A wide necked baby girls cardigan, knitted in one piece from the top down to minimise finishing.
Babies come in all shapes and sizes so it is best to measure the baby before knitting. Yarn standards (http://www.yarnstandards.com/) are a help if you can’t measure.
Sizes are tiny baby/newborn up to 42 cm / 16 inch chest, (3-6 months up to 50 cm / 19 inch chest, 6-9 months up to 56 cm / 22 inch chest)
Gauge 22 stitches/30 rows to 10 cm/4 inches

You will need:
Sport weight / Double knit yarn 200, (250, 300) metres / 220, (275, 330) yards of soft cotton or cotton blend yarn.
3.5mm, 80 cm circular needle
3.5mm double pointed needles
2 stitch holders or scrap yarn
4 stitch markers
3 (3, 5) small buttons
Row counter
Tips: How to do a row below increase: On a knit row knit into the stitch below then into the stitch. On a purl row purl into the purl bump below then purl into next stitch.
BODY:
Using long tail (continental) method cast on 66 (78, 86) stitches
Row 1 and 2: Knit
Row 3: Knit 3, *knit 1 wrapping yarn round needle twice, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, knit 3.
Row 4: Knit 3, *slip 4 stitches to right needle dropping extra wraps, slip stitches back to left needle, (knit 1, purl 1, knit 1, purl 1) into the 4 stitches (treating them as one stitch together) then drop off needle. Repeat from * to last 3 stitches, Knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 1 (this makes the buttonhole)
Row 5: Knit 3, purl 11 (14, 16), place marker, purl 7 (8, 8), place marker, purl 24 (28, 32), place marker, purl 7 (8, 8), place marker, purl 11 (14, 16), knit 3.
Row 6: Knit 3, * knit to first stitch before marker, row below increase into next stitch, knit 1, slip marker, row below increase into next stitch. Repeat from * to last 3 stitches, knit 3.
Row 7: Knit 3, purl to last 3 stitches, knit 3.
Repeat rows 6 and 7 until there are 26 (31, 35) front piece stitches, 31 (36, 42) arm stitches, 48 (56, 64) back stitches. You have a total of 162 (190, 218) stitches.
At the same time: make buttonholes as on row 4 on row 18 (20, 17) and on rows 35 and 44 of the largest size.
Knit to markers placing sleeve stitches on holders or scrap yarn, removing markers as you go and knitting across underarm stitches firmly.
Next row: (wrong side) knit
Next row: (right side) Knit 4 (3, 3) pattern as row 3 to last 4 (3, 3) stitches, knit 3.
Next row: Knit 4 (3, 3) pattern as row 4, to last 4 (3, 3) stitches, knit 3.
Next row: knit
Next row: Knit 3, purl 5 (6, 8), row below increase into next purl bump, * purl 12 (10, 8) row below increase into next purl bump, repeat from * to last 8 (9, 11) stitches, row below increase into next purl bump, purl 5 (6, 8) knit 3.
You have a total of 108 (128, 150) stitches.
Knit to desired length.
Edge: 3 rows of garter stitch starting on wrong side with a knit row.
Cast off purl wise on right side.
SLEEVES:
Put sleeve stitches onto double pointed needles or circular if using magic loop method.
Place marker at start of round (underarm) if desired.
Knit 4 (5, 6) rows
Next row: Knit 1, knit 2 together, knit to last 3 stitches, slip 1 knit wise twice, insert left needle into front of these 2 stitches and knit 2 together. Knit 1.
Repeat last 5 (6, 7) rows once more.
You have a total of 27 (32, 38) stitches.
Knit sleeves to desired length.
Sleeve edge:
Row 1 purl
Row 2 knit
Row 3 purl
Cast off purl wise.

FINISHING:
Weave in ends. Sew up underarm holes.
Sew on buttons of choice.
The pattern can be adapted to a plainer version by replacing the pattern rows 3 and 4with knit rows.