Jacket for Santa's Helper Outfit for 18-inch Doll

Free Doll Jacket Knitting Pattern

This knitted jacket features horizontal stripes at the shoulders and hips. It is part of the Santa's Helper Outfit that also includes a Skirt and Stocking Cap. However, it also works great with other outfits, depending on your color choices.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
--Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
--Increasing: knit front and back (kfr&b), make 1 (m1)
--Working in the round on double pointed needles
--Picking up stitches

Size: fits 18-inch dolls like American Girl, Our Generation and other dolls with similar body.

Materials: Lambs Pride Super Wash by Brown Sheep (affiliate link) Co, sport weight 100% wool yarn 180 yds (165 m)/ 50 g, main color (MC): 1 ball, contrast color (CC) - small amount

Needles: circular US4 (3.75mm) and double pointed of the same size for the sleeves OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE
Note: When working in the round the gauge may change, so you might need dp needles one size higher.

Gauge: 24 sts x 32 rows = 10 x 10 cm (4" x 4") in stockinette st:

Notions:
- 2 stitch markers
- Stitch holders or 2 pieces 10” long of contrasting color waste yarn to hold stitches
- Yarn needle
- 4 buttons
- Sewing needle and thread of color matching the yarn for attaching the snaps

Abbreviations:
dpn – double pointed needles
K – knit
P – purl
St, sts – stitch, stitches
pu&k - pick up and knit
as est. - as established, work as the pattern demands,
co – cast on
RS – right side
WS – wrong side
m 1 - make 1 increase - I used the increase described by Elizabeth Zimmerman: make a backward loop over the right-hand needle and in the next row/round purl/knit it as a regular stitch.
bb – button band
sm - slip marker

Pattern Notes:

Stockinette stitch in rows:
Row 1 (RS): knit
Row 2: purl
Repeat 2 rows.

Stockinette in rounds: all rounds knit

Garter stitch: all rows knit .

The selvedge/edge stitches are worked as follows: knit the first stitch and purl the last one.

Button Bands (bb) are worked in garter stitch on 3 stitches in the beginning and in the end of each row.

Button holes: are made in the end of the RS rows on the right bb in the following way: k1, yo, k2tog, p1.


Short Overview of the Pattern:

Cardigan is worked top-down, seamlessly, back-and-forth. The cardigan features a round yoke with 3 color stripes and an A-shape silhouette. The sleeves are worked in the round on dpn. Button bands (bb) are worked together with the body of the cardigan, in garter stitch - all rows knit.

Directions:

With MC yarn cast on 46 sts

Row 1 (RS): k45, p1.

Row 2 (WS): k4, p38, k3, p1.

Repeat rows 1-2 two more times. Change to CC yarn.

Row 7 (RS, increase row): k4, *m1, k2 - repeat from * 19 times, m1, k1, yo, k2tog, p1. = 66 sts

Row 8 (WS): k65, p1. Cut CC yarn, change to MC.

Row 9 (RS): k65, p1.

Row 10:k4, p 58, k3, p1.

Repeat rows 9-10 one more time. Change to CC..

Row 13 (RS, increase row): k4, * m1, k2 - repeat from * 29 times, m1, k3, p1 = 96 sts

Row 14 (WS): k95, p1. Cut CC yarn, change to MC

Row 15 (RS): k95, p1.

Row 16: k4, p86, k3, p1

Row 17: k93, yo, k2tog, p1.

Row 18: k4, p88, k3, p1. Change to CC

Row 19: k4,*m1k4 - repeat from *22 times, m1,k4 (?), p1 = 119 sts

Row 20:k118, p1. Cut CC yarn, change to MC



Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Change to MC.

Row 21 (RS): k18, transfer 26 sts on a length of waste yarn, co 3, k31, transfer the next 26 on a length of waste yarn, co 3, k17, p1. = 73 sts

Row 22 (WS): k4, *p65, k3, p1

Place a marker before each 2nd (middle) underarm st.

Row 23 (RS increase row)): knit till marker, m1, sm, k1, m1, knit till the next marker, m1, sm, k1, m1, knit till the last st, p1 = 77 sts

Row 24 (WS and all WS rows, except rows 36 and 42): k4, purl till the last 4 sts, k3, p1

Row 25 (RS): knit till last st, p1.

Row 27 (RS, increase row): knit till marker, m1, sm, k1, m1, knit till the next marker, m1, sm, k1, m1, knit till the last 3 st, yo, k2tog, p1 = 81 sts

Row 29 (RS) like row 25.

Row 31 (RS, increase row) like row 23. = 85 sts

Row 33 (RS) like row 25.

Row 35 (RS, increase row, CC yarn): like row 23 = 89 sts

Row 36 (WS) : knit till last 4 sts, k3, p1. Cut CC yarn, continue with MC

Row 37 (RS): knit till last 3 sts, yo, k2tog, p1.

Row 39 (RS, increase row): like row 23 = 93 sts

Row 41 (RS, with CC yarn): like row 25.

Row 42 (WS) like row 36. Cut CC yarn, continue with MC

Row 43 (RS, increase row) like row 23 = 97 sts

Row 45 (RS): like row 25.

Row 47 (RS, increase row) : like row 23 = 101 sts

Rows 49-53 knit. Bind off.

Sleeves

Transfer 26 sts from waste yarn to dpn, distribute evenly.

Round 1: pu&k 3 underarm sts, k26. (= 29 sts)

Work 35 rounds in stotckinette: all rounds knit.

Bind off. Cut yarn.


Finishing:

Weave in all yarn ends. Block the cardigan. Sew the buttons on the left button band.

Have fun!