Crochet Striped Top and Sweater in Stylecraft Bambino DK - 9608 - Downloadable PDF

Stylecraft Bambino DK Crochet Striped Top and Sweater – Pattern 9608

This Stylecraft pattern 9608 offers two Easy crochet designs for babies and young children: a Crochet Striped Top and a Crochet Striped Sweater, both worked in Stylecraft Bambino DK yarn. The pattern covers sizes from birth through 7 years, fitting chest measurements of 41 cm to 66 cm (16 in to 26 in), making it a versatile addition to any handmade children's wardrobe. Both garments share the same charming striped aesthetic and are rated as Easy difficulty, making this pattern an excellent choice for intermediate crocheters looking to build confidence with garment construction while producing a polished, professional result.

About the Garments

The Striped Top

The Striped Top is a lightweight, short-sleeved children's garment designed for year-round wear. It features a neat striped construction created by alternating a Main Colour (MC) and a Contrast Colour (CC) throughout. The finished actual chest measurement ranges from 46 cm to 72 cm (18 in to 28¼ in) across the six sizes, with a full length of approximately 24 cm to 48 cm (9½ in to 19 in). Short sleeves are included, with sleeve lengths ranging from 6 cm to 10.5 cm depending on the size being made.

The Striped Sweater

The Striped Sweater is a longer-sleeved version of the design, sharing the same striped colour construction and sizing range as the top. Like the top, its full length measures approximately 24 cm to 48 cm (9½ in to 19 in) across all sizes. The sweater provides additional warmth and coverage, making it ideal for cooler months while retaining the same easy, wearable silhouette and playful stripe detail.

Techniques and Construction

Both garments are constructed using flat crochet, worked back and forth in rows rather than in the round. The back is worked first, beginning with a foundation chain using the Main Colour, followed by rows of double crochet (dc). The striped texture is achieved through a combination of two distinct row types worked in sequence:

• Back Loop Only (BLO) double crochet rows – worked on right-side rows, these create a subtle ridge and textural definition that gives the stripes their characteristic raised appearance.
• Standard double crochet rows – worked through both loops on wrong-side and additional rows, these provide a smooth, even fabric between the textured stripe rows.

The stripe sequence is created by changing yarn colour at regular intervals, alternating between the Main Colour (MC) and the Contrast Colour (CC). This colour-change technique is a fundamental crochet skill that, once mastered, produces a clean, even striped effect with minimal yarn ends to weave in when colours are changed at the end of rows.

The turning chain throughout the pattern is noted as ch 1 and does not count as a stitch, which is a common approach in double crochet fabric construction that keeps stitch counts accurate and edges neat. Crocheters are advised to count stitches carefully at the end of each row to maintain the correct stitch count across all sizes.

Stitches Used

• Double crochet (dc) – the primary stitch used throughout both garments, worked through both loops in standard rows
• Double crochet through the Back Loop Only (dc BLO) – used on right-side rows to create the textured stripe effect
• Foundation chain (ch) – used to begin each section of the garment

Materials

Both designs are worked in Stylecraft Bambino DK, a double knitting (DK) weight yarn. Bambino DK is a yarn specifically developed for baby and children's garments, known for its soft handle and suitability for young, sensitive skin. The pattern calls for two colours