Kids change quickly, but the joy of knitting for them never does.

I first designed the Bittie Bestie Vestie for the same tiny human who once toddled around in the Little Nydia Cardigan. She’s not tiny anymore, of course. She’s taller now, a little braver in her choices, and full of Opinions with a capital O.

When she spotted me working on this vest, she reached for the fuzzy ball of mohair like she already knew it belonged to her. I dared to ask if she liked the color, and she gave me this tiny, shy nod that said, Obviously. That was all the approval I needed.

Naturally, once hers was finished, I couldn’t leave her little brother out. But I didn’t want a twin set; I wanted each vest to have its own personality. So the second version came to be: one soft and airy with mohair and lace, the other clean and classic with a smooth wool and a crisp texture, both sharing the same signature cables and “instant favorite” energy as the adult Bestie Vestie.

The vest itself is worked bottom up with seamless construction, smart shaping, and just enough variety to keep the knit engaging. It’s friendly for newer knitters, still fun for the veterans, and supported with step-by-step video tutorials so you always know exactly where you’re headed.

Kids change quickly, but the joy of knitting for them never does.

I first designed the Bittie Bestie Vestie for the same tiny human who once toddled around in the Little Nydia Cardigan. She’s not tiny anymore, of course. She’s taller now, a little braver in her choices, and full of Opinions with a capital O.

When she spotted me working on this vest, she reached for the fuzzy ball of mohair like she already knew it belonged to her. I dared to ask if she liked the color, and she gave me this tiny, shy nod that said, Obviously. That was all the approval I needed.

Naturally, once hers was finished, I couldn’t leave her little brother out. But I didn’t want a twin set; I wanted each vest to have its own personality. So the second version came to be: one soft and airy with mohair and lace, the other clean and classic with a smooth wool and a crisp texture, both sharing the same signature cables and “instant favorite” energy as the adult Bestie Vestie.

The vest itself is worked bottom up with seamless construction, smart shaping, and just enough variety to keep the knit engaging. It’s friendly for newer knitters, still fun for the veterans, and supported with step-by-step video tutorials so you always know exactly where you’re headed.

Is there a type of garment that you haven’t made yet? Perhaps you've never knitted (or worn!) a vest before. Or maybe you’ve already made a few and you’re looking for a pattern that feels fresh—something quick, transitional, and size-inclusive for the season ahead.

I was in the first camp when I tuned into an Instagram Live one afternoon, where two besties talked all about a vest-along they were about to participate in. As they excitedly chatted about silhouettes, textures, and how they’d style a vest, I couldn't think about anything else. Before the live even ended, I’d grabbed the nearest notepad and scribbled a few rough sketches based on another pattern I had in test knitting at the time.

The first sketch was heavily cabled, front and back. “Keep it simple!”, I thought to myself. But it was the third sketch—the last one on that notepad—that stood out as “the one.”

I started a spreadsheet and ordered yarn faster than it took you to read this sentence. One package was coming from another state, the other from a couple hours north of me. Tracking said nearly a week. Torture!

To my relief, the yarn arrived four days sooner than estimated, and just in time for me to work on it while podcasting and watching You’ve Got Mail with my own bestie during her visit from Canada. There’s something special about knitting with someone you love in the room, even if you’re both just doing your own thing.

As I made progress on the pattern and then worked on a second sample, my husband—completely unaware of what (or who!) had inspired me to drop everything else—started calling it the Bestie Vestie. I loved how that name rolled off the tongue. It was cute, memorable, and different from anything I’ve named before.

The icing on the cake: 90 test knitters helped bring this pattern to life, and so many of them said the same thing—this is the best-fitting thing they’ve ever made. If you decide to make one too, whether as your first vest or a new one to add to a growing collection, I hope that it’s your Bestie Vestie yet.

Little Avalyn is a miniature-sized version of Avalyn, a timeless, elegant piece with classic design details. If you’re looking for a sweater for a little gentleman, don’t let the feminine name of this pattern stop you—this cardigan looks great on girls and boys alike! The rib‑based, allover lattice texture and chunky cables together with the cardigan’s folded cuffs and shawl collar will keep your little one warm and cozy in sophisticated style.

This cardigan is knit seamlessly from the top down using raglan shaping. The yoke is knit first and stitches are placed on hold for the sleeves. The body is then worked to the hem. Upon completion of the body, stitches are picked up along the edges of the cardigan for the shawl collar, which is shaped using short rows before the button band is worked. Finally, the sleeves are resumed and worked seamlessly in the round from the top down.

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Some people are just knit-worthy. You know the ones—the people you can’t help but knit for. For me, that’s always been my husband’s cousin, someone I’ve watched grow from a shy preteen into a kind and confident woman. She’s always cherished every handmade gift, no matter how small, so when she announced she was expecting her first child, my first thought was, “I’m going to knit for the baby!”

Time flew, and before I knew it, her baby was a toddler. But once I had the idea and the perfect yarn, everything clicked into place. The knitting flew by in less than a month because every stitch felt like a celebration of this special little girl. When I finally saw her wearing it—running around, playing, and completely living in it—I knew I’d made something truly special.

This is that knit. It’s a top-down, raglan cardigan with an elegantly simple lace stitch that’s both easy to memorize and completely addictive. You’ll find yourself saying, “Just one more row…” until it’s done—and then you’ll want to see it out in the wild, being worn and loved the way it was meant to be.

My little model put hers through a rigorous toddler durability test during our photo shoot—snacks, dirt, and all! But no worries: a little lint rolling and a quick spot clean later, the cardigan was good as new.

Since then, this pattern has been tested by knitters all over the world, and the stories that came back made my heart so full. Little ones refusing to take their cardigans off. Toddlers twirling around like tiny runway models. Kids who insisted on wearing theirs everywhere. That's the thing about knitting for children—when you get it right, they know, and they'll show you in the best possible ways.

And let’s be honest—who doesn’t love a mini-me moment? If you’re already imagining how cute this cardigan would look on you, guess what? There’s a grown-up version of the Nydia Cardigan available too. Because why should kids have all the fun?