Paige - Child's lace cardigan or vest

Paige Child's Lace Cardigan or Vest

What is Being Made

Paige is a child's lace cardigan or vest designed by Jennifer Lee, offering two distinct styling options. Style A features a lace cardigan with ¾ length sleeves, while Style B presents the same lace design as a sleeveless vest. Both versions incorporate garter stitch bands and knitted i-cord ties as finishing details. The pattern is available in four child sizes: 2, 4, 6, and 8 years, with garment chest measurements ranging from 63cm (25 inches) to 79cm (31 inches) and lengths from approximately 40cm (15¾ inches) to 52cm (20½ inches).

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

Primary Stitch Pattern: The garment features an all-over lace pattern as the main design element, creating an open, decorative fabric throughout the body of the cardigan or vest.

Structural Techniques: The pattern employs several key knitting techniques to construct and finish the piece:

• Lace Knitting: The central design uses traditional lace stitching, which requires careful attention to yarn forward increases (yfwd) paired with corresponding decreases such as slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over (sl 1, K1, psso) or knit 2 together (K2tog). The pattern notes that care must be taken when shaping to ensure these paired decreases and increases are worked correctly to maintain the integrity of the lace design.
• Garter Stitch Bands: Garter stitch (knit every row) is used for the edging bands, providing a textured, reversible border that frames the delicate lace sections and adds structure to the garment openings.
• I-Cord Ties: Knitted i-cord (knit on double-pointed needles in the round) creates functional ties, likely used at the front opening or waist for closure and styling options.
• Shaping: The pattern includes shaping techniques to create the armholes, neckline, and sleeve cap, with particular attention required during lace sections to maintain stitch pattern integrity while decreasing.

Tension Requirement: The pattern is worked at a tension of 18.5 stitches and 32 rows to 10cm (4 inches) over the lace pattern using 4.00mm needles. Achieving correct tension is essential for proper garment sizing and drape, particularly important in lace knitting where stitch definition affects the final appearance.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

Yarn: Paige is designed to be worked in Panda Soufflé 8ply (DK weight), a lightweight yarn that showcases lace patterns beautifully. Style A (cardigan) requires 4 to 6 balls depending on size, while Style B (vest) requires 3 to 5 balls. Each ball is 50g and provides 125 meters of yardage. The pattern notes that yarn quantities may vary between individual knitters and different yarn types.

Needles: The pattern requires one pair of 4.00mm knitting needles (UK size 8, US size 6) for the main fabric, and two 4.00mm double-pointed needles for working the i-cord ties. A wool needle is needed for seaming and finishing the garment.

Difficulty Level

Paige is rated as an Intermediate level pattern. This rating reflects the lace knitting required, which demands attention to stitch placement and the coordination of yarn overs with corresponding decreases. The shaping within the lace pattern adds complexity, as knitters must maintain pattern integrity while increasing and decreasing for armholes and sleeve shaping. Knitters should have solid foundational skills in basic stitches and be comfortable reading lace charts or written lace instructions before attempting this design.