Odeta Baby Jacket. Photos © DROPS Design & © khc805
Odeta by DROPS Design is a beautiful
free baby and toddler cardigan knitting pattern combining delicate
lace with classic garter stitch.
The pattern includes an impressive range of sizes from
premature through 3–4 years, and the complete Odeta
set also includes a pair of matching knitted slippers.
Odeta Baby Jacket Pattern Details
- Designer: DROPS Design
- Pattern: DROPS Baby 31-3 / bm-084-by
- Published: March 2018
- Craft: Knitting
- Category: Baby and toddler cardigan
- Pattern availability: Free from DROPS Design
- Sizes: Premature, 0/1, 1/3, 6/9, 12/18 months, 2 years and 3/4 years
- Yarn: DROPS BabyMerino
- Yarn group: A
- Yarn required for jacket: 100–200 g depending on size
- Main needles: 3 mm circular needle
- Crochet hook: 2.5 mm for edging and cord
- Gauge: 24 stitches × 48 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in garter stitch
- Construction: Bottom up and worked flat
- Features: Lace, garter stitch, V-neck and crochet edging
- Matching pattern: Odeta Slippers included in the set
A Free Baby Cardigan from Premature to 4 Years
One of the most useful features of the Odeta pattern is its unusually
wide size range.
DROPS provides instructions for
premature babies, newborns, babies, toddlers and children up to
approximately 3–4 years old.
The corresponding child heights range from approximately
40/44 cm through 98/104 cm, making it possible to use
the same design at several stages of a child's early years.
Lace and Garter Stitch
Odeta combines two very different textures:
decorative lace and simple garter stitch.
The lace creates the beautiful openwork detail along the lower part of
the cardigan, while the garter stitch gives the rest of the jacket a
soft, textured appearance.
This contrast is one of the features that makes the design look
elaborate without covering the entire garment in lace.
Bottom-Up Construction
The Odeta Jacket is worked from the bottom up.
DROPS begins by working the body back and forth on a circular needle.
After the initial lace section is completed, the cardigan continues in
garter stitch.
Later, the work is divided for the fronts and back and stitches are
added for the sleeves.
How the Sleeves Are Constructed
Odeta does not use the common method of knitting two completely
separate sleeves and sewing them into armholes.
Instead, after the body has reached the required length,
stitches are cast on for the sleeves as the front and
back sections are completed separately.
This creates the characteristic integrated sleeve construction visible
in the finished jacket.
V-Neck Shaping
The cardigan has an elegant V-shaped neckline.
Neck decreases are worked along the front edges while the upper sections
of the cardigan and sleeves are being formed.
The open neckline works particularly well with the delicate lace and
gives Odeta a light wrap-style appearance.
Crocheted Edging and Tie Cord
Although Odeta is primarily a knitting project, a small amount of
crochet is used for the finishing.
DROPS specifies a 2.5 mm crochet hook for the decorative
edging and cord.
The crocheted finish adds a delicate detail around the cardigan and
complements the knitted lace pattern.
DROPS BabyMerino Yarn
The original jacket is knitted in
DROPS BabyMerino, a 100% merino wool yarn from
DROPS Yarn Group A.
For the jacket alone, the official pattern calls for approximately:
- 100 g for the premature size
- 150 g for sizes from 0/1 through 12/18 months
- 200 g for sizes 2 years and 3/4 years
The original sample is shown in the color
Light Sea Green (43).
Choosing an Alternative Yarn
DROPS also allows the design to be knitted with a suitable alternative
from Yarn Group A.
When substituting yarn, matching the pattern gauge is more important
than simply choosing a yarn with a similar label.
For a baby garment, also consider softness, washability and how the yarn
feels against delicate skin.
Needles and Gauge
The jacket uses a 3 mm circular needle, or the needle
size required to obtain the correct gauge.
The official gauge is:
24 stitches and 48 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in garter
stitch.
Even though the cardigan is worked back and forth, the circular needle
is useful for comfortably holding the large number of stitches across
the body and sleeves.
Why Gauge Matters for Baby Clothes
Gauge is particularly important when knitting a fitted garment such as
a baby cardigan.
If your stitches are significantly larger than the specified gauge,
the jacket can finish too large. If they are too small, the finished
garment may be tighter than intended.
Make a swatch in garter stitch before beginning and change needle size
if necessary.
Charts and Written Instructions
The Odeta Jacket uses DROPS diagrams for its lace sections together with
written construction instructions.
The official pattern includes different diagrams according to size, so
make sure you follow the chart specified for the size you are knitting.
DROPS also provides supporting tutorials and videos on its website for
many of the techniques used in its patterns.
Skills Used in the Odeta Jacket
This project uses a combination of garment construction, lace and
finishing techniques, including:
- Garter stitch
- Working back and forth
- Reading a lace chart
- Yarn overs and lace decreases
- Increasing and decreasing
- V-neck shaping
- Casting on stitches for sleeves
- Seaming
- Picking up stitches
- Basic crochet for the edging and cord
Is Odeta a Beginner Knitting Pattern?
Odeta is probably better suited to a knitter who is already comfortable
with basic knitting and wants to move into
lace and baby garment construction.
The individual techniques are manageable, but the project requires you
to follow size-specific instructions, work from lace diagrams, shape
the neckline and sleeves, and complete the crocheted finishing.
Taking the pattern one section at a time makes the construction much
easier to understand.
The Matching Odeta Slippers
The official DROPS Baby 31-3 pattern is actually a
coordinated baby set rather than only a cardigan.
It also includes Odeta Slippers, knitted with the same
BabyMerino yarn and designed with lace and garter-stitch details to
coordinate with the jacket.
Slipper sizes are provided across the same general age range, from
premature through approximately 3–4 years.
A Lovely Handmade Baby Gift
The matching jacket and slippers make Odeta especially suitable for a
handmade baby gift.
You can knit only the cardigan or make the complete coordinated set.
The wide size range also means you are not limited to newborn sizing
when knitting for an older baby or toddler.
Tips Before You Start
Choose your size first and mark the corresponding numbers throughout
the DROPS instructions before casting on.
Pay particular attention to the section where
neck decreases, division of the body and sleeve construction
begin to overlap. Reading that entire section before knitting
it will make the construction much easier to follow.
It is also useful to check your stitch count after completing each lace
section before continuing into the garter-stitch body.
Why Knit the Odeta Baby Jacket?
Odeta combines the practicality of garter stitch with enough lace to
make the finished cardigan feel special.
Its premature-to-4-years size range is particularly
useful, and the matching slippers give you the option of turning the
cardigan into a complete handmade baby set.
Best of all, DROPS provides the full pattern, diagrams and supporting
resources free on its official website.
Get the Free Odeta Baby Jacket Pattern
The complete Odeta / DROPS Baby 31-3 pattern,
including the baby jacket and matching slippers, is currently available
free from DROPS Design.
Get the Free Odeta Baby Jacket Knitting Pattern
Pattern availability was checked when this article was updated.
Availability on external websites may change over time.
