Frida Cardigan in Valley Yarns Superwash DK - 707 - Downloadable PDF

Frida Baby Cardigan – Pattern Summary (Valley Yarns Superwash DK #707)

The Frida Baby Cardigan is a charming knitted infant cardigan designed by Kirsten Hipsky and published as pattern #707. It features sweet decorative cables running along both front panels, giving it a classic, heirloom-quality look while remaining a practical and wearable garment for babies and toddlers. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with basic cable techniques and seamless construction.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a seamless, top-down raglan baby cardigan sized for infants and toddlers. Four sizes are included: 0–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, and 12–24 months, with finished chest measurements of 16, 18, 20, and 22 inches respectively. The sample shown in the pattern photography is knitted in size 18 inches. The cardigan includes a collar worked in k1, p1 ribbing, cable-accented front bands, set-in sleeves worked in the round on double pointed needles, and a ribbed cuff finish.

Construction Technique

The Frida Baby Cardigan is constructed seamlessly from the top down, a method beloved by knitters because it eliminates the need for seaming and allows for easy length adjustments as you go. Construction begins at the collar, where stitches are cast on and divided across the left front, left sleeve, back neck, right sleeve, and right front using stitch markers to define each raglan section. Increases are worked at each raglan point to shape the yoke as the knitting progresses downward toward the body. Once the body and sleeves are separated, the sleeves are placed on stitch holders or scrap yarn and worked later in the round using double pointed needles. This top-down seamless approach is particularly well-suited to baby garments, where fit and ease of construction are both important.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Cables – The defining decorative feature of this cardigan. Two distinct cable panels are worked on the fronts: a Left Front Cable and a Right Front Cable, each spanning a panel of 14 stitches. The cables are worked over an 8-row repeat using two special cable crossings.
• BC (Back Cross Cable) – Slip 2 stitches to a cable needle and hold to the back, knit 2, then knit 2 from the cable needle. This creates a right-leaning cable cross.
• FC (Front Cross Cable) – Slip 2 stitches to a cable needle and hold to the front, knit 2, then knit 2 from the cable needle. This creates a left-leaning cable cross.
• Stockinette Stitch (St st) – Used for the body and sleeves, providing a smooth, classic fabric that allows the cables to stand out in relief.
• k1, p1 Ribbing – Used for the collar and sleeve cuffs, providing a neat, stretchy edge finish.
• kfb (Knit Front and Back) – An increase stitch used to shape the raglan yoke as the garment is worked downward.
• Working in the round – Sleeves are picked up and worked in the round on double pointed needles after the body is separated.
• Stitch markers and stitch holders – Essential for tracking raglan sections and holding sleeve stitches while the body is completed.

Cable Panel Details

The Left Front Cable and Right Front Cable are mirror images of each other, each worked over a 14-stitch panel with an 8-row repeat. Wrong-side rows are worked in a consistent rib pattern to maintain the cable texture, while right-side rows alternate between plain knit rows and cable crossing rows. The BC and FC crossings are staggered across the repeat to create an interlocking, visually appealing cable motif. Understanding how to read both right-side and wrong-side cable rows is what places this pattern in the intermediate skill