Girls Coat in Bergere de France Calinou - 60387-03 - Downloadable PDF

Girls Coat Knitting Pattern in Bergere de France Calinou – Pattern 60387-03

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern provides instructions for a beautifully structured girls' coat, designed in three sizes to fit ages 1 year, 2 years, and 4 years. Rated as an expert-level (3 out of 3) knitting project, this pattern is best suited to experienced knitters who are comfortable working with cable needles, complex stitch combinations, and shaping techniques. The finished coat is a classic, elegant garment featuring intricate textural details that make it a standout piece for young children.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is specifically designed to be knitted in Bergere de France Calinou, a 4-ply weight yarn. The colourway used in the original design is Grenadine 10050, a warm red tone that complements the coat's classic styling. Depending on the size being made, the pattern calls for 6, 8, or 9 balls of Calinou respectively for the 1-year, 2-year, and 4-year sizes.

• Yarn: Bergere de France Calinou, Grenadine 10050
• Needle sizes: 4 mm and 4.5 mm knitting needles
• Cable needle: One cable needle (aiguille à torsades) required
• Buttons: 4 red shank buttons, 15 mm diameter, reference 50028 (sold in packs of 6)

Techniques and Construction

This coat pattern employs a combination of textural stitch patterns and cable techniques, giving the finished garment a rich, detailed surface. The use of two different needle sizes — 4 mm and 4.5 mm — allows for variation in fabric density across different sections of the coat, which is common in structured garments where ribbing or borders need to be firmer than the main body fabric.

A key decorative element of this coat is the alvéoles (honeycomb or cell-like) stitch pattern, worked on 4.5 mm needles. This stitch creates a deeply textured, geometric surface that adds visual interest to the body of the coat. The alvéoles pattern is worked over a repeat that begins with a knit row on the right side and a purl row on all even rows, with specific crossing instructions on the odd rows to build the honeycomb effect.

Cable Stitches Used

The pattern makes extensive use of cable crossings, which are central to the coat's decorative character. Two primary cable manoeuvres are defined and used throughout:

• Croisée à gauche (CàG) – Left Cross: Slip 2 stitches onto the cable needle held at the front of the work, knit the next 2 stitches, then knit the 2 stitches from the cable needle. This creates a left-leaning cable twist.
• Croisée à droite (CàD) – Right Cross: A corresponding right-leaning cable cross worked by holding stitches at the back of the work, creating a mirror-image twist to the CàG.
• 4 m. CàG (4-stitch Left Cable): A full 4-stitch left cable crossing, slipping 2 stitches to the cable needle at the front, knitting the next 2 stitches, then knitting the 2 held stitches.
• 4 m. CàD (4-stitch Right Cable): The corresponding 4-stitch right cable crossing worked with stitches held at the back.

These cable crossings are combined with knit and purl stitches in precise sequences across multiple rows to build up the cable panel design. The pattern works through at least 11 charted rows of cable detail, with specific stitch arrangements on each odd-numbered row and purl rows on all even-numbered rows. This creates a rhythmic, repeating cable motif that frames and enhances the coat's structure.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

• Stocking stitch (endroit/envers): Standard knit on right side, purl on wrong side, used as a base fabric