Crochet Cardigans in Stylecraft Soft Baby Easy Stripes and Bambino DK 10160

Crochet Cardigans in Stylecraft Soft Baby Easy Stripes and Bambino DK – Pattern 10160

Pattern 10160 from Stylecraft is a downloadable PDF featuring two crochet cardigan designs for babies and young children, sized from 41–61 cm (16–24 inches), covering ages Birth to 5 years. Both designs are worked in DK weight yarn and are rated as intermediate in difficulty, making them a rewarding project for crocheters who are comfortable with basic shaping and stitch pattern repeats. The pattern is worked using a 4 mm crochet hook.

Yarns Used

The designs call for two specific Stylecraft yarns used in combination:

• Stylecraft Soft Baby Easy Stripes DK – a self-striping yarn that creates automatic colour changes, removing the need to join new colours manually and giving the finished garments a cheerful, variegated look with minimal effort.
• Stylecraft Bambino DK – a coordinating solid DK yarn used alongside the Easy Stripes to provide contrast sections and clean colour blocking, particularly effective when transitioning between stripe and solid regions of the garment.

The two yarns are referred to in the pattern as CC1 (contrast colour, used for the Easy Stripes sections) and MCC (main contrast colour, used for the Bambino DK sections). The pattern instructs crafters to cut off CC1 and join MCC at a specific point, after which only MCC is used to complete the remainder of the garment.

Design One: Long Cardigan

The Long Cardigan is a full-length baby and toddler cardigan worked in one piece to the armholes. It is a classic, cosy design with a generous length, making it suitable as a layering piece over babygrows or light clothing in cooler weather.

Construction and Shaping

The body is worked in one piece to the armholes, reducing seaming and keeping the construction straightforward. The foundation row establishes the stitch count, and subsequent rows build the fabric upward. Shaping is introduced through strategic increases and decreases at the armhole points before the pieces are divided for separate front and back sections.

Measurements

• To fit chest: 41 cm / 46 cm / 51 cm / 56 cm / 61 cm
• Actual measurement: 43 cm / 50 cm / 55 cm / 60 cm / 65 cm
• Full length (approximate): 24 cm / 28 cm / 32 cm / 38 cm / 42 cm
• Sleeve length (approximate): 15 cm / 17 cm / 20 cm / 24 cm / 29 cm

Stitches and Techniques – Long Cardigan

The Long Cardigan features a prominent V-stitch pattern, which is a classic crochet lace-style construction that creates an open, airy fabric with excellent drape — ideal for a baby garment that needs to be lightweight and breathable. The V-stitch is formed by working two double crochets into the same stitch with a chain space between them, creating a repeating fan-like texture across the fabric.

• Chain (ch) – used for the foundation and turning chains throughout
• Double crochet (dc) – the primary stitch used in the body and edging rows
• Treble (tr) – used within the V-stitch pattern to create the characteristic open structure
• V-stitch (V-st) – the central decorative and structural stitch pattern of the Long Cardigan, consisting of trebles worked into the same stitch or space with a chain between
• Slip knot and turning chain – standard crochet setup techniques used at the beginning of each row

The pattern uses a foundation row worked as a right-side row, with the V-stitch repeat beginning immediately. Stitches are missed at regular intervals to create the open pattern, and single trebles