Cardigan in Ella Rae Lace Merino DK - ER6-03 - Downloadable PDF

Cardigan in Ella Rae Lace Merino DK – Pattern ER6-03

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Ella Rae provides instructions for a charming children's cardigan, sized for ages 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, and 9–10 years. The finished garment is designed with a classic, wearable silhouette that suits everyday wear, featuring ribbed cuffs and hem bands alongside a smooth Stocking stitch body. It is worked in the brand's own Ella Rae Lace Merino DK yarn, making it a wonderfully soft and lightweight project suitable for a child's sensitive skin.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a children's cardigan with set-in or shaped sleeves, a left front opening, and neat ribbed edgings. The four sizes cover chest measurements ranging from 61 cm (24 in) up to 76 cm (30 in), with a finished circumference of 66–80 cm (26–31½ in) to allow for comfortable ease. Body length ranges from 30 to 36 cm (11¾ to 14¼ in) depending on size, and sleeve length runs from 10 to 13 cm (approximately 4–5 in), suggesting a shorter, possibly three-quarter or cropped sleeve style suited to layering.

Construction and Techniques

• Flat knitting: The cardigan pieces — back, left front, right front, and sleeves — are worked flat in separate pieces and then seamed together, a traditional construction method well suited to beginners and intermediate knitters alike.
• Ribbed welts and cuffs: Each piece begins with a 6 cm rib section worked on 3.75 mm needles, providing elasticity and a neat, professional finish at the lower edges and sleeve cuffs.
• Needle change for body: After the rib is complete, knitters switch to 4.00 mm needles to work the main body sections, a standard technique that ensures the fabric opens up to the correct gauge and drape.
• Stocking stitch body: The main fabric of the sleeves and body is worked in Stocking stitch (St st), beginning with a knit row on the right side, creating the smooth, classic fabric associated with traditional knitwear.
• Shaping: The pattern includes side shaping on the sleeves, with increases worked at each end to create the tapered sleeve shape. Shoulder shaping is achieved through a series of cast-off rows worked on both right-side and wrong-side rows, giving a stepped shoulder seam typical of set-in sleeve construction.
• Casting off in stages: Shoulder shaping uses multiple stepped cast-offs — for example, casting off 5(6,6,7) stitches on a right-side row, then 5 stitches on the following wrong-side row, and finally the remaining 6(5,7,7) stitches — a technique that creates a smooth, angled shoulder line rather than a harsh straight edge.

Stitches Used

• K1, P1 Rib: A classic single rib formed by alternating one knit stitch and one purl stitch across every row. This stitch pattern is used for all welts and cuffs and provides stretch and structure at the edges.
• Stocking Stitch (St st): Worked by knitting all right-side rows and purling all wrong-side rows, this is the primary body fabric of the cardigan, producing a smooth knit face and a ridged purl reverse.
• Increase stitches: Side shaping on the sleeves calls for increasing one stitch at each end of the needle at regular intervals, a fundamental shaping technique in garment knitting.

Materials

• Yarn: Ella Rae Lace Merino DK — a DK weight yarn from the Ella Rae brand. As the name suggests, this yarn is a merino wool blend with a lace-weight merino component, known for its softness, stitch definition, and gentle drape — qualities that make it particularly well suited to children