed together on completion. The design combines a striped main fabric with a tidy ribbed border, giving the jacket a polished, structured finish suitable for everyday wear or as a thoughtful handmade gift.

Sizes Available

• 3 months
• 6 months
• 12 months
• 18 months
• 24 months

Stitch counts and shaping instructions are given throughout the pattern for all five sizes, allowing knitters to follow a single set of instructions while working their chosen size.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is written specifically for Bergere de France Idéal, a DK weight yarn, used in two colours:

• Cendre (A) – shade 24241: 3 balls for sizes 3, 6, and 12 months; 4 balls for sizes 18 and 24 months
• Alpin (B) – shade 21821: 2 balls across all sizes

Additional materials required include 3 navy fasteners (ref. 32849, sold in packs of 4) and navy sewing thread (not sold with the pattern) for attaching the fastenings neatly to the finished jacket.

Needles

• 3.0 mm needles – used for ribbed borders and welts
• 3.5 mm needles – used for the main body fabric

Using two needle sizes is a common technique in garment knitting: the smaller needle creates a firmer, neater edge on ribbing, while the larger needle produces a slightly looser, more comfortable fabric for the body of the jacket.

Stitches and Techniques Used

The pattern draws on a small, beginner-friendly selection of stitches and construction methods:

• Striped 1x1 Rib: Worked on 3.0 mm needles, this stitch alternates knit and purl stitches across each row, creating an elastic, textured fabric. The stripe sequence — 2 rows in Colour B, 2 rows in Colour A — is repeated throughout the ribbed sections, adding visual interest while keeping the technique simple.
• Garter Stitch (G.st): The main body of the jacket is worked in garter stitch using Colour B. Garter stitch is produced by knitting every row, resulting in a reversible, slightly ridged fabric that lies flat without curling — a practical choice for baby garments.
• Stripe Sequence: The two-colour stripe repeat is a foundational colourwork technique that requires no complex colour management; colours are simply changed at the beginning of designated rows, making it very accessible for beginner knitters.
• Shoulder Shaping with Cast-Off Rows: Stitches are cast off at the shoulder edge on every alternate row in stepped increments, a standard method for creating a neat, angled shoulder seam.
• Stitch Holder Work: Stitches are placed on a stitch holder and returned to the needle later, a common technique used when working necklines and shawl collar sections.
• Increases: Single stitch increases are worked on the final row of the welt for certain sizes, adjusting the stitch count smoothly before transitioning to the main body fabric.

Construction and Difficulty