Sharing a pattern for a one-peace wrap cardigan for my baby-girl

Finally, Marge can try her new short-sleeve cardigan in the colours of a red poppy and a blue knapweed field! As I wrote in a previous post, I've searched for a nice and not so common pattern for a baby-girl cardigan, but haven't found any, and decided to design one by myself. It came out so nice and work on it was so enjoyable, that it would be just wrong to keep the pattern within myself rather than share it.

Also I would be really happy to hear that someone used this pattern and managed to make this cardigan. So, if you intend to try this, please, take a picture of a result and share it with me!

This is a rather easy pattern of a beautiful one-peace wrap cardigan for a little baby girl.
Marge is two month old now and 62 cm long. This cardigan is a bit larger size. But you can make your own measurements and crochet cardigan of any size you need. I'll explain you, how.

The whole work consists of 4 stages:
1) after taking measurements, crochet a shoulders part (I'm not sure about professional terminology, so I'll just call it "shoulders part"). It is very similar to crocheting a granny square, only without it's center;
2) crochet a waist band;
3) crochet body part;
4) edging.

First of all, you should take some measurements. The easiest way to do this is to take any of your baby's tops (I took Marge's sleeper) and measure it. What you need is to measure the width of a neck hole (N), bust width (W) and sleeve aperture depth (S).

As you can see (you can click on the pictures to get a larger view), I've got N = 11 cm, W = 26 cm and S = 10 cm.

Now count Z = (W - N) / 2 and BC segment length as (S - Z) * 2.

CD segment length equals N and DE equals BC.

I've got Z = 7.5 cm, CD = 11 cm, DE and BC = 5 cm.

I'll refer to the mark up of this scheme further.

You will need yarn of three colours.
I used Turkish cotton yarn Alize Bella of a red, coral and cream colour in my work.



See this page for abbreviations in this pattern.

Part I

Start with the coral yarn and change colours between coral and red every two rows while crocheting shoulders.

Step 0:

chain for BC + CD + DE cm, chain 8 more for corners.
I've got to chain 21 cm plus chain 8: chain of 62 altogether.

Step 1:

Chain 4 (counts as first TR), work 1 HTR and 1 DC in the first stitch for the corner A (to shape the bevel edge of wrap).
Work 1 DC in the next 1 stitch for the AB segment.
Work 4 DC in the next 1 stitch for the corner B.
Work a number of DC, 1 DC for a stitch, to get the BC segment length (I've got 13 DC). Let us call it the "X" number.

Work 4 DC in the next 1 stitch for the corner C.
Now you should stop and count, how many stitches you can use for the CD segment, because your work will be simmetrical, and there should be left the same number of stitches for the DEF segment as in the ABC segment. To count this just add 1 (for the corner A) to 1 (for the AB segment) and 1 (for the corner B) and "X" (for the BC segment) and 1 (for the corner C), and double substract this sum from the original sum of what was chained.
I've got 62 - (1 + 1 + 1 + 13 + 1) * 2 = 30 stitches. Let's call it the "Y" number.
So, work "Y" DC in each of the next "Y" stitches for the CD segment.

Work 4 DC in the next stitch for the corner D.
Work the same number of DC, 1 DC for a stitch, for the DE segment as for the BC segment.

Work 4 DC in the next stitch for the corner E.

Work 1 DC in the next stitch for the EF segment.
Work 1 DC, 1 HTR and 1 TR in the last stitch for the corner F (to shape the bevel edge of wrap).
The main counting is done, the first row either. Turn your work now.

Step 2:

Chain 2 (counts as the first HDC), work 1 SC in the first stitch (the continue of shaping the bevel edge of wrap).
This row you'll go only SC along all the segments. All stitches should be worked out of a front loop (the back loop will be seen in the front).
When you are near to any of the corners (made by 4 DC of the previous row), work 1 SC, chain 3, skip 2, work 1 SC, continue with SC.
Work 1 SC and 1 HDC in the last stitch (the continue of shaping the bevel edge of wrap) and turn .

Change colour to red.

Step 3:

Start a row with CH 4 (counts as first TR) and 1 HTR + 1 DC worked out of the first stitch.
Work 1 DC in every stitch as you crochet your work along except corners.
Corners: work 6 DC in every ch-3 space.
End the row with 1 DC, 1 HTR, 1 TR -- all in the last stitch.

Step 4:

All stitches of this row should be worked out of a front loop (the back loop will be seen in the front).
Start a row with CH 2 (counts as first HDC) and 1 SC worked out of the first stitch.
Work 1 SC in every stitch as you crochet your work along except corners.
Corners (worked out of the 6 corner DC of the previous row): work 1 SC in each of the next 2 stitches, chain 3, skip 2, work 1 SC in each of the next 2 stitches.
End the row with 1 SC and 1 HDC -- all in the last stitch.

Change the colour to coral.

Repeat step 3 for every odd row and step 4 for every even row until you have enough length. Don't forget to change the colour every two rows. The last row of this part should be odd.

Now, when the shoulders' part is done, time to crochet beautiful waist band and form hand holes.

You should have something like this by now:

Part II

Take a white yarn ravel. Turn your work (this part should start from a backside row).

Step 1:

All stitches of this row should be worked out of a front loop (the back loop will be seen in the front).
Start a row with CH 2 (counts as first HDC) and 1 SC worked out of the first stitch (still making the bevel edge).
Work 1 SC in every stitch along the AB segment.

Work 1 SC in each of the first 2 stitches of the corner B.
Chain 6.

Work 1 SC in each of the last 2 stitches of the corner C.

Work 1 SC in every stitch along the CD segment.

Work 1 SC in each of the first 2 stitches of the corner D.
Chain 6.

Work 1 SC in each of the last 2 stitches of the corner E.

Work 1 SC in every stitch along the EF segment, leave the last stitch undone.
End the row with 1 SC and 1 HDC -- all in the last stitch.

Change colour to red.

Step 2:

Start a row with CH 4 (counts as first TR) and 1 HTR + 1 DC worked out of the first stitch.
Work a few more (or just one) stitches with a 1 DC per each.
* Skip 1, chain 1, work 3 DC together in the next stitch.
Repeat from * till the ch-6 space.
Work 1 DC in each of the ch-6 stitch. Don't work out of space. It'll make your work look neat.

* Skip 1, chain 1, work 3 DC together in the next stitch.
Repeat from * till the second ch-6 space.

Work 1 DC in each of the ch-6 stitch.

* Skip 1, chain 1, work 3 DC together in the next stitch.
Repeat from * till you have only few stitches left.
Work 1 DC in each of the next stitches till you get to the last stitch.

End the row with 1 DC, 1 HTR, 1 TR -- all in the last stitch.
Fasten off, you won't need red colour anymore.

Now DON'T turn your work and start again a frontside row only with a white colour.

Step 3:

Start a row with CH 2 (counts as first HDC) and 1 SC worked out of the first stitch (still making the bevel edge).
Now work 1 SC in every stitch and 1 SC in every space of the row, except the last stitch.

End the row with 1 SC and 1 HDC -- all in the last stitch.
Fasten off.

Now we have come to the body part.

Part III

Change colour to coral.

Step 1:

Start a backside row with CH 4 (counts as first TR) and 1 HTR + 1 DC worked out of the first stitch.

All stitches of this row should be worked out of a front loop (the back loop will be seen in the front).
Continue working 1 SC per stitch along the row.

End the row with 1 SC and 1 HDC -- all in the last stitch.

A shell pattern starts from this points.

Step 2:

If you wish to continue beveling, CH 4 (counts as first TR) and work 1 HTR + 1 DC into the first stitch as in previous rows.
Otherwise just CH 3 (counts as first DC) and skip the first stitch.
Work 1 DC in a few more stitches (1 DC per stitch).
Make a half of a shell: work 3 DC in the next stitch, skip 1 and slip stitch into the next stitch.
* Make a shell: work 5 DC in the next stitch, skip 1 and slip stitch into the next stitch.
Repeat this pattern along the row until there will be only a few stitches left.

Make a half of a shell: work 3 DC in the next stitch.
Work 1 DC in each of the leaving stitches.

If you wish to continue beveling, work 1 DC, 1 HTR and 1 TR into the last stitch as in previous rows.
Otherwise just work 1 DC into the last stitch.
Turn your work.

Step 3:

If you wish to continue beveling, CH 2 (counts as first HDC) and work 1 SC into the first stitch as in previous rows.
Otherwise just CH 1 (counts as first SC) and skip the first stitch.
Work 1 SC into each of the next stitch until you get to the first shell half's top (including this stitch).
* Chain 3, 1 SC into the top stitch of the next shell.
Repeat from * until you get to the last shell half's top (including this stitch too).

Work 1 SC in each of the leaving stitches.

If you wish to continue beveling, work 1 SC and 1 HDC into the last stitch as in previous rows.
Otherwise just work 1 SC into the last stitch.
Turn your work.

Step 4:

Repeat step 2 and step 3 until you get a length you need.
The last one should be step 3.

Step 5:
The last row.
Chain 2 to start the row (counts as 1 DC), skip 1.
Work 1 DC into each of the stitches along the row. I suggest you to take smaller hook for this purpose, because you should work out of stitches rather than spaces in order to keep your work neat.

Don't turn or fasten off.

Part IV

Step 1:

Continue your crocheting along the edge. Make 1 SC into every HTR edge and 2 SC into every DC edge.
Right before beveling make 1 increase ( 2 SC into same stitch).
Then keep going with 1 SC per HTR and 3 SC per TR.
Slip stitch when you get to the top of the beveling.
Fasten off.

Step 2:

Repeat step 1 for the second side edge with the only difference: start crocheting with a slip stitch from the top this time.

Congratulations, the main part of the work is done!
Now you can attach some buttons and decorate your work, if you want.

I'll share with you next time, how to make that pretty little flower, I decorated Marge's cardigan with.

Have a nice crochet time!