by Terri Kruse

Kindling is a top down children's cardigan with a wavy cable dotted with bobbles, topped off with a leaf accent at the end of the cable. This design came about because of my love for top-down raglans, cables and knitting for kids. It is perfect for the time of year when the air gets crisp and your little one will need an extra layer.

My favorite part of the design is the leaf that punctuates the cable and bobble detail. These combined elements are where the name “Kindling” comes from. The cables reminded me of twigs shedding their leaves and welcoming fall, when we need the bare twigs to start a fire to keep warm.

SIZE
children's sizes: 6m [12m, 18m, 2, 4, 6]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 19 [20, 21, 23, 25, 27] inches
Length: 11.5 [13.75, 14.5, 15.75, 17, 18.75] inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Sanguine Gryphon Traveller [100% Merino; 280 yards/256 m per 114 g skein]; Color: Uljin; 2 [2, 2, 2, 2, 3] skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 set US #5/3.75 double point needles
1 16-inch US #5/3.75 circular needle for smaller sizes
1 20- or 24-inch US#5/3.75 circular needle for larger sizes

Notions
yarn needle
stitch markers – 12 of one style or color, 4 of another
stitch holders
cable needle
2 buttons

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

The first three cables start at Row 1 and the last 3 start at Row 9 so that they are symmetrical. Increases are worked on the wrong side.

SSP: Slip next 2 sts as if to knit, one-by-one; slip them back together to the left needle, and p2tog tbl.

MB (Make Bobble): (K1, p1) twice into the next st, turn. P4, turn. Sl 2 tog, k2tog, p2sso.

T3F: Slip next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold in front; p next st, k2 from cn.

T3B: Slip next st onto cable needle and hold in back; k next 2 sts; p st from cn.

Cable (Over 6 sts):
Row 1 [RS]: P1, MB, p1, T3B
Row 2 [WS]: P3, k1, p1 tbl, k1.
Row 3 [RS]: P2, T3B, p1.
Row 4 [WS]: K1, p3, k2.
Row 5 [RS]: P1, T3B, p2.
Row 6 [WS]: K2, p3, k1.
Row 7 [RS]: T3B, p3.
Row 8 [WS]: K3, p3.
Row 9 [RS]: T3F, p1, MB, p1.
Row 10 [WS]: K1, p1 tbl, k1, p3.
Row 11 [RS]: P1, T3F, p2.
Row 12 [WS]: K2, p3, k1.
Row 13 [RS]: P2, T3F, p1.
Row 14 [WS]: K1, p3, k2.
Row 15 [RS]: P3, T3F.
Row 16 [WS]: P3, k3.

Leaf – Worked Flat
Row 1 [RS]: K1, yo, k1, yo, k1
Row 2 and all following even rows [WS]: Purl.
Row 3 [RS]: K2, yo, k1, yo, k2
Row 5 [RS]: Knit
Row 7 [RS]: Ssk, k3, k2tog
Row 9 [RS]: Ssk, k1, k2tog
Row 11 [RS]: Sl 2 knitwise, k1, psso.
Row 12 [WS]: Purl.

Leaf – Worked in the Round
Round 1 [RS]: K1, yo, k1, yo, k1
Round 2 and all following even rounds: Knit.
Round 3 [RS]: K2, yo, k1, yo, k2
Round 5 [RS]: Knit
Round 7 [RS]: Ssk, k3, k2tog
Round 9 [RS]: Ssk, k1, k2tog
Round 11 [RS]: Sl 2 knitwise, k1, psso.
Round 12: Knit.

DIRECTIONS

Work 4 rows in garter stitch.

Row 1 [RS]: P2[3, 3, 4,  4, 4], place cable marker, work Cable Row 1, place cable marker, p2[3, 3, 4,  4, 4], place increase marker, p1[2, 2, 3, 3, 3], place cable marker, work Cable Row 1, place cable marker, p1[2, 2, 3, 3, 3], place increase marker, p3[4, 4, 6, 6 , 6], place cable marker, work Cable Row 1, place cable marker, p4[4, 4, 4, 4, 4], place cable marker, work Cable Row 9, place cable marker, p3[4, 4, 6, 6 , 6] , place increase marker, p1[2, 2, 3, 3, 3], place cable marker, work Cable Row 9, place cable marker, p1[2, 2, 3, 3, 3], place increase marker, p2[3, 3, 4,  4, 4], place cable marker, place cable marker, work Cable Row 9, place cable marker, p2[3, 3, 4,  4, 4].

Row 2 [WS]: *K to cable marker, work next Cable row, k to 1 st before increase marker,  kfb, slip marker, kfb; repeat from * once more; k to cable marker, work next Cable row, *k to cable marker, work next Cable row, k to 1 st before increase marker,  kfb, slip marker, kfb; rep from * once more; k to cable marker, work next Cable row, k to end.

Row 3 [RS]: *P to cable marker, work next Cable row; rep from * 5 more times, p to end.

Row 4 [WS]: *Work in pattern to 1 st before increase marker, kfb, slip marker, kfb; repeat from* 3 more times; work in pattern to end.

Repeat Rows 3 & 4 15[16, 17, 18, 21, 23] more times. 194[212, 220, 240, 264, 280] sts.  42[46, 48, 52, 58, 62] sts on sleeves.

You are now done with the Cable pattern; remove the cable markers.

Next row [RS]: P to the first knit stitch of the cable, place Leaf marker, work Leaf row 1, place Leaf marker, p to increase marker, place sleeve stitches on holder, CO 2 sts, purl to the first knit stitch of the first back cable, work Leaf row 1, place Leaf marker, purl to the first knit stitch of the next cable, work Leaf row 1, place Leaf marker, work to increase marker, place sleeve stitches on holder, CO 2 sts, p to the first knit stitch of the cable, work Leaf row 1, place Leaf marker, p to end.  122 [132, 136, 148, 160, 168] sts.

Next row: K to marker, work next leaf row; repeat from * 4 more times, k to end.

Row 1 [RS]: *P to marker, work next leaf row; repeat from * 4 more times, p to end.
Row 2 [WS]:  Knit.

Work Rows 1 & 2 until Leaf is complete, ending with a WS row.
Purl 1 row.

Next row [WS]: Purl
Following row [RS]: Knit.

Work in stockinette st as established until piece measures 6[8, 8.5, 9.5, 9.75, 11] inches from the underarm.

Work .75 inches in garter stitch.
BO.

Round 2: P1, ssp, p to 1st marker, work Leaf, p to last 3 sts, p2tog, p to end. 46[50, 52, 56, 62, 66] sts.

Round 3: P to 1st marker, work Leaf in pattern, p to end.

Repeat Round 3 until Leaf is completed.

Next round: K1, ssk, k to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 40[44, 46, 50, 56, 60] sts.

Next 2 rounds even.

Repeat last 3 rounds twice more. 36[40, 42, 46, 52, 56] sts.

Work even in stockinette until sleeve measures 6 [7, 8, 9.25, 10, 11] inches from where the sleeves are picked up.

Work garter stitch for .75 inches.

BO.

Place two stitch markers where you want to put the buttons on the buttonband. In the sample, the first button is .75 inch from the top, and the second 2.75 inches below that. If you are customizing the button placement, count down the number of sts from the top to first marker, and then from the top to the second.

BUTTONHOLE BAND
With RS facing, join yarn at right front lower edge. Pick up and knit stitches for the buttonhole band along the front edge, picking up the same number of stitches as you picked up for the buttonband.

Work 3 rows of garter stitch.

If you’re using the button placement in the sample, work as follows:
Buttonhole row [RS]: K until 19 sts rem, (yo, k2tog), k11, (yo, k2tog), k to end.

If you’ve customized the buttonhole positioning, work as follows:
Place markers to correspond to the marker positions on the buttonband.
Buttonhole row [RS]: K to 1 st before first marker, yo, k2tog (removing marker), k to 1 st before second marker, yo, k2tog, (removing marker), k to end.

Continue in garter stitch until buttonhole band measures .75 inches.
BO loosely.

Terri lives and designs in North Dakota. When, she's not busy taxi-ing teenagers or chasing a toddler, she can be found knitting pretty much all the time.

She blogs here.