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!(Untilyou 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:
$_{2\times2}$ 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. $^{\star}\mathsf{K}2$ , 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 14" 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. Pickup 5 stitches along thebound off ege. You will be picking up the stitchaltheway to the edge, for seaming. You should have approximately 42 stitches. Work in stockinette, decreasing every 1 stitch on each side every $6^{\mathrm{th}}$ row. ( K2 , K2tog, K to the last 4 stitches, K2tog tbl, K2 ) Work until sleeve measures 4 1/2" 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 up46 stitches around the neckline, 14on 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 behindthe cast on edge. For more information on this method, please read Elizabeth Zimmerman's “Knitting Without Tears." $^{\star}\mathsf{K}\mathsf{1}\phantom{.}0$ , 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 offstitches. Work in stockinette stitch for 5 rows. Bind off. Using whipstitch, secure hems to the wrong side of the work.
