Maritt and Olga Set in Adriafil Avantgarde - Downloadable PDF

Maritt and Olga Set in Adriafil Avantgarde

What is Being Made

This downloadable knitting pattern set creates a coordinated collection of garments for young children, sized for ages 3 to 4 years. The set includes a cardigan and matching hat, both featuring the distinctive Avantgarde yarn from Adriafil. The cardigan is designed with a classic construction suitable for children's everyday wear, while the hat complements the set with coordinating colorwork.

Garment Details: Cardigan

Finished Measurements: The cardigan is available in two sizes with chest measurements of 66 cm (size 3 years) and 72 cm (size 4 years), with corresponding lengths of 34 cm and 35 cm respectively.

Construction: The cardigan is constructed in pieces, with a back panel, two front panels, and sleeves that are worked separately and then assembled. The front pieces feature a center neck opening that is bound off at the midpoint of the garment, with gradual neck shaping achieved by binding off stitches at the neck edge every other row over 8 decreases. The sleeves are shaped with increases at the side edges and feature armhole bind-offs for proper sleeve cap shaping.

Techniques and Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch: Used for the lower edge of the sleeves to create a textured, elastic ribbing effect. The first 3 cm of each sleeve is worked in garter stitch on 2.5 mm needles before transitioning to the main fabric.
• Stockinette Stitch: The primary stitch used throughout the main body and sleeves after the initial ribbing, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric.
• Colorwork: The pattern includes a diagram for sleeve colorwork, with a vertical pattern centered on each sleeve, adding visual interest to the garment.
• Increases and Decreases: Sleeve shaping is achieved through strategic increases at side edges—2 to 4 increases every 2 rows, followed by 8 to 9 increases every 4 rows, depending on size. Neck shaping uses bind-off decreases for a finished appearance.
• Bind-off Techniques: Armhole shaping is created by binding off 7 stitches at the beginning of consecutive rows to form the sleeve cap.

Materials and Yarn

Yarn: The pattern calls for Adriafil Avantgarde, a 4-ply weight yarn. The cardigan requires 150 grams of Avantgarde in colour No. 11 (the main color) and 50 grams of Avantgarde in colour No. 71 (for the colorwork details). This yarn weight provides excellent stitch definition, making it ideal for children's garments that need to be durable and easy to care for.

Needles: The pattern uses two needle sizes—2.5 mm needles for the ribbed sections and initial cast-on, and 3 mm needles for the main stockinette stitch sections. This needle size variation helps create proper gauge and fabric density.

Gauge: The pattern is worked to a gauge of 10 stitches by 10 centimeters in stockinette stitch, which is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements.

Pattern Format

This is a free downloadable PDF pattern, making it easily accessible for knitters who prefer digital formats. The pattern includes written instructions with row-by-row guidance, stitch counts, and measurement markers, along with a diagram for the colorwork placement on the sleeves, providing clear visual reference for patterning.