Made and counted by Wren —

Bubble stitch baby cardigan for 6-9 months

6.0mm hook, size 4 worsted yarn crochet a 6-9 month cardigan with bubble stitch texture.

Bubble stitch baby cardigan for 6-9 months
IntermediateLevel
6-8 hoursTime
6.0 mmHook
WorstedYarn
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About this pattern

A flat, top-down baby cardigan sized for 6-9 months, worked with a 6.0 mm hook for the body and a 4.0 mm hook for ribbing in size 4 worsted yarn. The yoke increases to 56 stitches, sleeves are set aside at the underarms, and the body reconnects at 60 stitches before bubble stitch rows begin. Front bands carry buttonholes spaced every nine stitches; finished height runs about 11 inches.

This is a top-down cardigan for a 6-9 month baby, built flat from a 37-chain yoke that increases to 56 stitches by Row 3, then splits at the underarms with a chain-3 skip-19 on each side to hold the sleeves for later. Front, back, and second front combine into a 60-stitch body before the bubble stitch panels start. Front bands add buttonholes spaced every nine stitches, and FPDC/BPDC ribbing finishes the hem in a smaller 4.0 mm hook.

The pattern

Written out round by round

Materials

  • Size 4 medium yarn
  • 6.0 mm hook for body
  • 4.0 mm hook for sleeve ribbing
  • Needle, scissors, buttons

Abbreviations

  • sc = single crochet
  • dc = double crochet
  • sc2tog = single crochet 2 stitches together (decrease)
  • FPdc = front post double crochet
  • BPdc = back post double crochet

Yoke Rows 1-16

Make a magic knot and chain 37.

Round 1Skip first chain and make 1 SC in each stitch total 36.
Round 2Chain 1 turn 1 SC in each stitch 36.
Round 3Chain 1 turn 1 SC then 2 SC in next stitch repeat across to get 56 SC.
Round 4Work 1 SC in each stitch 56.
Round 5Repeat SC row 56.
Round 61 SC in next 2 stitches then 2 SC in next repeat to reach 74 SC.
Round 7Work 1 SC in each stitch 74.
Round 8Repeat SC row 74.
Round 91 SC in next 3 stitches then 2 SC in next repeat to reach 92 SC.
Round 10to 16 Work 1 SC in each stitch for 7 rows keeping count 92.

Main Pattern

Round 1Chain 1 turn and work 1 SC in each stitch including 3 SC into each underarm chain space total 60.Bubble Row 1 Chain 1 turn work 4 SC, make 1 bubble stitch in next stitch, then 5 SC. Repeat pattern across.Work 3 rows of SC.Bubble Row 2 Chain 1 turn work 9 SC then bubble in 10th stitch. Continue repeating 9 SC then bubble. Total 6 bubbles in row.Continue repeating 3 SC rows then 1 bubble row , alternating bubble placement like Row 1 then Row 2 until body measures 8 inches from yoke.

Bottom Ribbing

Round 1Chain 2 turn work 1 DC in each stitch.
Round 2Chain 2 turn work FPDC and BPDC alternately.Row 3 Repeat ribbing keeping posts aligned. Fasten off.

Sleeves (Repeat for both)

Join yarn at underarm and work SC around gently closing gap if needed.

Round 2to 6 Work SC each row.
Round 7Work 2 SC then SC2TOG continue SC to last 4 stitches then SC2TOG and finish with 2 SC.
Round 8to 13 Continue SC rows.
Round 14Repeat decrease row.
Round 15to 17 SC in each stitch total 16 rows. Switch to 4.0 mm hook.
Round 1Chain 3 and work DC around total approx 21.
Round 2Alternate FPDC and BPDC.Row 3 Work ribbing as appears then fasten off.

Neck Ribbing

Attach yarn at neckline and chain 2 then work 1 DC around.

Round 2Chain 2 turn alternate FPDC and BPDC.Row 3 Work posts as they appear then fasten off.

Assembly

Step 1Sew sleeve seams.
Step 2Sew buttons matching buttonholes.
Step 3Cardigan height approx 11 inches.

Tester's notes

6.0 mm hook covers the yoke, main pattern, and front bands; do not substitute the 4.0 mm hook for any of these sections.

4.0 mm hook is reserved for sleeve ribbing and bottom ribbing only, producing a tighter cuff and hem than the body fabric.

60 stitches is the checkpoint after both fronts, both sleeve chain-3 gaps, and the back are joined; recount before starting Main Pattern Row 1.

Buttonholes land every nine stitches along the roughly 44-SC right front edge; mark stitch 9, 18, 27, and so on before working the buttonhole row.

Bubble placement alternates between rows: Bubble Row 1 centers bubbles at stitch 5 of each 9-stitch group, Bubble Row 2 shifts to stitch 10; keep a marker on the first bubble of each row to track the offset.

Work in progress

Bubble stitch baby cardigan for 6-9 months — photo 2
Bubble stitch baby cardigan for 6-9 months — photo 3

At a glance

Rounds21
Parts5
LevelIntermediate
Time6-8 hours
Hook6.0 mm
YarnWorsted

Gauge check

After Row 1 of the yoke, count stitches across the chain-37 foundation and confirm 36 SC.

If something looks wrong

The yoke cups instead of lying flat after the increase row.
Row 3's increase from 36 to 56 stitches was worked unevenly. Rip back to Row 3 and check that the increase repeats land exactly on 56 stitches before continuing.
Buttons and buttonholes don't line up once bands are sewn.
The chain-1 skip-1 spacing drifted along the 44-SC edge. Recount to confirm buttonholes fall after every ninth stitch before fastening off that row.
Front bands end up different lengths once both are done.
The right band was worked to an estimated 44 SC while the left band followed a fixed 3-row count. Count the right band's row total first and match it exactly on the left.
Underarm area puckers after the sleeves are seamed on.
The 3 SC worked into each chain-3 underarm space in Main Pattern Row 1 were missed or miscounted. Recheck that the body reads 60 stitches after Row 1 before working further rows.

Yarn substitutions

Cotton, worsted weight (size 4)Less stretch than the original fiber and more drape in the body; the FPDC/BPDC ribbing needs firmer tension to keep its rib defined. Hook sizes stay at 6.0 mm and 4.0 mm.
Acrylic-wool blend, worsted weight (size 4)Closest match to the pattern's stated size 4 yarn; blocks evenly and keeps the 6.0 mm body hook and 4.0 mm ribbing hook unchanged.
DK weight (size 3)Lighter fabric that runs smaller than the stated 6-9 month sizing; drop to roughly 5.0 mm for the body and 3.5 mm for ribbing, then recheck the Row 1 count of 36 stitches before trusting later stitch totals.
FAQs

Questions

How is the 60-stitch body count confirmed before starting the bubble stitch section?

Once both fronts, the back, and both underarm chain-3 gaps are joined, the body should read 60 stitches across. Count before working Main Pattern Row 1, which adds 3 SC into each underarm chain space to reach that total.

How far apart should the buttonholes be spaced?

Buttonholes fall every nine stitches along the right front edge, worked as chain 1, skip 1. Confirm that edge reaches approximately 44 SC before starting the buttonhole row so the spacing comes out even across the band.

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