Dido Dinosaur Cardigan - Knitting Pattern for Babies in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino

Dido Dinosaur Cardigan – Knitting Pattern for Babies by Debbie Bliss

The Dido Dinosaur Cardigan is an adorable baby knitting pattern by Debbie Bliss, featuring a charming Diplodocus dinosaur motif worked in colorwork across the body. Designed for babies and toddlers, this pattern covers six sizes ranging from 0–3 months up to 24–36 months, making it a versatile project that can grow with a child or be gifted across a wide age range. The finished cardigan is a classic, seamed garment with a neat button band, making it both practical and heirloom-quality in its construction.

Finished Measurements

• Chest: 50, 54, 57, 60, 63, and 66 cm (19¾ to 26 in) across the six sizes
• Length: 25 to 33.5 cm (9¾ to 13¼ in)
• Sleeve length: 13.5 to 22 cm (5¼ to 8¾ in)

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a baby cardigan — a front-opening knitted jacket with set-in or shaped sleeves, a button band, and a standout dinosaur colorwork panel on the body. The Diplodocus motif is the centrepiece of the design, making this cardigan a playful and eye-catching garment perfect for gifting or as a special handknit for a little one. The cardigan is worked in pieces and then seamed together, giving it a structured, professional finish.

Construction Techniques

• Bottom-up construction: The cardigan is knitted from the cast-on edge upward, which is the traditional and most intuitive approach for seamed garments.
• Seamed finishing: Individual pieces — back, fronts, and sleeves — are knitted separately and then joined using seaming techniques, producing clean, durable edges ideal for baby garments that need to withstand frequent washing.
• Intarsia colorwork: The Diplodocus dinosaur motif is created using the intarsia technique, where separate small bobbins or lengths of yarn are used for each distinct color block. This avoids carrying yarn across the back of the work and keeps the fabric light and flexible — important for a baby garment.
• Stranded colorwork: In addition to intarsia, stranded knitting is used, where two or more colors are carried across a row, creating a slightly thicker, warmer fabric in the colorwork sections.
• Stripes: Stripe detailing adds further visual interest and variety to the design, complementing the dinosaur motif.
• Buttonholes: Neat, worked buttonholes are incorporated into the button band, allowing for the attachment of buttons to close the cardigan at the front. Buttonholes in baby knitting require precision to ensure they are the right size for the chosen buttons and remain stable through wear and washing.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (stockinette stitch): The main body fabric is worked in stocking stitch — knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side — creating a smooth, classic surface that showcases the colorwork motif beautifully.
• Make one (m1): A standard increase stitch used for shaping, worked by picking up and knitting into the back of the loop lying between the stitch just worked and the next stitch.
• Additional shaping and finishing stitches are used throughout for neckline, armhole, and button band construction.

Colorwork Chart – The Diplodocus

The pattern includes a Diplodocus chart spanning 21 stitches wide and 19 rows tall, providing a clear grid for working the dinosaur motif. The chart uses at least two specific named colors from the Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino palette:

• Drake (C) — used within the colorwork chart
• Wasabi (D) — used within the colorwork chart