Free Baby Sweater Crochet Pattern in 6 Sizes: Pryor Creek Jr
Free baby sweater crochet pattern
Pryor Creek Jr is an adorable free baby sweater crochet pattern based on my very popular Pryor Creek Sweater for adults, which you can see here. This free crochet pattern for the baby version is written in sizes 3 mo, 6 mo, 12 mo, 18 mo, 2 yr, and 4 yr and works beautifully for both boys and girls!
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Table of Contents
Where can I get this baby sweater pattern?
This free baby sweater crochet pattern is right here in this post!
If you decide to use the free version, please bookmark this page and come back to it when you work on your project rather than trying to print or screenshot the page. Your time on this page helps me get paid for my work, so thank you!
If you prefer a PDF that is easy to download and print, you can purchase an inexpensive PDF version of the pattern on Ravelry or Etsy.
Pryor Creek Jr, a Free Baby Sweater Crochet Pattern
By April Garwood of Banana Moon Studio
(C)2024 April Garwood. As with all my patterns, please do not make paper or digital copies for others. Instead, please direct them to my website to get their own. Thank you!
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Available Sizes: 3 months [6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 2 years, 4 years].
Finished Measurements: Chest circumference 18 [19, 20, 21, 23, 25] inches; Length 9 ¼ [9 ¾, 11, 11 ¾, 13, 13 ¾] inches.
Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Effects (100% Superwash Wool; 220 yds [200 m]; 3.5 oz [100 g]; CYCA weight: light worsted 3/4): #19 Berries or #08 Pinks, 2 [2, 2, 3, 3, 3] skeins.
You may make the sweater all in one color, or you may use small amounts of another color as an accent. You will need a total of about 299 [342, 410, 449, 525, 608] yds for the sweater.
Crochet Hook: I/9 (5.5 mm), or size needed to obtain gauge.
Notions: 8 locking st markers (m), yarn needle.
Gauge: 15 sts x 12 rows = About 4 inches [10 cm] in hdc.
Notes
Turning between rnds is necessary when working in half-double crochet stitch. This stitch has a top that is to one side of its post, so working without turning will cause your seam to slant. It would also cause your armholes to be skewed to one side, and the lines on the front, created by the post stitches, would not be straight.
Click here for to learn the half-double crochet stitch with my video tutorial!
This crochet pattern is written in standard US terms. If you need help with these, get my free crochet abbreviations list here.
See video tutorials for basic crochet stitches here.
Special Stitches
Front post double crochet (Fpdc): Yo, insert hook around post of designated st starting from the front of your work, yo, pull up a loop, [yo, pull through 2 loops] 2 times.
Back post double crochet (Bpdc): Yo, insert hook around post of designated st starting from the back of your work, yo, pull up a loop, [yo, pull through 2 loops] 2 times.
Crochet post stitch video tutorial here.
Half double crochet 2 stitches together (hdc2tog): Yo, insert hook into first designated st, yo, pull up a loop, yo, insert hook into second designated st, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through all loops.
Hdc and hdc2tog photo tutorial here.
Sweater
Sleeves (make 2)
Ch 24 [24, 25, 27, 27, 28], join to first ch with sl st to form a circle.
Rnd 1(WS): Ch 2, hdc in each st around, join to first st with sl st, turn — 24 [24, 25, 27, 27, 28] sts.
Rnd 2: Ch 2, 2 hdc in first st, hdc in each rem st, join to first st with sl st, turn — 25 [25, 26, 28, 28, 29] sts.
Rnds 3-5: Ch 2, hdc in each st, join to first st with sl st, turn.
Rnd 6: Ch 2, hdc in each st to last st, 2 hdc in last st, join to first st with sl st, turn — 26 [26, 27, 29, 29, 30] sts.
Rnds 7-9: Ch 2, hdc in each st, join to first st with sl st, turn.
Repeat Rnds 2-9 for pattern.
Work in pattern for a total of 17 [17, 25, 25, 25, 33] rnds.
Sizes 3 months and 4 years only
Work 3 [1] more rnd even.
Sizes 6 months and 2 years only
Repeat Rnds 2-6 [4].
Sizes 12 and 18 months only
Repeat Rnd 2.
All sizes
Fasten off with long tail for sewing. With RS facing place locking stitch markers (m) in the 2nd [2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 4th] st and in the 27th [29th, 31st, 33rd, 33rd, 34th] st.
Sweater Body
Ch 71 [75, 79, 83, 92, 99], join to first ch with sl st to form a circle.
Rnd 1(WS): Ch 2 (does not count as a st), hdc in each st, join to first st with sl st, turn — 71 [75, 79, 83, 92, 99] sts.
Rnd 2: Ch 2, hdc in first 17 [18, 19, 20, 21, 23] sts, *Fpdc in next st, hdc in next st, repeat from * until 17 [18, 19, 20, 21, 23] sts remain, hdc in each remaining st, join to first st with sl st, turn.
Rnd 3: Ch 2, hdc in first 17 [18, 19, 20, 21, 23] sts, *Bpdc in next st, hdc in next st, repeat from * until 17 [18, 19, 20, 21, 23] sts remain, hdc in each remaining st, join to first st with sl st, turn.
Rnds 4-16 [16, 20, 22, 24, 26]: Alternate repeating Rnds 2 and 3, ending with a Rnd 2 repeat. Place m in last Fpdc of this rnd.
With RS facing place a locking st marker (m) in the 16th [17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st] st, place another m in the 19th [20th, 21st, 22nd, 24th, 27th] st, place another m in the 53rd [56th, 59th, 62nd, 68th, 73rd] st, and another m in the 56th [59th, 62nd, 65th, 72nd, 79th] st.
Yoke
Note
As you stitch the first rnd of the yoke, you will stitch the sweater body to the sleeves.
Rnd 1 will begin by stitching across about half the sweater back, then you will place the next st in the top of one sleeve, next you will stitch around most of the sleeve, then you will place the next st in the front of the sweater body, stitch across most of the front, and then place your next st in the top of the next sleeve. Next you will stitch around most of that sleeve, and then place your next st on the other side of the back of the sweater body, stitch to the end of the rnd, join and turn.
In the remaining rnds of the yoke you will make decreases at the points where the sleeves and sweater body connect. These decreases will shape the neckline of the sweater. Each time you work in a marked st, move m up to the new st.
See a video tutorial of the first round of the yoke here.
Rnd 1(WS): With the WS of sweater body facing, ch 2, hdc across back to first m, hdc in marked st, with WS of one sleeve facing, hdc in marked st that is to the left of join , hdc around sleeve to next m, hdc in marked st, st in next marked st of sweater body according to pattern, as you work across sweater front, Bpdc in each post st, hdc in each hdc to next m, st in marked st according to pattern, with WS of other sleeve facing, hdc in marked st that is to the left of join, hdc around sleeve to next m, hdc in marked st, hdc in last marked st of sweater body, hdc in each remaining st of sweater back, join to first st with sl st, turn — 93 [99, 105, 111, 116, 120] sts.
Rnd 2: Ch 2, hdc across back to st before first m, 2 hdc2tog over next 4 sts, hdc across sleeve to st before next m, 2 hdc2tog over next 4 sts, as you work across sweater front, Fpdc in each post st, hdc in each hdc to st before next m, 2 hdc2tog over next 4 sts, hdc across sleeve to st before next m, 2 hdc2tog over next 4 sts, hdc across sweater back, join to first st with sl st, turn — 87 [93, 99, 105, 110, 114] sts.
Sizes 3 months and 18 months only
Rnd 3: Ch 2, hdc across back to first m, hdc in marked st, hdc2tog over next 2 sts hdc across sleeve to st before next m, hdc2tog over next 2 sts, work in pattern across sweater front to next m, st in marked st according to pattern, hdc2tog over next 2 sts, hdc across sleeve to st before next m, hdc2tog over next 2 sts, hdc in each remaining st — 85 [x, x, 103, x, x] sts.
Sizes 6 months, 12 months, 2 years, and 4 years only
Rnd 3: Ch 2, hdc across back and sleeve, work in pattern across sweater front, hdc across sleeve and back, join to first st with sl st, turn — x [93, 99, x, 110, 114] sts.
All sizes
Rnd 4: Repeat Rnd 2 — 79 [87, 93, 97, 104, 108] sts.
Sizes 3 months, 12 months, and 18 months only
Rnd 5: Ch 2, hdc across back to first m, hdc in marked st, hdc2tog over next 2 sts hdc across sleeve to st before next m, hdc2tog over next 2 sts, work in pattern across sweater front to next m, st in marked st according to pattern, hdc2tog over next 2 sts, hdc across sleeve to st before next m, hdc2tog over next 2 sts, hdc in each remaining st — 77 [x, 91, 95, x, x] sts.
Sizes 6 months, 2 years, and 4 years only
Rnd 5: Ch 2, hdc across back and sleeve, work in pattern across sweater front, hdc across sleeve and back, join to first st with sl st, turn — x [87, x, x, 104, 108] sts.
All sizes
Rnd 6: Repeat Rnd 2 — 71 [81, 85, 89, 98, 102] sts.
Rnd 7: Ch 2, hdc across back to first m, hdc in marked st, hdc2tog over next 2 sts hdc across sleeve to st before next m, hdc2tog over next 2 sts, work in pattern across sweater front to next m, st in marked st according to pattern, hdc2tog over next 2 sts, hdc across sleeve to st before next m, hdc2tog over next 2 sts, hdc in each rem st — 69 [79, 83, 87, 96, 100] sts.
Rnds 8-12 [14, 14, 14, 14, 14]: Alternate repeating Rnds 2 and 7, ending with a Rnd 2 repeat — 47 [49, 53, 57, 66, 70] sts.
Sizes 2 years and 4 years only
Rnds 15-16: Repeat Rnd 7 twice — x [x, x, x, 62, 66] sts.
All sizes
Fasten off.
Finishing
With sweater WS out, and using long tails from fastening off sleeves, sew up gap in underarms. Weave in ends. Block.
And that finished this free baby sweater crochet pattern! Please share yours on Ravelry or in my Facebook group so I can see your finished creation!
Happy stitching!
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