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| Photo above © DROPS Design |
Lamb Dance by DROPS Design is a cheerful free children's cardigan knitting pattern featuring a flock of little sheep around the circular yoke.
The jacket is worked from the top down in DK-weight yarn, combining stockinette stitch, ribbing and stranded colorwork. With five sizes covering approximately 3 to 12 years, it is a playful project for knitters ready to combine garment construction with colorwork.
Best of all, the complete pattern remains free from DROPS Design.
✓ Free Pattern Availability
Lamb Dance / DROPS Children 34-1 is currently available as a free knitting pattern from DROPS Design. Use the official DROPS link below for the complete current instructions, charts and pattern information.
Lamb Dance Jacket at a Glance
Pattern: Lamb Dance / DROPS Children 34-1
Designer: DROPS Design
Pattern Number: me-054-bn
First Published: March 2019
Craft: Knitting
Category: Children's Cardigan / Jacket
Sizes: 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12 years
Yarn Weight: DK / 8 ply
Suggested Yarn: DROPS Merino Extra Fine or DROPS Lima
Main Needles: US 6 / 4 mm
Rib Needles: US 2½ / 3 mm
Gauge: 21 stitches × 28 rows = 4 in / 10 cm
Construction: Top down
Features: Circular yoke, stranded colorwork, sheep motif, button front
Availability: Free official pattern
About the Lamb Dance Jacket
Lamb Dance is a children's knitted cardigan from DROPS Design.
Its defining feature is the whimsical band of sheep worked around the circular yoke. Contrasting colors create the sheep and surrounding decorative pattern against the main background color.
Below the patterned yoke, the cardigan becomes much simpler, allowing the colorwork to remain the visual focus of the finished garment.
Five Children's Sizes
The official pattern includes five sizes:
- 3/4 years — approximately 98/104 cm height
- 5/6 years — approximately 110/116 cm
- 7/8 years — approximately 122/128 cm
- 9/10 years — approximately 134/140 cm
- 11/12 years — approximately 146/152 cm
When choosing a size, compare the child's measurements with the finished measurements in the official DROPS pattern rather than relying only on age.
Finished Measurements
The published finished chest measurements are approximately:
64 – 68 – 74 – 78 – 80 cm
The corresponding finished body lengths are approximately:
35 – 39 – 43 – 47 – 51 cm
Consult the official schematic before choosing your size, especially when knitting the cardigan as a gift.
Yarn Choices
DROPS provides two suggested yarn options for Lamb Dance:
- DROPS Merino Extra Fine
- DROPS Lima
Both belong to DROPS Yarn Group B and fall within the DK-weight range, but their fiber compositions produce somewhat different fabrics.
DROPS Merino Extra Fine is a merino yarn, while DROPS Lima combines wool and alpaca.
If substituting another yarn, matching the required gauge is more important than simply selecting a yarn carrying the same weight label.
How Much Yarn Do You Need?
The main background color requires approximately 150 to 250 grams, depending on size.
Several contrasting colors are then used for the sheep and other elements of the colorwork.
Because the exact amounts vary by size and yarn choice, check the official DROPS materials table before purchasing your yarn.
Knitting Gauge
The official gauge is:
21 stitches × 28 rows = 4 × 4 inches / 10 × 10 cm
This gauge is measured in stockinette stitch using the larger needles.
Gauge is particularly important for children's garments because even a relatively small difference can noticeably change the finished chest circumference and length.
Needles
The pattern uses approximately:
- 4 mm / US 6 circular needles for the main fabric
- 4 mm / US 6 double-pointed needles or another suitable small-circumference method
- 3 mm / US 2½ needles for the ribbing
The official pattern lists circular needle lengths appropriate for the different stages of the garment.
Needle sizes are recommendations. Adjust them if necessary to obtain the required gauge.
Top-Down Construction
Lamb Dance is knitted from the top down.
Top-down construction has several practical advantages. The yoke and upper body develop first, followed by the body and sleeves, reducing the amount of traditional garment seaming.
It can also make the overall construction easier to visualize because the cardigan grows from the neckline toward the hem.
The Circular Yoke
The sheep motif sits within a circular yoke.
Instead of using conventional armhole shaping with separately knitted front and back pieces, shaping is distributed around the upper body.
This creates the smooth rounded line that makes Nordic-style colorwork yokes so recognizable.
The Sheep Colorwork
The playful sheep are the signature feature of Lamb Dance.
The motif is created using stranded colorwork, following the chart supplied by DROPS Design.
Amazing Knitting does not reproduce that copyrighted chart here. Use the current official pattern while working the yoke.
Tips for Stranded Colorwork
If stranded knitting is relatively new to you, pay particular attention to your tension.
The unused yarn carried behind the work should have enough room to span the stitches without pulling the knitted fabric together.
Stretching the stitches gently along the right needle while changing colors can help keep the floats from becoming too tight.
Check the fabric frequently rather than waiting until the entire yoke is complete.
Swatch the Colorwork Too
Your tension when knitting stranded colorwork may differ from your ordinary stockinette tension.
If this happens, the yoke can become tighter than the body even when the stockinette portion matches the published gauge.
A small colorwork swatch can therefore be useful before beginning the main sheep section.
Button Front
Unlike the related Lamb Dance pullover, this version is a front-opening cardigan.
The official pattern calls for:
6 – 6 – 7 – 7 – 7 buttons
The exact number depends on the size being knitted.
Attach buttons securely, particularly when the garment is intended for a younger child.
Skills Used in Lamb Dance
Useful skills for this project include:
- Casting on and binding off
- Knit and purl stitches
- Working ribbing
- Knitting stockinette stitch
- Working in the round
- Working flat where required
- Increasing and decreasing
- Reading a colorwork chart
- Stranded knitting
- Managing yarn floats
- Working a circular yoke
- Making buttonholes
- Picking up stitches where instructed
- Weaving in multiple color ends neatly
Is Lamb Dance Suitable for Beginners?
A knitter who has already completed simple garments and is comfortable working in the round should find Lamb Dance an interesting introduction to a more decorative children's cardigan.
The colorwork yoke adds another skill layer, so a complete first-time knitter may prefer to practice stranded knitting on a small swatch before beginning.
DROPS also provides supporting technique information and video tutorials alongside many of its patterns.
A Matching Lamb Dance Collection
The cardigan is part of a small coordinated DROPS collection.
DROPS also published a Lamb Dance Sweater using the same playful sheep theme, as well as a matching Lamb Dance Hat.
This makes the design especially useful if you enjoy the motif and want to create coordinated children's knitwear.
Is Lamb Dance Still Free?
Yes.
Lamb Dance / DROPS Children 34-1 is currently available directly from DROPS Design as a complete free knitting pattern.
The official page contains the current instructions, diagrams, charts, measurements and supporting information.
Amazing Knitting provides this independent project guide rather than reproducing the complete DROPS instructions or charts.
Get the Free Lamb Dance Pattern
Use the official DROPS Design page for the complete free pattern:
Get the Free Lamb Dance Pattern →
More Free Children's Knitting Patterns
You can continue exploring Amazing Knitting for free children's cardigans, sweaters and colorwork projects.
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Before You Start
Choose the size by comparing the child's measurements with the official DROPS schematic, then make a gauge swatch with your chosen Yarn Group B yarn.
If stranded knitting is new to you, practice carrying two colors before reaching the sheep yoke. Keeping the floats relaxed is important for maintaining a comfortable fit across the upper body.
Finally, always work from the current DROPS page so you have access to the latest version of the pattern and its supporting information.
Pattern credit: Lamb Dance / DROPS Children 34-1 was designed and published by DROPS Design. Amazing Knitting does not reproduce the designer's copyrighted charts or complete knitting instructions. Please use the official DROPS page for the free pattern.