Kipling Baby Sweater
By Kim
Between you and me, brand new babies are kept pretty well sheltered from the harsh elements. They don’t need rugged sweaters. In fact, if my memory serves, they spend a good deal of time developing their brain just enough to figure out how to remove them. Then they give up on that and just settle for crying until we take the offending garments off for them. Y’all, kids hate clothing. They just want to run around buck nekkid until about the age of 26.
Unfortunately for them, babies look really cute in hand knit sweaters. And we’re bigger then they are. Bow down to our sartorial wishes, infants! (Until you grow bigger than us and/or gain a few siblings and outnumber us.)
Size:
small, like, newborn
Finished Measurements:
Width: 9”
Length: 8”
Materials:
Mission Falls 1824 Cotton [100% Cotton; 84 yards per 50 gram skein]; color Graphite; 4 skeins
Size US 7 circular needle
Tapestry needle
Gauge:
28 rows and 18 stitches = 4" in stockinette stitch
Pattern notes:
2 x 2 ribbing: K2, P2, worked over an even number of stitches
Back
Cast on 42 stitches. Knit in even in stockinette stitch until piece measures 5”.
Shape armholes
Bind off 4 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows.
*K2, K2tog, K to the last 4 stitches, K2tog tbl, K2
Purl
Repeat from * once more
BIG EDIT: KNIT EVEN UNTIL ARMHOLE MEASURES 3 1/4"
Shoulder shaping
Bind off 4 stitches on each side 2 times.
Bind off center 14 stitches.
Front
Cast on 42 stitches
Work same as the back, up to and including the armhole decreases.
Purl on the WS row.
K8, place the 8 stitches on a holder to be worked later.
Bind off center 14 stitches.
Knit the remaining 8 stitches even until armhole measures 3 ¼”
On the next row (WS) BO 4 stitches.
Knit
Bind off remaining 4 stitches.
Place 8 stitches from holder onto needle. Repeat as for the other side, binding off on the RS.
Picking up stitches for the sleeve caps
Seam shoulders together.
Using stitch markers, divide the sleeve cap into five even sections.
Pick up 8 stitches.
*Turn, slip first stitch and purl across, picking up 2 stitches at the end.
Slip first stitch, knit across, pick up 2 stitches at the end
Repeat until you reach the next two stitch markers. You should have approximately 20 stitches.
Slip first stitch, purl across.
Pick up 6 stitches along each remaining section, work as above, slipping the first stitches.
Pick up 5 stitches along the bound off edge. You will be picking up the stitch all the way to the edge, for seaming.
You should have approximately 42 stitches.
Work in stockinette, decreasing every 1 stitch on each side every 6th row. ( K2 , K2tog, K to the last 4 stitches, K2tog tbl, K2 )
Work until sleeve measures 4 ½”
Purl the next two rows.
K10, k2tog across. 3 stitches decreased.
Work 7 rows in stockinette stitch.
Bind off.
Repeat for the other sleeve.
Neckband
With the right side of the work facing you, pick up 46 stitches around the neckline, 14 on each side and 18 across the back.
Work P2, k2 ribbing.
Continue in pattern for 22 rows, or as long as you would like.
Bind off in pattern.
Waist Hems
On the wrong side of the work, pick up 40 stitches from behind the cast on edge. For more information on this method, please read Elizabeth Zimmerman’s “Knitting Without Tears.”
*K10, k2tog, repeat.
Knit 7 rows in stockinette.
Bind off.
Using whipstitch, secure hems to the wrong side of the work.
Neckband Hem
Pick up 17 stitches for the collar behind the bound off stitches.
Work in stockinette stitch for 5 rows.
Bind off.
Using whipstitch, secure hems to the wrong side of the work.
