Can I use a different DK weight yarn than the ones listed?

Yes, as long as it is a smooth DK weight with minimal halo so the half double crochet stitches stay visible. Avoid bulky or fuzzy fibers, since they will blur the scallop trim detail.

Do I need to know how to work in the round for this?

Yes, but only for the sleeves, which are worked in joined rounds after you divide at the underarms. Everything else, including the yoke and body, is worked flat in rows.

How do I know which size stitch counts to follow?

The pattern lists counts for four sizes together in parentheses, ordered smallest to largest. Circle your size's numbers at the start so you do not lose track partway through the yoke.

What if my gauge does not match the pattern's gauge?

Make a swatch in half double crochet and compare it to the stated gauge of 16 hdc by 12 rows over 4 inches. If your swatch runs bigger or smaller, go down or up a hook size before starting the garment.

Is the scallop edging difficult for an intermediate crocheter?

No, it is a simple three-step shell repeated around each opening. It reads as detailed but the stitch pattern itself stays consistent from the hem to the hood.

Mint Green Hooded Baby Cardigan with Scallop Trim

LevelIntermediate
Time8-12 hours
Hook4.0 mm
YarnDK

About This Pattern

There's something so calm about this one. Mint green always reads a little like a held breath before spring, soft and quiet without being plain. This cardigan has that same gentle energy, a piece built for naps and stroller walks rather than anything flashy.

Your hands get a nice variety here. You start flat with the yoke, shift into joined rounds for the sleeves, then pick up stitches along the neckline for the hood. It keeps you engaged without ever asking for anything you haven't done in a basic sweater or a raglan hat.

Picture it folded on a changing table shelf, or hanging on a tiny wooden hanger next to onesies. The scallop trim catches light along the hem and hood opening. Five small buttons line up down the front like a row of punctuation, neat and done.

This pattern is rated intermediate. You should be comfortable with: working flat in rows (back and forth); working in joined rounds for the sleeves; picking up stitches along edges; and basic increasing and decreasing. If you've made a basic sweater or worked a raglan hat before, you have all the skills you need. The scallop border is a simple three-step shell that adds gorgeous detail without complexity.

This pattern includes four sizes to fit babies from newborn through toddler. Size 0 to 3 months: Chest 16 in / 40.5 cm, Length 9 in / 23 cm, Sleeve 6 in / 15 cm. Size 3 to 6 months: Chest 17 in / 43 cm, Length 9.5 in / 24 cm, Sleeve 6.5 in / 16.5 cm. Size 6 to 12 months: Chest 18 in / 45.5 cm, Length 10 in / 25.5 cm, Sleeve 7 in / 18 cm. Size 12 to 18 months: Chest 19 in / 48 cm, Length 10.5 in / 26.5 cm, Sleeve 7.5 in / 19 cm. All instructions are written for size 0 to 3 months; changes for larger sizes appear in parentheses in that order.

16 hdc x 12 rows = 4 in / 10 cm in half double crochet, blocked. Gauge matters for garments: make a swatch and adjust your hook size up or down as needed to match, so your finished sweater fits properly.

The cardigan is worked from the top down, flat (back and forth in rows), from the neckline to the underarms; then the body and sleeves are worked separately. The turning chain at the beginning of every row counts as a stitch: ch 2 at the start of each hdc row counts as 1 hdc. Right and left are given from the wearer's perspective. Place stitch markers at the 4 raglan seam points and move them up as you work to keep your increases lined up perfectly.

Chain a foundation row and work the first hdc row to set your stitch count for the chosen size.
Place stitch markers at the four raglan seam points so the increases stay lined up as you go.
Continue the yoke in rows, increasing at each marked seam until the yoke reaches full depth.
Divide the piece at the underarms, setting the sleeve stitches aside and continuing the body alone.
Work the body flat in hdc rows until it reaches the finished length from the underarm.
Join yarn at each underarm to work the sleeves in rounds, decreasing gradually toward the cuff.
Pick up stitches around the neckline to build the hood, then seam the top closed.
Finish with the scallop edging around the hem, cuffs, hood opening, and front bands, then sew on the buttons.

On the desk

Lion Brand Pound of Love (100% acrylic, 1020 yards per 16 oz skein) in color Pastel Green. Machine washable, very soft against infant skin, widely available.
Paintbox Yarns Simply DK (100% acrylic, 137 yards per 50 g ball) in color Spearmint Green. Consistent twist, great stitch definition, affordable.
Cascade 220 Superwash (100% superwash merino wool, 220 yards per 100 g skein) in color Mint. Luxuriously soft, excellent drape, machine washable on gentle cycle.
Choose a smooth DK weight yarn with minimal halo so the half double crochet stitch definition remains visible. Avoid bulky or fuzzy fibers that will obscure the scallop trim detail.

Yarn

DK weight, approximately 300 (330, 370, 410) yards / 275 (300, 340, 375) meters in mint green

Hook

US size G-6 / 4.0 mm

Notions

Yarn needle, 5 small buttons approximately 3/8 in / 10 mm diameter, stitch markers (at least 4), scissors

Stitch shorthand

beg — beginning
ch — chain, the foundation stitch where you pull a loop through another loop
ch-sp — chain space, the gap created by a chain in the previous row
dc — double crochet, a taller stitch where you yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through two loops twice
hdc — half double crochet, yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through all three loops at once
hdc2tog — half double crochet two together, a decrease that turns two stitches into one
pm — place marker
rem — remaining
rep — repeat
rnd — round
RS — right side, the public-facing side of your work
sc — single crochet, insert hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through both loops
sk — skip
sl st — slip stitch, insert hook, yarn over and pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook
sp — space
st(s) — stitch(es)
t-ch — turning chain
WS — wrong side, the inside of your work
yo — yarn over

Mint Green Hooded Baby Cardigan with Scallop Trim

Assembly

Step 1 Weave in all ends securely, especially at sleeve joins and hood seam.
Step 2 Blocking: Wet block by submerging the finished sweater in cool water, gently pressing out excess water in a towel, and pinning flat to a foam mat. Pin the scallop edges open slightly to accentuate the shell detail. Allow to dry completely.
Step 3 Buttons: Sew buttons firmly with doubled thread, stitching through all layers of the front band.

Easy to get wrong

Losing track of raglan seam markers

Check your four seam-point markers against the stitch counts at the end of every yoke row. If a count is off, it is almost always a missed increase at one marker, so backtrack to the last correct row before continuing.

Picking up the wrong stitch count for the hood

Count your neckline stitches before starting the hood pickup round rather than estimating as you go. An uneven pickup will throw off the hood's shaping and make the top seam sit crooked.

Rushing the scallop edging join

Join the new yarn with a slip stitch exactly in the first stitch as directed, not a stitch or two over. Starting in the wrong spot shifts the whole shell pattern out of alignment with the hem or cuff.

Between the songs

This is a raglan done the honest way: you watch the four seam lines grow right out of the yoke rows, no guessing where the sleeves will land. The half double crochet fabric is dense enough to feel protective but still drapes, which matters on something this small. Picking up stitches for the hood after the body is finished feels like a reward, proof the shaping worked. And the scallop border ties the whole piece together, same simple shell repeated at the hem, cuffs, hood edge, and front bands so every opening matches. It is the kind of project where each part teaches you something you then reuse immediately.

Listener questions

Can I use a different DK weight yarn than the ones listed?
Yes, as long as it is a smooth DK weight with minimal halo so the half double crochet stitches stay visible. Avoid bulky or fuzzy fibers, since they will blur the scallop trim detail.
Do I need to know how to work in the round for this?
Yes, but only for the sleeves, which are worked in joined rounds after you divide at the underarms. Everything else, including the yoke and body, is worked flat in rows.
How do I know which size stitch counts to follow?
The pattern lists counts for four sizes together in parentheses, ordered smallest to largest. Circle your size's numbers at the start so you do not lose track partway through the yoke.
What if my gauge does not match the pattern's gauge?
Make a swatch in half double crochet and compare it to the stated gauge of 16 hdc by 12 rows over 4 inches. If your swatch runs bigger or smaller, go down or up a hook size before starting the garment.
Is the scallop edging difficult for an intermediate crocheter?
No, it is a simple three-step shell repeated around each opening. It reads as detailed but the stitch pattern itself stays consistent from the hem to the hood.

Original pattern: https://bunnypatterns.com/mint-green-baby-hooded-sweater-free-crochet-pattern/

About the Author

Marisol QuinteroWho runs Crochet Obsessed, why a stitch count sits at the end of every round, how a pattern gets written here, and the things this site will never do.

Mint Green Hooded Baby Cardigan with Scallop Trim

About This Pattern

On the desk

Yarn