Save the baby whales!
A top-down baby cardigan pattern
Size: 1-3 (3-6, 6-9, 9-12) months Finished Measurements: Chest 47 cm/18,5" (48,5 cm/ 19", 51,5 cm/20", 53 cm/21") Lenght 28 cm/11" (29,5 cm/11,5", 29,5 cm/11,5", 32 cm/12,5") Size information The sizes run more on the bigger side, because each baby is different and I think there is nothing worse than -after all the work is done- having a cardigan which is too small. So if you're not sure about the sizing or if you want a perfect fitting cardigan, follow the chest measurements to find the right size. Yarn: 50 grams/1.76 ounzes = 115 meters /126 yards Gauge: 25 stitches and 34 rows = 10 cm/4" (needle size 4mm/US 6) Materials: Circular or straight needles size 3,5mm/US 4 and 4 mm/US 6 Double pointed needles 3,5mm/US 4 and 4 mm/US 6 Two stitch holder (or two spare circular needles size 4mm/US 6) 4 stitch marker Tapestry needle 6buttons 3-4 skeins of the main color (MC): blue or teal 1 skein of color A : white This pattern, charts and photographs are copyrighted. Don't sell, transmit, publish or pass on the (electronic or printed) pattern. Don't sell any finished product made from this pattern for commercial purposes. bb: button band/ buttonhole band m1: make one stitch; way of increasing by making a backward loop (see make 1, <http://knitty .com/ISSUEspring03/FEATtheresa.html>). On the next row, treat the loop as a regular stitch, but knit/purl it through the back loop. Knitting/purling this way causes a twisted stitch and avoids producing holes. k: knit kbb: knit button band/buttonhole band (at the beginnig of a row: sl1, k7; at the end of a row k8) k2tog: knit two stitches together MC: main color p: purl pm: place st marker RS: right side (usually knit side) rl: raglan line sl1: slip 1 stitch st(s): stitch(es) wbh:work buttonhole; see below WS: wrong side (usually purl side) yo: yarn over: make the same backward loop as explained above (m1)
Work buttonhole:
Button band/buttonhole band: The first 8 sts and the last 8 sts of every row are worked in garter stitch (k every row). The button band is on the right front, the buttonhole band is on the left front. The buttonholes are worked every 18th (18th, 18th, 20th) row (RS) as followed: k3, yo, k2tog k3. In the next row (WS) treat the loop as regular stitch and knit it normal, so you'll get a little hole. size 1-3 months: buttonholes in row 3, 21, 39, 57, 75, 93 size 3-6 months: buttonholes in row 5, 23, 41, 59, 77, 95 size 6-9 months: buttonholes in row 5, 23, 41, 59, 77, 95 size 9-12 months: buttonholes in row 5, 25, 45, 65, 85, 105
Directions: Yoke - All sizes - With MC cast on 87 (87, 93, 95) sts on needle size 3,5mm/US 4 Note: Don't forget to make the buttonholes! Row 1: kbb, \*k1, p1\*, repeat from \* to bb, kbb Row 2: kbb, \*p1, k1\*, repeat from \* to bb, kbb Row 3 and following 2 (2, 2, 3) RS rows: repeat row 1 Row 4 and following 1 (1, 1, 2) wS row: repeat row 2 Row 8 (8, 8, 10): Change to needle size 4mm/US 6 kbb, p11 (11, 12, 12), pm, p11 (11, 12, 13), pm, p27 (27, 29, 29), pm, p11 (11, 12, 13), pm, p11 (11, 12, 12), kbb Row 9 (9, 9, 11) and following 14 (15, 16, 17) RS rows: sl 1, \*k to 1 st before marker, m1, k1, slip m, k1, m1\*, repeat 3 times more, k to end (8 sts increase) Row 10 (10, 10, 12) and following 14 (15, 16, 17) WS rows: kbb, p to bb, kbb After your last increase row you should have 207 (215, 229, 239) sts in total, distributed as follows: 8 (8, 8, 8) 26 (27, 29, 41 (43, 46, 57 (59, 63, 41 (43, 46, 26 (27, 29, 8 (8, 8, 8) sts 30) sts 49) sts 65) sts 49) sts 30) sts sts buttonhole left front left arm back right arm right front button band band Split for Body Note: Don't forget to make the buttonholes! In the next row divide for sleeves and body as follows: Row 39 (41, 43, 47): sl1, k to first marker, place the 41 (43, 46, 49) arm sts between first and second marker on a st holder or spare circular needle without knitting, join yarn to back and k to third marker, place the 41 (43, 46, 49) arm sts between third and fourth marker on a st holder or spare circular needle without knitting, join yarn to back and k to end Knit in stockinette until row 53 (55, 55, 65)
Whale pattern and stranded knitting part
Now you are getting to the whale pattern and therefore to the stranded knitting part. It is different for each size, so please go to your required size. Please consider that you read all charts from bottom to top, RS rows from right to left and WS rows from left to right. So if you start a pattern on a knit row, you read the chart row from right to left, on a purl row, you read the chart row from left to right. For the stranded knitting part make sure that you carry the strands of unused color LooSELY in the back of your work. Loose stitches or strands can be tightened but it is almost impossible to loosen up floats that are too tight and they will cause the work to pucker on the right side and may even affect the fit. Make also sure that your floats are neither to long nor to short. If you have to strand yarn across 5 or more stitches I suggest to catch up the floats every 3-5 stitches. Here you can find more information about stranded knitting: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/FEATwin06TT.html
- Size 1-3 months only - Chart 1:
Note: Don't forget to make the buttonholes! Row54-60: work chart 1 as follows: with MC kbb, join colour A, work to pattern repeat, work pattern repeat 13 times, work to end of chart, kbb, Row 61 and 62: with MC only; kbb, work in stockinette to bb, kbb Chart 2:
Row 63-75: work chart 2 as follows: with MC kbb, join colour A, work pattern repaet A 3 times, work to pattern repeat B, work pattern repeat B 3 times, with MC kbb Row 76 and 77: with MC only; work in stockinette to bb, kbb
- Size 1-3 months only - Chart 3:
Row78-84: work chart 3 as follows: with MC kbb, join colour A, work to pattern repeat, work pattern repeat 13 times, work to bb, with MC kbb Row85-88: with MC only; work in stockinette to bb, kbb Change to needle size 3,5mm/US 4 Row89 and following 4 RS rows: kbb, \*k1, p1\*, repeat from \* to bb, kbb Row90 and following 3 wS rows: kbb, \*p1, k1\*, repeat from \* to bb, kbb With WS facing bo loosely. Sleeves Place 41 sts from st holder onto size 4 mm/Us 6 dpns, place a st marker between the first and last stitch to mark the beginning of a new round Round 1 and following 11 rounds: join MC, k to end Round 13: k1, ssk, work to 3 stitches before marker, k2tog, k1 (2 sts decrease = 39 sts) Round 14-39 repeat round 1-13 two more times (2 more decrease rounds = 35 sts) Round 40 and following 2 rounds: k to end Sleeve should be now 13 cm/5" from armpit. If it's not, countinue k in rounds until it is. Round 43: k1, ssk, k to end (1 st decrease = 34 sts) Round 44: k to end Change to dpns size 3,5mm/US 4 Round 45 and following 7 rounds: \*k1,p1\*, repeat from \* to end Bo loosely. Repeat for other sleeve. ll also have a hole at the armpit that needs to be sewn). Sew on buttons
- Size 3-6 months only - Chart 1:
Note: Don't forget to make the buttonholes! Row 56-62: work chart 1 as follows: with MC kbb, join colour A, work to pattern repeat, work pattern repeat 14 times, to end of chart, kbb Row 63 and 64: with MC only; work in stockinette to bb, kbb Chart 2:
Row 65-77: work chart 2 as follows: with MC kbb, join colour A, work pattern repeat A 3 times, work to pattern repeat B, work pattern repeat B 3 times, with MC kbb Row 78 and 79: with MC only; kbb, work in stockinette to bb, kbb
- Size 3-6 months only - Chart 3:
Row 80-86: work chart 3 as follows: with MC kbb, join colour A, work to pattern repeat, work pattern repeat 14 times, to end of chart, kbb Row87-90: with MC only; work in stockinette to bb, kbb Change to needle size 3,5mm/US 4 Row91 and following 4 RS rows: kbb, \*k1, p1\*, repeat from \* to bb, kbb Row92 and following 3 wS rows: kbb, \*p1, k1\*, repeat from \* to bb, kbb With WS facing bo loosely.
Sleeves
Place 43 sts from st holder onto size 4 mm/US 6 dpns, place a st marker between the first and last stitch to mark the beginning of a new round Round 1 and following 11 rounds: join MC, k to end Round 13: k1, ssk, work to 3 stitches before marker, k2tog, k1 (2 sts decrease = 41 sts) Round 14-39 repeat round 1-13 two more times (2 more decrease rounds = 37 sts) Round 40 and following 5 rounds: k to end Sleeve should be now 14 cm/5,5" from armpit. If it's not, countinue k in rounds until it is. Round 46: k1, ssk, k to end (1 st decrease = 36 sts) Round 47: k to end Change to dpns size 3,5mm/US 4 Round 48 and following 7 rounds: \*k1,p1\*, repeat from \* to end Bo loosely. Repeat for other sleeve. Weave in ends (you will also have a hole at the armpit that needs to be sewn). Sew on buttons.
- Size 6-9 months only - Chart 1:
Note: Don't forget to make the buttonholes! Row 56-62: work chart 1 as follows: with MC kbb, join colour A, work to pattern repeat, work pattern repeat 15 times, to end of chart, kbb Row 63 and 64: with MC only; kbb, work in stockinette to bb, kbb Chart 2:
work chart 2 as follows: with MC kbb, join colour A, work pattern repeat A 3 times, work to pattern repeat B, work pattern repeat B 3 times, with MC kbb Row 78 and 79: with MC only; kbb, work in stockinette to bb, kbb
- Size 6-9 months only - Chart 3:
Row 80-86: work chart 3 as follows: with MC kbb, join colour A, work to pattern repeat, work pattern repeat 15 times, to end of chart, kbb Row 87-90: with MC only; kbb, work in stockinette to bb, kbb Change to needle size 3,5mm/US 4 Row91 and following 4 RS rows: kbb, \*k1, p1\*, repeat from \* to bb, kbb Row92 and following 3 wS rows: kbb, \*p1, k1\*, repeat from \* to bb, kbb With WS facing bo loosely.
Sleeves
Place 46 sts from st holder onto size 4 mm/Us 6 dpns, place a st marker between the first and last stitch to mark the beginning of a new round Round 1 and following 11 rounds: join MC, k to end Round 13: k1, ssk, work to 3 stitches before marker, k2tog, k1 (2 sts decrease = 44 sts) Round 14-39: repeat round 1-13 two more times (2 more decrease rounds = 40 sts) Round 40 and following 8 rounds: k to end oe now 15 cm/6" from armpit. If it's not, countinue k in rounds until it is. Round 49: k1, ssk, work to 3 stitches before marker, k2tog, k1 (2 sts decrease = 38 sts) Round 50: kto end Change to dpns size 3,5mm/US 4 Round 51 and following 7 rounds: \*k1,p1\*, repeat from \* to end Bo loosely. Repeat for other sleeve. Weave in ends (you will also have a hole at the armpit that needs to be sewn). Sew on buttons.
- Size 9-12 months only - Chart 1:
Note: Don't forget to make the buttonholes! Row66-72: work chart 1 as follows: with MC kbb, join colour A, work to pattern repeat, work pattern repeat 15 times, to end of chart, kbb Row 73 and 74: with MC only; kbb, work in stockinette to bb, kbb Chart 2:
Row75-87: work chart 2 as follows: with MC kbb, join colour A, work pattern repeat A 3 times, work to pattern repeat B, work pattern repeat B 3 times, with MC kbb Row 88 and 89: with MC only; kbb, work in stockinette to bb, kbb
- Size 9-12 months only - Chart 3:
Row 90-96: work chart 3 as follows: with MC kbb, join colour A, work to pattern repeat, work pattern repeat 15 times, to end of chart, kbb Row97-100: with MC only; kbb, work in stockinette to bb, kbb Change to needle size 3,5mm/US 4 Row101 and following 4 RS rows: kbb, \*k1, p1\*, repeat from \* to bb, kbb Row102 and following 3 wS rows: kbb, \*p1, k1\*, repeat from \* to bb, kbb With WS facing bo loosely.
Sleeves
Place 49 sts from st holder onto size 4 mm/US 6 dpns, place a st marker between the first and last stitch to mark the beginning of a new round Round 1 and following 11 rounds: join MC, k to end Round 13: k1, ssk, work to 3 stitches before marker, k2tog, k1 (2 sts decrease = 47 sts) Round 14-52: repeat round 1-13 three more times (3 more decrease rounds = 41sts) Round 53: k to end Sleeve should be now 16, 5 cm/6,5" from armpit. If it's not, countinue k in rounds until it is. Round 54: k1, ssk, k to end (1 st decrease = 40 sts) Round 55: k to end Change to dpns size 3,5mm/US 4 Round 56 and following 7 rounds: \*k1,p1\*, repeat from \* to end Bo loosely. Repeat for other sleeve. Weave in ends (you will also have a hole at the armpit that needs to be sewn). Sew on buttons.
