Sweet Bunting

Sweet Bunting Cardigan by Laura Chau

What is Being Made

Sweet Bunting is a seamless baby cardigan featuring an integrated colourwork bunting design. This knitted garment combines a fitted body with a decorative yoke that incorporates stranded colourwork patterning. The cardigan includes functional ties that extend into bunting string flags, making it both a practical garment and a charming decorative piece. The design is available in six sizes ranging from approximately 3 months to 4 years old, with finished chest measurements from 19.5 inches to 24.5 inches (50cm to 62cm).

Construction Techniques

Sweet Bunting is worked seamlessly from the bottom up, a construction method that minimizes seaming and creates a smooth, continuous garment. The cardigan features a stranded colourwork yoke, a traditional colorwork technique where multiple yarn colors are carried across the back of the work to create patterned motifs. The ties that form the bunting string are integrated into the design, extending from the cardigan body. Simple seed stitch edging is used throughout, providing a classic, refined finish to the garment.

Stitches and Stitch Details

• Seed stitch: Applied at the edges of the cardigan for a textured, classic border treatment
• Stranded colorwork: Used in the yoke section to create the bunting pattern using multiple colors worked simultaneously
• Stockinette stitch: Implied as the primary fabric structure for the body of the cardigan

Yarn and Materials

Sweet Bunting is designed for DK weight yarn. The pattern is shown worked in The Fibre Company Savannah, a luxury blend yarn composed of 50% wool, 20% cotton, 15% linen, and 15% soy. This blend creates a super soft, breathable fabric ideal for baby garments. Savannah yields 160 yards per 1.75 ounce (50g) skein. The colorway shown uses Sycamore as the main color (MC), with Huckleberry and Bluegrass as contrast colors (CC1 and CC2), though Huckleberry has been discontinued. The pattern notes that the bunting flags are an excellent opportunity to incorporate variegated or handspun yarn in complementary colors.

Needles and Tools

This pattern requires US 4 / 3.5mm needles, appropriate for working DK weight yarn in a fitted gauge. Circular needles are implied for seamless construction from the bottom up.

Difficulty Level

Sweet Bunting is rated as an intermediate project. While the seamless construction and basic stitch techniques are accessible to knitters with foundational skills, the stranded colorwork yoke introduces moderate complexity. Knitters should be comfortable managing multiple colors simultaneously and reading colorwork charts to successfully complete this design.

Designer and Credits

Sweet Bunting is designed by Laura Chau and features technical editing by Jaya Purswani, ensuring accuracy and clarity throughout the pattern instructions.