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· 3 min read

Keep Smiling: Smiley Stitch Knitting Pattern for Kids' Cardigans

Little smiles in a contrast colour, row after row. A classic pattern, written with exact stitch counts so the smiles line up perfectly.

The smiley stitch is such a cute pattern, especially on children's cardigans. It's quite a common one, but a subscriber had been asking me for a long time to teach it with exact stitch counts. Her own stitches kept drifting out of line. She told me she doesn't have much money, and she earns her living knitting children's sweaters from the designs she learns on my channel. So this one is for her, and for all of you. Keep smiling!

Stitch count

For the sides to come out perfect, work in multiples of 6, plus 3. My swatch is 45 stitches; I teach it on 21.

What you'll need

  • Two colours: your base colour (colour 1, the same as your border, a darker shade in mine) and a colour for the smiles (colour 2)
  • Knitting needles to suit your yarn

The 12-row pattern

the pattern · 12 steps
  1. Row 1 (RS, colour 2):right sidecolour 2

    Purl 3. *With the yarn in front, slip 3, then purl 3.* Repeat to the end. Yes, you purl on the right side.

  2. Row 2 (WS, colour 2):wrong sidecolour 2

    Knit 3. *With the yarn at the back, slip 3, then knit 3.* Repeat to the end.

  3. Row 3 (RS, colour 1):right sidecolour 1

    Knit every stitch, including the first.

  4. Row 4 (WS, colour 1):wrong sidecolour 1

    Purl every stitch.

  5. Row 5 (RS, colour 1):right sidecolour 1

    Knit 4. *Insert the needle under the two colour-2 strands, knit the next stitch (the middle of the 3 you slipped), and bring it out under the strands so they're caught. Knit 5.* Repeat. After the last catch, knit 4.

  6. Row 6 (WS, colour 1):wrong sidecolour 1

    Purl every stitch.

  7. Row 7 (RS, colour 2):right sidecolour 2

    Purl 1, slip 2 with the yarn in front. *Purl 3, then slip 3 with the yarn in front.* Repeat. End with purl 3, slip 2, purl 1. The caught stitch from row 5 should always sit in the middle of each purl 3.

  8. Row 8 (WS, colour 2):wrong sidecolour 2

    Knit 1, slip 2 (yarn at the back). *Knit 3, slip 3.* Repeat. End with knit 3, slip 2, knit 1.

  9. Row 9 (RS, colour 1):right sidecolour 1

    Knit every stitch.

  10. Row 10 (WS, colour 1):wrong sidecolour 1

    Purl every stitch.

  11. Row 11 (RS, colour 1):right sidecolour 1

    Knit 1. *Catch the two strands and knit the middle stitch under them as in row 5, then knit 5.* Repeat. After the last catch, knit 1.

  12. Row 12 (WS, colour 1):wrong sidecolour 1

    Purl every stitch.

Repeat these 12 rows. Row 13 is row 1 again: purl 3, slip 3. The second row of smiles sits between the first, so they're staggered across the fabric.

  • smiley stitch
  • smile knitting pattern
  • two colour knitting
  • slip stitch pattern
  • kids cardigan
  • hand knitting
  • wool
  • handmade

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