Toddler cardigan sweaters open at the front, which is the whole reason they work at this age. A pullover comes off over the head and takes the hair and the mood with it. A cardigan goes on and off in a second, at the door, in the car seat, in a classroom that runs warm before lunch and cold after.
Firebird’s toddler cardigan is 100% GOTS-certified organic Italian cotton yarn, knit in small batches in New York City, in toddler sizes 2-3T and 4-5T and on up through 12-13.
The Embroidered Ivory Cardigan
The Embroidered Ivory Cardigan is $85 and comes in one colorway. Ivory body, navy and mint embroidery worked along the bottom hem, and natural shell buttons down the front.
The cotton is organic Italian yarn, GOTS certified, which covers the fiber and the processing rather than just the crop. It has no chemical softening finishes on it, so what a toddler feels against the neck and wrists is the yarn itself. The knit is fine gauge, closer to a layering weight than a bulky winter sweater, which is what makes it work over a tee in September and under a coat in January.
Why Toddlers Do Better In A Cardigan
Button fronts are a practical choice at 2-3T and a teaching one by 4-5T. Buttons are one of the first fastenings a child can manage alone, and a cardigan is the piece where that usually happens first. Our guide to getting kids to dress themselves covers the rest of that stretch.
The open front also solves the temperature problem that toddlers cannot solve for themselves. A cardigan can be worn open, pushed off the shoulders, or taken off and handed over without a struggle, which means it stays in the bag instead of getting abandoned at the park.
And a cardigan photographs like something. It holds its shape over a tee for a holiday, a birthday, or a first day of preschool, then goes back into rotation the next morning.
Toddler Sizing, 2-3T And 4-5T
The cardigan comes in toddler sizes 2-3T and 4-5T, and continues through 6-7, 8-9, 10-11 and 12-13, so the same knit carries a child well past the toddler years or down to a younger sibling.
Sizes are cut by height and weight rather than age alone. The size guide lists both ranges beside each size. Between two sizes, take the larger one. A cardigan worn slightly roomy layers better and buys another season.
Care
Machine wash cold with like colors on a gentle cycle, no bleach, then lay flat to dry. Fold rather than hang, since a hanger pulls at the shoulders of any knit. If pilling shows up on a well-worn cardigan, a sweater comb takes it off, and our guide to keeping sweaters from pilling explains why it happens.
When it is outgrown, Pass It On resells it to another family.
The Rest Of The Knits
Toddler Cardigan Sweater FAQs
What Is The Difference Between A Cardigan And A Sweater?
A cardigan is a sweater that opens at the front, with buttons or a zip. A pullover sweater goes on over the head. Both are knits, and this cardigan is knit from the same organic cotton yarn as our crewneck sweaters.
Is This Toddler Cardigan For Boys Or Girls?
Both. The cut is the same across the size run, which is what makes it straightforward to hand down between siblings.
What Is It Made Of?
100% GOTS-certified organic Italian cotton yarn, with natural shell buttons. No wool and no chemical finishes.
How Long Should A Toddler Cardigan Be?
Long enough to reach the top of the hip and no further, with the cuff sitting at the wrist bone. A hem that covers the whole seat tends to get sat on and stretched out.
Can A Toddler Cardigan Be Machine Washed?
Yes. Cold water, gentle cycle, then lay flat to dry. No hand washing and no dry cleaner.
