Winter Snowflake Crochet Baby Cardigan – Free Pattern

This is a crochet pattern for my easy beginner-friendly baby cardigan – Winter Snowflake. Find out what inspired me to design this pattern, what yarn did I choose, and learn all the tricks on how to create a perfect baby turban.

You can find the free instruction below. If you want to support my work or need more sizes, purchase the ad-free, printable PDF here.

Hello, friends! I hope you are doing well. We had a really beautiful winter this year. We even have had a couple of days of snow. The whole time was around 0 °C which was perfect for sweaters, cardigans, hats, and shawls made with big chunky yarns.

Two years ago, I designed and shared a pattern for Winter Snowflake baby shoes with you. I can’t even believe it was so long ago. Well, I have great news! I wrote a pattern for crochet baby cardigan that goes perfectly with those baby shoes. And you can make a whole outfit now.

The cardigan is made with the same yarn, Grundl Wolle  Shetland. My main two colors were beige (04) and blue (3). You can find more beautiful shades in their collection, which I am going to use in my future projects, especially red.

Here are the instructions, video tutorial and a couple of photos of my cardigan. I have also made a PDF pattern that you can find on all of my pattern stores on Etsy, Ravelry or Love Crochet. It includes one additional size.

You can find the pattern from the same collection (Winter Snowflake) for crochet baby booties here. And if you want a PDF pattern click here.

Video Tutorial

Materials

• YARN: Chunky weight yarn – Grundl Wolle Shetland. In the pattern, I am switching between two colors. None of the shades has specific color names, numbers only. The beige yarn is numbered with 04 and the blue one with 03.
• CROCHET HOOK: 6.5 mm or K/10 crochet hook, or a hook to the size needed to obtain the gauge. And 5.0 mm crochet hook or H/8.
• OTHER: two stitch markers, tapestry needle, scissors, 6 buttons (2.5 mm in diameter).

Stitches and Abbreviations

• Sst/sts – stitch/stitches
• ch – chain
• ss – slip stitch
• sc – single crochet
• hdc – half double crochet
• FPhdc – front post half double crochet
• BPhdc – back post half double crochet

Gauge

GAUGE:  Work 11 stitches and 8 rows in HDC using a 6.5 mm crochet hook and a Chunky weight yarn to measure 10 x 10 cm (5 x 5 inches).

When you find a new crochet project that you would like to make, you usually want to start ASP. We all do. But please take some time and check the gauge. It might save your project!

Checking the gauge is a crucial step in the process of making a new crochet/knit garment. It will help you achieve the right size of your finish item. Learn how to check your gauge here.

Pattern Notes

• SIZE: 0 – 6 months (available below), 6-12 months (available in the PDF pattern).
• How to read a pattern: You can learn how to read a crochet pattern here.
• The pattern is written in US crochet terms.
• Skill level: Easy/Medium
• Measurements: 0 – 6 months CHEST 32 cm (12 1/2″), HEIGHT 23 cm (9″) and SLEEVES 12 cm (4 3/4″).
• Fit is meant to be comfortable. Not too loose and not too tight.

PDF Pattern

The PDF crochet pattern is a great solution for those who prefer to work offline, need additional sizes of the pattern, or just want to support my work. This beautifully designed PDF pattern can be found in my shops on Etsy, Ravelry, and Love Crafts.

* This PDF instructions include an additional size. The fee compensates for the ad revenue I would make if you had to visit the site to access the instructions.

Instructions

Crochet Baby Cardigan – Winter Snowflake

The pattern is written in a couple of simple steps: yoke, lower part, sleeves, edging and assembling. Most of the pattern is made with the 6.5 mm crochet hook with the exception of the ribbing around the sleeves. Those are made with 5.0 mm crochet hook.

1. YOKE

Take the blue yarn and 6.5 mm crochet hook and create a foundation chan made of 28 chains. Add one additional chain to lift the row to a proper hight.

Work the following segment in rows. Turn your work after each row and lift the row with ch 1 and start with a new row.

The sets of 3 hdc will be in the pattern marked with a latter A. Place the stitch marker into the middle one to indicate the increase for your next row.

Work your first row in back bumps of the foundation chain.

Row 1: Hdc 4. A Hdc 3. A Hdc 10. A Hdc 3. A Hdc 4. = 36 sts.

Row 2: Hdc 5. A Hdc 5. A Hdc 12. A Hdc 5. A Hdc 5. = 44 sts.

Row 3: Hdc 6. A Hdc 7. A Hdc 14. A Hdc 7. A Hdc 6. = 52 sts.

Row 4: Hdc 7. A Hdc 9. A Hdc 16. A Hdc 9. A Hdc 7. = 60 sts.

Row 5: Hdc 8. A Hdc 11. A Hdc 18. A Hdc 11. A Hdc 8. = 68 sts.

Row 6: Hdc 9. A Hdc 13. A Hdc 20. A Hdc 13. A Hdc 9. = 76 sts.

Row 7: Hdc 10. A Hdc 15. A Hdc 22. A Hdc 15. A Hdc 10. = 84 sts.

Do not cut the yarn just yet.

Continue with the Lower Part.

2. LOWER PART

Continue working in rows. Turn your work after each row and do not remove the st markers until you reach the pattern of the pattern that tells you how to make sleeves.

Row 8: Ch 1. Hdc 12. Skip 17. Hdc 26. Skip 17. Hdc 12. = 50 sts.

Row 9 – 15: Ch 1. Work 1 hdc into each of the next 50. = 50 sts.

Cut the yarn and fasten off. Hide the yarn tail between the stitches made with blue yarn.

3. SLEEVES

The pattern for both sleeves is the same.

Start in the row below the stitch marker.

Work in rounds. Join each round with a slip stitch (ss).

Round 1: Ch 1. Work 1 hdc into the same. Work 1 hdc into the st marked with a st marker. Work 1 hdc into each of next 17 sts. Work 1 hdc into the st marked with a st marker. Work 1 hdc into the row below.  Work 1 hdc into the st underneath the armpit. Join the round with a stitch marker. Ss. = 22 sts.

Round 2 – 7: Ch 1. Work 1 hdc into each of the next 22 sts. Ss. = 22 sts.

4. EDGING

Bottom

Start in one of the bottom corners of the cardigan. Work in rows. After each row turn your work. Use beige yarn and 6.5 mm crochet hook.

Row 1: Ch 1. Start in the same. Work 1 hdc into the first one. Repeat {FPhdc 2, BPhdc 2} 12 times. Work 1 hdc into the last one. = 50 sts.

Row 2 – 3: Ch 1. 1 hdc into the first one. Repeat {FPhdc 2, BPhdc 2} 12 times. Work 1 hdc into the last one. = 50 sts.

Sleeves

Start at the bottom of the sleeve – where you ended working with the blue yarn. Work in rows. After each row turn your work. Use beige yarn and 5.0 mm crochet hook.

Row 1: Ch 1. Repeat {FPhdc 2, hdc 2} 5 times.Work FPhdc 2 sts into last two. Ss. = 22 sts.

Row 2 – 4:  Ch 1. Work 1 FPhdc into every st closer to you and 1 BPhdc into every st further away from you. = 22 sts.

Collar

Make sure you do not make this part too tight. Place the sweater in front of you, front side facing up.

Start in the left top corner of the cardigan.

Work in rows. After each row turn your work.

Work one stitch around A sets of sts.

Row 1: Ch 1. Hdc 1. Start around the same. Repeat {FPhdc 2, BPhdc 2} 6 times. Work FPhdc 2. Hdc 1. = 28 sts.

Row 2: Ch 1. Hdc 1. Repeat {BPhdc 2, FPhdc 2} 6 times. BPhdc 2. Hdc 1. = 28 sts.

Row 3: Ch 1. Hdc 1. Start around the same. Repeat {FPhdc 2, BPhdc 2} 6 times. Work FPhdc 2. Hdc 1. = 28 sts.

Very important! Do not cut the yarn. Ch 1 and continue with the sidebands (right band – no buttonholes).

5. SIDEBANDS

Right Side

Continue your work from the collar down. This is the band with no buttonholes.

Work in rows. After each row turn your work and start with a new row.

Row 1: Work sc sts evenly across the right side of the cardigan. Work 1 sc into the first, 2 sc sts into the second one.

Repeat the sequence all the way to the bottom of the cardigan. Start with the collar.  Work 3 sc into the collar. Work 23 sc sts into the main part of the cardigan. Work 3 sc sts into the bottom ribbing. = 29 sts.

Row 2: Ch 1. Work 1 sc into each of next 23 sts. = 29 sts.

Row 3: Ch 1. Work 1 sc into each of next 23 sts. = 29 sts.

Cut the yarn and fasten off.

Left Side

Take a small amount of beige yarn and create a band with button holes on the left side of the cardigan. The band is made from the bottom up. Work in rows. After each row turn your work and start with a new row.

Row 1: Work sc sts evenly across the left side of the cardigan. Work 1 sc into the first, 2 sc sts into the second one.

Repeat the sequence all the way up to the top of the cardigan. Start with the bottom ribbing. Work 3 sc into the bottom ribbing. Work 23 sc sts into the main part of the cardigan. Work 3 sc sts into the bottom collar.                             = 29 sts.

Row 2: Ch 1. Sc 1 (2). Repeat {Ch 2, skip 2, sc 3} 5 (6) times. Work ch 2, skip 2, sc 1 (2).  = 29 (30) sts.

Row 3: Ch 1. Work 1 sc into each of next 23 (30) sts.                     = 29 (30) sts.

Cut the yarn and fasten off.

6. ASSEMBLING

Take a tapestry needle and attach the buttons corresponding to the button holes to the right band.

The buttons can be a safety hazard for babies. Please make sure the buttons are nicely secured to the band.

And here you have it a super simple, very quick to make and beautiful crochet baby cardigan. Mine is made in beige and blue, but you can use any colors you like.

Please share the link to the pattern with your friends that might benefit from this pattern too. And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using #crobypatterns. I am always so happy to see how creative you all are.

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