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Over the summer, I caught the knitting bug. HARD. I’m not sure what it was, but at some point I became so antsy I couldn’t sit still—we had a trip coming up in June, so I didn’t want to get started on a new sewing project I knew I didn’t have time to finish. And then it occurred to me to pick up my knitting needles I hadn’t touched in, oh, three years or so.

I knitted several things: fingerless mitts for myself in anticipation of my office freezing in the wintertime, a few snuggles for shelter pets (for the Snuggles Project, a wonderful idea you can read about here), and this adorable cardigan.

I started itching to make a full sized sweater for myself, but I reigned myself in – while I’m pretty comfortable with needles and yarn, I’m far from an expert – and started searching for a baby pattern instead. Why not make a gift for our friends’ newborn instead? A smaller-scale item seemed far less intimidating than diving into an adult-sized project that might flop.

I already had several skeins of Red Heart yarn on hand in complementing colors, and I love the way the pattern turned out. Washable acrylic is a great choice for kids’ clothes since it can easily be tossed in with the rest of the laundry—no delicate hand washing required.

I was pleased to learn that I was, in fact, capable of both colorwork and basic shaping. I finished the piece off with these toggle buttons in a light wood. They finish off the Scandinavian look beautifully! My friend couldn’t have been more pleased with the finished product. Now, time to make an adult-sized one for yours truly…

Want to knit this cardigan? Here’s the free pattern on Ravelry!