"Carl Coat" - Coat Knitting Pattern For Girls in MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino

Carl Coat – Girls' Coat Knitting Pattern by MillaMia in Naturally Soft Merino

The Carl Coat is a charming, structured coat knitting pattern for girls designed by MillaMia, worked in their signature Naturally Soft Merino yarn. Rated as a beginner to improving skill level, this pattern is an excellent choice for knitters who are ready to move beyond simple accessories and tackle a fully shaped, seamed garment. The design produces a warm, cosy outerwear piece with a beautifully defined fabric, making it a practical and stylish addition to any child's wardrobe.

What Is Being Made

The Carl Coat is a children's outer coat sized to fit ages 1–2, 2–3, 3–4, and 4–5 years, with actual chest measurements ranging from 71 cm to 84 cm (28 in to 33 in). The length to shoulder ranges from 33 cm to 45 cm (13 in to 17¾ in), and sleeve lengths run from 22 cm to 30 cm (8¾ in to 11¾ in). The finished coat features 6 large buttons, approximately 21 mm in diameter, creating a classic button-front fastening that is both functional and decorative. The structured fabric and double-yarn construction make this coat genuinely warm and suitable for cooler weather.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up construction: The coat is knitted from the lower edge upward, a logical and beginner-friendly approach that allows the knitter to build the garment piece by piece in a familiar direction.
• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted back and forth on straight needles rather than in the round, producing flat panels that are later joined together.
• Seamed finishing: The individual pieces — body sections and sleeves — are sewn together after knitting, giving the coat a neat, structured silhouette typical of traditional garment construction.
• Yarn doubled throughout: One of the most distinctive techniques in this pattern is that the yarn is used double throughout — meaning two strands of MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino are held together and knitted as one. This creates a denser, warmer, and more structured fabric than a single strand would produce, and it gives the coat its characteristic weight and body. Knitters are advised to keep the two balls of yarn at different levels to prevent the threads from tangling during work.
• Button band and buttonhole construction: The pattern incorporates a button band to accommodate the 6 large buttons, a practical finishing technique that adds structure to the front opening.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (stockinette stitch): The main body fabric of the coat is worked in stocking stitch — knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side — creating a smooth, classic surface. The tension/gauge is set at 18 stitches and 26 rows to 10 cm / 4 in over stocking stitch using 5 mm (US 8) needles with yarn doubled.
• Rib stitch: Ribbing is typically used for cuffs, hems, and neckbands in coat patterns of this type, providing stretch and a neat, professional finish at the edges.

Materials Required

• Yarn: MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino in Midnight (101) — a sport weight yarn. The quantity required is 9 (10 : 12 : 13) x 50 g / 1¾ oz balls depending on the size being knitted. Because the yarn is used double throughout, the yardage works up quickly and the resulting fabric has excellent warmth and stitch definition. MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino is a machine-washable merino wool known for its softness against children's skin and its vibrant, lasting colour.
• Needles: A pair of 4.50 mm (US 7) knitting needles and a pair of 5 mm (US 8) knitting needles are required. The smaller needles are typically used for ribbed edges and borders, while the larger needles are used for the main body fabric.