Crochet Woven Sweater and Tunic in Stylecraft Bambino DK - 9609 - Downloadable PDF

Crochet Woven Sweater and Tunic in Stylecraft Bambino DK – Pattern 9609

This downloadable PDF from Stylecraft contains two easy crochet designs for babies and young children: a Woven Sweater and a Woven Tunic. Both garments are worked in Stylecraft Bambino DK yarn and share the same elegant woven texture stitch, making this a wonderfully versatile pattern for anyone building a handmade children's wardrobe. The pattern is rated as intermediate in difficulty, though the stitch repeat itself is simple and rhythmic, making it accessible to confident beginners who are comfortable working with a crochet hook and reading basic pattern instructions.

Sizes and Fit

The pattern covers a generous range of sizes suitable for babies and children from birth through to approximately seven years old. Specific size brackets include:

• 0–6 months – to fit chest 41 cm / 16 in; actual measurement 46 cm / 18 in
• 6–12 months – to fit chest 46 cm / 18 in; actual measurement 52 cm / 20¼ in
• 12–24 months – to fit chest 51 cm / 20 in; actual measurement 57 cm / 22¼ in
• 2–3 years – to fit chest 56 cm / 22 in; actual measurement 62 cm / 24¼ in
• 4–5 years – to fit chest 61 cm / 24 in; actual measurement 67 cm / 26¼ in
• 6–7 years – to fit chest 66 cm / 26 in; actual measurement 72 cm / 28¼ in

The pattern is designed with positive ease built in, giving a comfortable, relaxed fit across all sizes. The Sweater has a shorter full length ranging from approximately 24 cm / 9½ in (smallest size) up to 48 cm / 19 in (largest size). The Tunic version is longer, ranging from approximately 30 cm / 12 in to 50 cm / 19¾ in, making it ideal for wearing over leggings or as a dress-style top for younger children.

Design One: The Woven Sweater

The Woven Sweater is a classic children's pullover featuring a structured, textured fabric created entirely through crochet. Despite its woven appearance, the fabric is produced using a straightforward two-row stitch repeat that creates the illusion of an interlaced woven cloth. This makes it a visually impressive yet achievable project for intermediate crochet makers.

Construction and Technique

The sweater is worked in flat panels, beginning with the back piece. The foundation chain is worked and then the woven double crochet pattern is established immediately from row one. The back, front, and sleeves are each worked as separate flat pieces and then seamed together, which is a traditional construction method well suited to children's garments as it produces a neat, durable finish.

Woven Double Crochet Stitch Pattern

The defining feature of both garments in this pattern is the woven double crochet stitch. This stitch pattern produces a fabric that closely resembles a woven textile and is created as follows:

• Row 1 (RS): Work 1 double crochet into the 4th chain from the hook (this counts as 1 chain and 1 double crochet), then work *chain 1, miss 1 chain, 1 double crochet into the next chain*, repeating from * to end, then turn.
• Row 2: Chain 1 (counts as 1 stitch), miss the first double crochet, then work *1 double crochet into the chain-1 space, chain 1, miss 1 double crochet*, repeating from * to end, finishing with 1 double crochet into the chain-1 space at the beginning of the previous row, then turn.
• Row 2 is repeated throughout to form the woven double