Babies Cardigan in Bergere de France Coton Fifty - 72277-24 - Downloadable PDF

Babies Cardigan in Bergere de France Coton Fifty – Pattern 72277-24

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Bergere de France provides instructions for a sweet, colourwork baby cardigan worked in the brand's own Coton Fifty yarn. The pattern covers five sizes — 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months — making it a versatile choice for knitters who want a project that can grow with a new arrival or be gifted across a range of ages. Rated as an intermediate difficulty knitting pattern, it is well suited to knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping, simple stitch pattern repeats, and working from a chart.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a classic baby cardigan featuring shaped armholes, a neat neckline, and button fastenings. The design incorporates a decorative point fantaisie (fancy stitch pattern) as the main fabric, giving the cardigan a textured or colourwork surface detail that elevates it beyond a plain stocking stitch garment. The cardigan is constructed in separate pieces — back, left front, and right front — which are then seamed together, a traditional construction method that produces a neat, structured finish ideal for a baby's garment.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is designed specifically for Bergere de France Coton Fifty, a 4-ply weight yarn. As the name suggests, Coton Fifty is a blend of cotton and synthetic fibres, making it soft, breathable, and practical for baby knitwear — easy to wash and gentle against delicate skin. The pattern calls for three colourways of this yarn:

• Ecarlate 23165 — the main colour, requiring 2 balls for sizes 3 to 18 months and 3 balls for 24 months
• Ficelle 23906 — a contrast shade, requiring 1 ball for 3 months and 2 balls for all larger sizes
• Grenadier 35264 — a second contrast shade, also requiring 1 ball for 3 months and 2 balls for larger sizes

In addition to yarn, the pattern specifies the following accessories and notions:

• Knitting needles in sizes 3 mm and 3.5 mm — the smaller size is used for the moss/garter stitch borders, while the larger size is used for the main fancy stitch pattern
• Stitch marker rings — Bergere de France reference 68395 (sold in a pack of 48), used to mark armhole and shaping positions
• Red buttons, 15 mm diameter — reference 42468 (sold in a pack of 6), with the number of buttons required varying by size: 4 buttons for 3 months, and 5 buttons for all larger sizes

Stitches and Techniques Used

The cardigan employs two distinct stitch patterns, each worked on a different needle size to achieve the correct tension and visual effect:

• Point Fantaisie (Fancy Stitch Pattern) — worked on 3.5 mm needles, this is the main body stitch. It is worked over a multiple of 4 stitches plus 1, and knitters follow a provided chart (grille) to complete the repeat. This type of structured repeat pattern typically involves combinations of knit, purl, and slip stitches arranged to create a decorative surface texture or colourwork motif.
• Point Mousse (Garter Stitch) — worked on 3 mm needles, this simpler stitch is used for the border and edging sections of the cardigan. Garter stitch, created by knitting every row, produces a ridged, reversible fabric that lies flat naturally — ideal for button bands and cuffs on baby garments.
• Slipped Stitch (1 maille glissée) — the pattern specifies a particular slip stitch technique: with the yarn held at the back (wrong side) of the work, the stitch is slipped as if to purl. This technique is commonly used at selvedge edges or within stitch patterns to create a neat, chained edge or a specific textural effect.

Shaping and Construction Details