Jacket in Sweet Dreams DK in Stylecraft - 9896 - Downloadable PDF

Stylecraft 9896: Jackets in Sweet Dreams DK – Pattern Summary

Stylecraft pattern 9896 is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern featuring two baby and toddler jacket designs worked in Stylecraft Sweet Dreams DK yarn. The pattern covers sizes from Newborn through to 2–3 years, fitting chest measurements of 36 cm to 56 cm (14 in to 22 in), making it a versatile addition to any handknitter's collection. Both designs are rated as intermediate in difficulty, offering a satisfying project for knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping and textured stitch patterns.

Designs Included in Pattern 9896

Design One: Collared Jacket

The first design is a classic Collared Jacket, a neat and practical baby jacket featuring a structured collar finish. It is worked in Stylecraft Sweet Dreams DK in the shade Cloud 7022, giving it a soft, delicate appearance perfectly suited to newborn and infant knitwear.

Construction and Sizing: The Collared Jacket is worked in separate pieces — back, fronts, and sleeves — and seamed together. The five sizes offered have the following actual chest measurements: 45 cm, 52 cm, 56 cm, 62 cm, and 66 cm (approximately 17¾ in to 26 in). Full length ranges from 22 cm to 40 cm and sleeve length from 12 cm to 24 cm, growing proportionally with each size.

Techniques Used:

• Thumb method cast-on — a stretchy, beginner-friendly cast-on well suited to garment edges
• Garter stitch border — four rows of garter stitch are worked at the lower edge of the back to create a firm, non-rolling hem
• Textured stitch pattern — the main body is worked in a four-row repeating pattern combining knit, purl, and K1B (knit one below) stitches, which creates a subtle raised, woven-effect fabric with excellent drape and warmth
• Standard garment shaping including armhole and neck shaping

Stitches Used:

• Garter stitch (g-st) — knit every row
• Stocking stitch — knit on right side, purl on wrong side
• K1B (knit one below) — knitting into the stitch one row below the needle, creating a textured elongated stitch that forms the signature pattern of this jacket
• Rib-style textured pattern combining knit and purl stitches with K1B on wrong-side rows

Materials Required – Collared Jacket:

• Stylecraft Sweet Dreams DK, shade Cloud 7022, in 100 g balls: 1 ball for Newborn, 2 balls for 0–6 months through 12–24 months, and 3 balls for 2–3 years
• 3¾ mm knitting needles — used for the cast-on and garter stitch border sections
• 4 mm knitting needles — used for the main body and sleeves worked in the textured pattern

Design Two: V Neck Jacket

The second design in pattern 9896 is a V Neck Jacket, offering a slightly more open, contemporary neckline compared to the collared version. Like the Collared Jacket, it is worked in Stylecraft Sweet Dreams DK and shares the same size range of Newborn to 2–3 years. The V-neck shaping makes it easy to put on and take off, a practical consideration for infant garments.

While the PDF content provided does not detail every row-by-row instruction for the V Neck Jacket, the design shares the same yarn, needle sizes, and general construction approach as the Collared Jacket, with the key distinction being the