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by Britta Stolfus Rueschhoff

I don't know how it happened but I find myself in the middle of a baby boom. Ok, I know how it happens but it's odd that my late 30s, early-40s crowd of friends and family are reproducing at such a precipitous rate. For all of these new blessed ones, I wanted a baby sweater design to wow the mommies but a pattern that was easy to memorize and execute for myself.

Living in a wintry clime, my thoughts are crowded with springtime wishes, so the garden was a constant inspiration for my design; trellis cables and seed stitch borders. As well, I wanted to work with a color that promised the return of spring and wasn't an obligatory baby pastel. Just the color's name, "Lime Drop", was enough to chase away my winter blues. Although my sample was knit for my friend's little girl, Grace, this pattern works equally well for a boy, an absolute must since my sister and a girlfriend are both expecting little boys later this spring. A cherry red or navy blue yarn would be predictable choices but no less fabulous.

The Rowan All Seasons Cotton is quick becoming a favorite of mine due to its cotton comfort beautifully blended with acrylic to provide more resiliency and less weight than 100% cotton. I think it's a great choice for children's wear.

model: Hayden photos: Britta
SIZE
Baby: 6 [12, 18] months
 
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Chest: 21 [23, 25] inches
Length: 11 [12, 13] inches

 

MATERIALS

Rowan All Seasons Cotton [60% cotton, 40% acrylic; 98 yds/90m per 50g skein]; Color: 197; 4 [5, 5] balls

1 set US #7/4.5 mm knitting needles
1 set US #7/4.5 mm double pointed needles
Stitch holders
Tapestry Needle
5 buttons, 5/8 inch diameter
GAUGE

21 sts/28 rows = 4 inches in pattern

 
PATTERN NOTES

[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations can be found here]

The shoulder seams in this pattern are joined using Kitchener Stitch (grafting). An article about this technique can be found here.
 
If you do not wish to join your shoulder seams in this way, they can be joined using a three-needle BO, or they can be bound off separately then sewn together at the end.

Seed Stitch (Worked over an odd number of sts):
Row 1: K1, [p1, k1] to end.
Every row is the same.
DIRECTIONS
Note: due to a technical error, an incorrect version of this pattern was originally published. The version below is the corrected version. We apologize for the error.

Back
CO 57 [65, 73] sts.
Work 8 rows in Seed Stitch.
Next row [RS]: P 0[4, 8], work Row 1 of Chart A, work Row 1 of Chart B, work Row 1 of Chart A, p 0[4, 8].
Work 37[43, 49] more rows in patt as set.
Next Row [RS]: BO 5[9, 13] sts in patt, cont in patt as set to end.
Next Row [WS]: BO 5 [9, 13] sts in patt, cont in patt as set to end. 47 sts rem.
Work 23[25, 27] more rows in patt as set.
Next Row [WS]: Work in patt as set for 18 sts, BO 11, work in patt to end. Right and Left Neck Shaping will now be worked separately.

Right Neck Shaping
Next Row [RS]: Work Right Neck sts in patt as set.
Next Row [WS]: BO 2 sts, work in patt as set to end.
Repeat these 2 rows once more. 14 sts rem.
Work 1 row in patt as set. Place sts on st holder.

Left Neck Shaping
With WS facing, rejoin yarn to Left Neck sts. Work 1 row in patt as set.
Next Row [RS]: BO 2 sts, work in patt as set to end.
Next Row [WS]: Work in patt as set.
Repeat these 2 rows once more. 14 sts rem.
Place sts on st holder.

Left Front
CO 31 [35, 39] sts.
Work 8 rows in Seed Stitch.
Next Row [RS]: P 0[4, 8], work Row 1 of Chart A, work rem sts in Seed Stitch as set.
Work 37[43, 49] more rows in patt as set.
Next Row [RS]: BO 5[9, 13] sts in patt, cont in patt to end. 26 sts rem.
Work 2 rows in patt as set.

Shape Neck
Next Row [WS]: Work 5 sts in patt as set, place sts just worked on st holder, p2tog, work in patt as set to end.
Work 2 rows in patt as set, keeping st at neck edge in stockinette st.
Next Row [RS]: Work in patt as set to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Work 2 rows in patt as set.
Next Row [WS]: P2tog, work in patt as set to end.
Work 2 rows in patt as set.
Next Row [RS]: Work in patt as set to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Work 3 rows in patt as set.
Repeat the last 4 rows 2 times more.
Next Row [RS]: Work in patt as set to last 2 sts, k2tog. 14 sts rem.
Cont in patt as set until work measures same as back to shoulder. Place sts on hold.

Right Front
CO 31 [35, 39] sts.
Work 4 rows in Seed Stitch.
Next Row (Buttonhole Row) [RS]: Work 3 sts in Seed Stitch, YO, k2tog, cont in Seed Stitch.
Work 3 more rows in Seed Stitch.
Next Row [RS]: Work 6 sts in Seed Stitch as set, work Row 1 of Chart A, p to end.\
Work 38[44, 50] more rows in patt as set, working a buttonhole in the Seed Stitch border (as set in Buttonhole Row) every 8[10, 12] rows.
Next Row [WS]: BO 5[9, 13] sts in patt, cont in patt to end. 26 sts rem.
Work 2 rows in patt as set.

Shape Neck
Next Row [RS]: Work 5 sts in patt as set, place sts just worked on st holder, ssk, work in patt as set to end.
Work 2 rows in patt as set, keeping st at neck edge in stockinette st.
Next Row [WS]: Work in patt as set to last 2 sts, p2tog tbl.
Work 2 rows in patt as set.
Next Row [RS]: Ssk, work in patt as set to end.
Work 3 rows in patt as set.
Repeat the last 4 rows 3 times more.
Next Row [RS]: Work in patt as set to last 2 sts, k2tog. 14 sts rem.|Cont in patt as set until work measures same as back to shoulder. Place sts on hold.

Sleeves (Make 2)
CO 35 [37, 39] sts.
Work 8 rows in Seed St.
Next row [RS]: P 5[6, 7], work Row 1 of Chart A, p 5[6, 7].
Work 7[9, 11] rows in patt as set.
Next row [RS]: P2 m1, work in patt as set to last 2 sts, m1, p2.
Repeat these 8[10, 12] rows 4[4, 5] times more. 45 [47, 51] sts.
Cont in patt as set until work measures 7.5 [9.75, 12] inches.
BO all sts in patt.

 

 
FINISHING

Join shoulder seams using Kitchener Stitch.

Right Collar
With RS facing, place held sts from Right Front (Buttonhole Band sts) on needle and join yarn. Work these sts in Seed Stitch as set, then pick up 6 sts along the lower neck edge. (Note: you will not be picking up sts all the way up the neck edge, only in the first 6-8 rows.) 11 sts on needle.

Work in Seed Stitch until work is long enough to reach along the neck edge to the center back of the neck. Place sts on holder.

Work Left Collar to match. (Join yarn with WS facing.)
Join collar halves at center back using Kitchener Stitch.
Sew edge of collar to neck edge.
Sew sleeves into armholes.
Sew sleeve and side seams.
Sew on buttons and block as desired.

 

 

 

 
ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Britta has a degree in Apparel Design (the PC term for Fashion Design) and studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Her love of knitting started 15 years ago when she worked for a company that imported luxury knitwear.

Her web site, www.bellaknits.com features her fascination with color work and historical textiles.
Pattern & images © 2005 Britta Stolfus Rueschhoff. Contact Britta