Free Pattern - Knit Cotton Cardigan for 18" Doll

Like Andy in the Toy Story series, my daughter is now a college student and has outgrown Victoria, her American Girl doll, but I still have fun dressing Victoria every now and then. I've been wanting to work on my knitwear design skills without the pressure of a full-size project, so I designed this classic cardigan for Victoria that goes very nicely with the Daisy Kingdom outfit I sewed up for her last winter. I'm giving you the pattern below, just in case you'd like to make one for one of your own favorite dolls.

Cotton Sweater for 18” Doll


Materials: One ball of Coats “Blau Tulpe” thread or any similar cotton thread
2.5 mm or U.S. size 1 knitting needles
Three 3/8” buttons

BODY OF SWEATER

Cast on 74.
Rows 1-4: k 1, p 1 to end.
Row 5: k all stitches.
Row 6: p all stitches.
Rows 7-20: repeat rows 5 and 6.

Right front shaping:

Row 21: k 10, leaving remaining stitches unworked.
Row 22: p 10.
Rows 23-32: Repeat rows 21 and 22 five times.

Neck shaping, right side:

Row 33: k 1, sl 1, k 1, psso, k to end of row.
Row 34: p entire row.
Row 35: k entire row.
Row 36: p entire row.
Rows 37-44: Repeat rows 33-36 twice.
Row 45: Bind off all stitches, cut thread and tie off.

Right armhole and back shaping:

Row 21: Reattach thread at beginning of remaining stitches on row 21, bind off 14, k 26, leaving remaining stitches unworked.
Row 22: p 26.
Rows 23-42: k odd rows, p even rows on 26 stitches.

Right shoulder shaping:

Row 43: k 7, leaving remaining stitches unworked.
Row 44: p 7.
Row 45: Bind off 7 stitches from row 44, cut thread, tie off.

Neck and left shoulder shaping:

Row 43: Reattach yarn at stitch #8 on row 43, bind off 12, k 7, leaving remaining stitches unworked.
Row 44: p 7.
Row 45: Bind off 7 stitches, cut thread, tie off.

Left armhole and left front:

Row 21: Reattach thread at beginning of remaining stitches on row 21, bind off 14, k to end of row (10 st).
Row 22: p 10.
Rows 23-32: K odd rows, p even rows on 10 stitches.
Row 33: k 7, k 2 tog, k 1.
Row 34: p all stitches.
Row 35: k all stitches.
Row 36: p all stitches.
Row 37: k 6, k 2 tog, k1.
Rows 38-40: repeat rows 34-36.
Row 41: k 5, k2 tog, k1.
Rows 42-44: repeat rows 34-36.
Row 45: Bind off remaining stitches, cut thread, tie off.

Block, then sew shoulder seams.

Neck band and collar:

Attach thread to the right front corner. Pull up 30 loops to the shoulder seam, 18 across the back neck, and 30 on the left front.

Row 1: k1, p1 across all stitches.
Row 2: k1, p1, yo, k2 tog, (k1, p1) twice, yo, k2 tog, (k1, p1) twice, yo, k2 tog, work remainder of row in k1, p1 rib. (This makes three buttonholes.)
Row 3: k1, p1 across all stitches.
Row 4: Bind off 25 stitches on right front, work 28 st in k1, p1 rib, leaving remaining stitches unworked.
Row 5: p1, k1 rib on 28 stitches.
Rows 6-10: continue to work 1/1 rib across 28 stitches.
Row 11: Bind off remaining stitches.

Attach thread at beginning of remaining stitches from row 4 and bind off to end, cut thread, tie off.

SLEEVES (MAKE TWO)

Loosely cast on 30 st.
Rows 1-4: k1, p1 to end.
Row 5: k 1, k in back and front of next st (inc 1), k3, inc 1, k18, inc 1, k3, inc 1, k1.
Row 6: p all stitches.
Row 7: k1, inc 1, k to 2nd from last st, inc 1, k 1.
Row 8: p all stitches.
Rows 9-18: Repeat rows 7 and 8 five more times.
Rows 19-22: k odd rows and p even rows.

Sleeve cap shaping:

Row 23: Bind off 5 st, k to end.
Row 24: Bind off 5 st, p to end.
Row 25: k 1, sl 1, k 1, psso, knit to within 3 st of end, k 2 tog, k 1.
Row 26: p entire row.
Rows 27-39: Repeat rows 25 and 26 seven times.
Row 40: p entire row.
Row 41: Bind off, cut thread, tie off.

Sew underarm seam on sleeves.
Sew sleeve into armholes.
Sew on buttons.

Remembering Daisy Kingdom

When DD was eight, she got Victoria, an American Girl doll, not one of the historic ones, although she admired them greatly and read the books about them, but one with olive skin and long dark hair made especially to look like her. My mother gave her several wonderful fabric panels with American Girl-sized doll dresses printed on them from a company called Daisy Kingdom. They were rich in detail, those Daisy Kingdom panels; the outfits had pleats, tucks, contrasting trim, and accessories to match.

DD loved those doll panels and sewed them up like crazy. As a matter of fact, Victoria had a much nicer wardrobe than my daughter, who preferred to wear leggings, t-shirts and the same fleece pullover to school every day. DD became such a good seamstress that she started designing her own doll clothes, and made over $100 selling them at her school's Christmas sale the year she was in fifth grade. Even after she and her friends didn't play with the dolls anymore, we both still loved to discover a new Daisy Kingdom doll panel, and I bought a couple on eBay when my mother's favorite source, Wal-mart, stopped carrying them. Eventually, though, they became impossible to find even on eBay. Evidently the Daisy Kingdom company doesn't exist any more, which is a real loss to budding seamstresses and their American Girl dolls, if you ask me.

I thought all of our doll panels were gone until a few weeks ago. Digging through my fabric boxes looking for inspiration, I found this one and sewed it up right away, then was frustrated in my search for Victoria. Because of the constant construction in this house, boxes get moved from one place to another frequently, and I finally gave up on locating the one that held the doll. Until today, when she showed up under a bunch of old quilt blocks. This outfit includes a hair scrunchie and a little purse. What do you think--isn't she cute?