Cutie Pie Cardigan in Rowan Cotton Wool (DE) - RB001-00005-DEP - Downloadable PDF

Cutie Pie Cardigan in Rowan Cotton Wool (DE) – Pattern Summary

About This Design

The Cutie Pie Cardigan is a charming baby cardigan pattern designed by Erika Knight for Rowan. Published as a downloadable PDF in German (DE), this pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty and is worked in a classic DK weight yarn. It makes a beautifully simple yet thoughtfully constructed knitted cardigan for babies, sized to fit from 0–3, 3–6, 6–9, and 9–12 months, with corresponding knitted chest measurements of 48, 50, 52, and 54 cm.

The design is photographed in Rowan Cotton Wool in the colourway Nutkin 209, a warm, natural-toned shade that gives the finished garment a soft, organic look perfectly suited to a baby's wardrobe. The pattern is written in German, making it particularly accessible to German-speaking knitters.

What Is Being Made

• A baby cardigan with set-in or shaped sleeves, front opening, and button fastening
• Sized for babies aged 0–3 months through 9–12 months
• Features a left front panel with integrated buttonholes, a back panel, and shaped sleeves
• Finished with 3 buttons (grey or white, 1.5 cm diameter, 2-hole) for a neat, classic closure

Construction and Shaping Details

The cardigan is constructed in separate pieces — back, left front, right front, and sleeves — which are then seamed together. The left front panel begins with 44 (46: 48: 50) stitches cast on using 4 mm needles and is worked in garter stitch throughout. Shaping is achieved through a combination of decreases at the front edge and increases at the sleeve edge, creating a neat, fitted silhouette appropriate for a young baby.

The front slope shaping uses a combination of techniques: a slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over decrease and a knit 2 together decrease, worked at specific intervals to create a smooth, angled front edge. Sleeve increases are worked symmetrically at the side edges, with stitches cast on at the beginning of rows to form the underarm and lower sleeve sections.

A special abbreviation is used throughout the pattern — referred to as Mumw — which describes a specific technique for creating a neat, twist-free increase by lifting and repositioning a stitch and the working yarn around the needle. This adds a subtle, decorative increase that lies flat within the garter stitch fabric.

Buttonholes

The pattern includes integrated buttonholes worked directly into the left front band during knitting. Each buttonhole is formed using a simple yarn over and knit 2 together method, creating a small, neat eyelet opening suitable for the 1.5 cm buttons specified. The buttonholes are positioned at precise row intervals to align evenly along the finished front edge.

Techniques Used

• Garter stitch — the entire garment is worked in garter stitch (knitting every row), giving a dense, squishy, reversible fabric with excellent drape and warmth
• Front slope decreasing — using both k2tog (knit 2 together) and sl1, k1, psso (slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over) for directional shaping
• Sleeve increases — worked at side edges over multiple rows to build sleeve width gradually
• Cast-on increases — stitches cast on at the beginning of rows to shape the underarm and sleeve cap
• Integrated buttonhole construction — yarn over buttonholes worked within the front band rows
• Special increase technique (Mumw) — a lifted, repositioned stitch increase unique to this pattern