Happy Holidays Collection - Free Layette Knitting Pattern For Babies in Paintbox Yarns Baby DK by Paintbox Yarns

Happy Holiday Collection – Free Baby Layette Knitting Pattern by Paintbox Yarns

The Happy Holiday Collection by Paintbox Yarns is a charming, coordinated baby layette set designed to make a heartfelt handmade gift for a newborn or young baby. This free downloadable PDF knitting pattern brings together four classic baby makes — a blanket, a cardigan, a hat, and booties — all worked in a cohesive festive colour palette using Paintbox Yarns Simply DK yarn. The collection is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it a satisfying project for knitters who are comfortable with basic techniques and ready to explore a little more detail in their finishing work.

Yarn and Materials

Every piece in the Happy Holiday Collection is knitted using Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a smooth, consistent DK-weight yarn sold in 100g balls. The featured colourway combination shown on the cover uses three shades:

• Seafoam Blue (Colour A) – the primary shade, used most heavily across the collection
• Stormy Grey (Colour B) – used as a contrast or accent colour
• Paper White (Colour C) – used for crisp, clean contrast detailing

The recommended needle size throughout the collection is a 4mm (UK 8 / US 6) pair of straight knitting needles, or the size needed to achieve the correct tension. As with all knitting patterns, achieving the stated tension (gauge) is essential — the pattern advises knitting a swatch of at least 13 cm (5 in) square before beginning any of the pieces.

Happy Holiday Blanket

The Happy Holiday Blanket is a generously sized baby blanket, completing at approximately 55 cm (21½ in) wide and 80 cm (31½ in) long — a practical size for a pram, cot, or play mat. It is worked flat on straight needles, making it accessible for knitters who prefer not to work in the round.

Stitches and Techniques – Blanket

• Stocking stitch (stockinette stitch) – the main body fabric, worked with knit stitches on right-side rows and purl stitches on wrong-side rows, achieving a tension of 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm
• Moss stitch – used for borders or textural sections, with a slightly different tension of 20 stitches and 26 rows to 10 cm, giving a denser, more tactile fabric that resists curling at the edges
• Worked flat – all rows are worked back and forth on straight needles
• Colour work – the three-shade palette of Seafoam Blue, Stormy Grey, and Paper White is incorporated into the blanket design

The tension requirements for the blanket reference both stocking stitch and moss stitch, indicating that both textures play a meaningful role in the finished fabric. Moss stitch is a classic baby knitting choice — it lies flat without curling, adds visual interest, and creates a slightly thicker, cosier fabric than plain stocking stitch alone.

Happy Holiday Cardigan

The Happy Holiday Cardigan is a baby cardigan designed to coordinate with the blanket, hat, and booties in the collection. As part of a seamed construction, the cardigan pieces — typically a back, two fronts, and sleeves — are knitted separately as flat pieces and then joined together, a traditional approach that gives structure and shape to the finished garment.

Stitches and Techniques – Cardigan

• Worked flat – all pieces are knitted back and forth on straight needles
• Seamed construction – individual pieces are sewn together after knitting, creating neat, durable seams suited to baby garments that will be washed frequently
• Buttonhole technique – the front band of the cardigan incorporates worked buttonholes, allowing buttons to be fastened securely
• Buttons – the finished cardigan is fastened