Antjie

Antjie

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Step-by-step Knitting Little Baby Sweater


Materials:
2 skeins of Anzula's Sebastian, 70% Superwash Merino and 30% Sea Cell. These colours are Au Natural and Charcoal. (For a solid color sweater, you'll only need one skein!) 
A US # 3, 20 or 24 inch circular needle.
4 buttons, size 19. (I used the color "Grey".)


The Pattern
Gauge:
7 stitches = 1 inch in garter stitch

Finished Size:Newborn - 6 Months
Chest Circumference - 18 1/4 inches
Length from Bottom Hem to Top Shoulder - 9 1/2 inches
Length from bottom Hem to Underarm - 5 1/2 inches

Pattern Note:  For a lot less work at the end, instead of cutting the yarn when you finish a stripe, carry it loosely up the side.

The Body:
With Main Color (MC), cast on 124 stitches.
Knit 5 rows.
*With Contrast Color (CC), knit 2 rows.
With MC, knit 6 rows.
Repeat from * seven more times. (Piece measures 5 inches from bottom hem.)
With CC, knit 2 rows.
With MC, knit 5 rows.

Separate for UnderarmsStill with MC (wrong side facing), k15, bind off 31, k31, bind off 31, k14 to end.
(15 stitches for Left Front, 32 stitches for Back, 15 stitches for Right Front)

Right FrontNow working just the 15 stitches of the Right Front and starting where you left off...
*With CC, knit 2 rows.
With MC, knit 6 rows.
Repeat from * two more times. Bind off.

BackNow working just the 32 stitches of the Back...
With right side facing, join CC.
*With CC, knit 2 rows.
With MC, knit 6 rows.
Repeat from * five more times. Bind off.

Left FrontNow working just the 15 stitches of the Left Front...
With right side facing, join CC.
*With CC, knit 2 rows.
With MC, knit 6 rows.
Repeat from * two more times. Bind off, but leave the last stitch on the needle. Cut the CC.

Left Button BandRotate the work and pick up 50 stitches along the button band edge. (51 stitches total)

FOR BOYS:
Knit 2 rows.
Next Row: K11, *yo, k2tog, k10, repeat from * two more times, yo, k2tog, k2.
Knit 2 rows and bind off.

FOR GIRLS:
Knit 5 rows and bind off.
Right Button Band

With right side facing and with MC, start at bottom corner of Right Front and pick up 51 stitches along the button band edge to the top corner.

FOR BOYS:
Knit 5 rows and bind off.

FOR GIRLS:
Knit 2 rows.
Next Row: K3, *yo, k2tog, k10, repeat from * three more times.
Knit 2 rows and bind off.

Right Sleeve(When you begin picking up stitches for the Right Sleeve leave a 12 inch tail to use later for sewing.)
With right side facing and MC, start at the bottom right corner of the Back...

...and pick up 24 stitches.


Use a Cable Cast On to cast on 12 stitches.
Making sure the cast on stitches aren't twisted and with the right side facing you, pick up 12 stitches down the Right Front. (48 stitches total)


**Now working back and forth in rows, start by turning the work so the wrong side is facing you.
Knit 5 rows.
*With CC, knit 2 rows.
With MC, knit 6 rows.
Repeat from * three more times and bind off, leaving an 18 inch tail.


Left Sleeve(Again, when you begin picking up stitches for the Left Sleeve leave a 12 inch tail to use later for sewing.)
With right side facing and MC, start at the bottom corner of the Left Front...

...and pick up 12 stitches.


Use a Cable Cast On to cast on 12 stitches.

Making sure the cast on stitches aren't twisted and with the right side facing you, pick up 24 stitches down the left Back. (48 stitches total)

Repeat from ** of Right Sleeve.
Sewing the Sleeves

THE LEFT SLEEVE
*Thread the Sleeve's bind off tail onto a tapestry needle and, starting at the bound off edge, sew together four ridges of the Sleeve (one MC stripe and one CC stripe).

Fold the underarm in half and insert the needle just under the bound off edge at the half way point.**
Sewing across the back, connect the back of the Sleeve to the Body. Remove the needle from the yarn.
Now threading the needle onto the first tail you left, sew together the front of the Sleeve and the Body.


FOR THE RIGHT SLEEVE
Repeat from * to ** of the Left Sleeve.
Then, sewing across the front, connect the front of the Sleeve to the Body. Remove the needle from the yarn.
Now threading the needle onto the first tail you left, sew together the back of the Sleeve and the Body.

FinishingSew four buttons onto the button band across from the buttonholes.
Weave in all your ends (click here for our tutorial telling you how!).
Gently block your Little Sweater, and then make a baby nice and cozy!