A Fair Summer Isle
Taking up knitting while living in south Texas might not have been the smartest thing I've ever done..but I was determined to knit some nicewarm weatheritems formy children.When I couldn't finda dressIloved formy baby girl, Idecided to design one.This is definitely a beginner's level project—I know, because I'm a beginner who's been knitting for less than a year! Before this project I had nevera) knit in the round, b) nit a fair isle pattern, orc) touched a crochet hook. There are great books or web tutorials that can teach you how simple these techniques are.
Size: 6 months Finished Measurements:
Chest: 20 inches Length: 18 inches
Materials:
ONLine Linie 12 Clip worsted weight yarn ( $100\%$ cotton) Two (2) skeins sky blue (126) - main color (MC) One (1) skein yellow (159) - color 1 (C1) ${>}1$ skein each of peachy pink (199), yellow green (133), dusty purple (205) Two (2) Size US7 $(4.5\mathrm{mm})$ circular needles (alternate: 1 circular needie, i straight needle (size US7) and stitch holder) Two (2) stitch markers Size G/6 ( $\mathrm{\left<4mm\right>}$ crochet hook (optional) Tapestry needle Gauge: 20 stitches and $26\,\mathrm{rows}=4$ inches $/\ 10\mathrm{mm}$ in stockinette stitch
KNIT IN THE ROUND
Skirt
With C1, cast on 200 stitches; join in a round Rounds 1: Place a stitch marker at the beginning of the round; K00; place a stitch marker at the halfway point; K100 Rounds 2-6: Continue in garter stitch (purl one round, knit one round), starting with a purl round Shift to MC Round 7: After the stitch marker marking the start of the round, decrease with a SSK. Knit to the second stitch marker. Slip the stith marker to the right needle, then decrease with a K2tog. Rounds 8-56: Repeat round 7, decreasing after each stitch marker. (100 sts at the end)
Bodice
Rounds 1-26: Knit in the fair isle pattern (see chart below), front and back. Note: rounds 1 and 26 will use the MC only. It is recommended that the stranding is not carried from front to back in the middle section of the fair isle pattern, due to the large number of stitches between the colors. \*Leave the first 50 stitches (up to the stitch marker) on the first circular needle (N1) and shift the second 50 stitches to the second circular needle (N2) (alternately, place the $2^{\mathrm{nd}}\,50$ stitches on a stitch holder). At this point the front and the back will be worked separately to start the armholes. The stitch markers may be removed at this point.
FRONT
Armholes
Row 1: Slip 1 st from N2 toN1, P,slip st back to N2; Pacross; slip 1 st from other side of N2 to N1, P, slip st back to N2 (this helps keep the stitches from separating when the new yarn is added for the back). Row 2: SSK, K to last 2 st, K2tog Row 3: K1, P to last st, K1 Row 4-9: Repeat rows 2-3 (3x) Row 10: K across Row 11: K1, P to last st, K1 Row 12-13: Repeat rows 2-3 Row 14-15: Repeat rows 10-11
Neck Shaping
NOTE: allbinding off will be done knitwise, even on purl rows Row 1: K12, ad new yarn, B016, K12 (After this point, the directions will be written in each row treating the 2 sides of the neck separately; directions for each half willbe separated by a slash (/). Row 2: K1, P last st, K1 / K1, P to last st, K1 Row 3: K across / BO3, K across Row 4: K1, P to last st, K1 / BO3, Pto last st, K1 Row 5: K across / BO2, K across Row 6: K1, P to last st, K1 / BO2, P to last st, K1 Row 7: K across / BO1, K across Row 8: K1, P to last st, K1 / BO1, P to last st, K1 Rows 9-10: Repeat rows 7-8
Shoulder Straps
Row 1: K5 / K5 Row 2: K1, P3, K1 / K1, P3, K1 Rows 3-6: Repeat rows 1-2 (2x) Row 7: Repeat row 1 \*Hold stitches on N1 for 3 needle bind off (alternately, shift the front shoulder strap stitches to the stitch holder and the live stitches for the back to the circular needle).
BACK
NOTE: The back has an opening to allow easy fitting over a baby's head; a button will be added later.
Armholes
Add new yarn. Row 1: P across Row 2: SSK, K to last 2 st, K2tog Row 3: K1, P to last st, K1 Rows 4-7: Repeat rows 2-3 (2x)
Neck Opening
Row 8: SSK, K20, add new yam, K20, K2tog (After this point, thedirections willbe writtenn each row treating the 2 sides of the neck separately diretions for ach half will separated by a slash (). Row 9: K1, P to last st, K1 / K1, P to last st, K1 Row 10: K across / K across Row 11: K1, P to last st, K1 / K1, P to last st, K1 Row 12: SSK, K across / K to last 2 sts, K2tog Row 13: Repeat row 11 Row 14: K across / K across Row 15: K1, P to last st, K1 / K1, P to last st, K1 Rows 16-19: Repeat rows 14-15 (2x)
Neck Shaping
Row 1: K across / BO10, K across Row 2: K1, P to last st, K1 / BO10, P to last st, K1 Row 3: K across / BO3, K across Row 4: K1, P to last st, K1 / BO3, P to last st, K1 Row 5: K across / BO2, K across Row 6: K1, P to last st, K1 / BO2, P to last st, K1
Shoulder Straps
Row 1: K5 / K5 Row 2: K1, P3, K1 / K1, P3, K1 Rows 3-6: Repeat rows 1-2 (2x) Row 7: Repeat row 1
Finishing
If using the stitch marker, place the front stitches onto one of the needles and the back stitches on the other of the same circular needle (ensure when the needles are held together with the points facing towards the right, that the stitches are lined up so the wrong sides of the knitting face each other, and the right and left should straps are not crossed). Use the straight needle to bind offthe shoulder strap stitches with a 3-needle bindoff.Weave in ends. Sew abutton in the top corer of the rghthand openin in the back eck, and ad a loop of yarn on the right hand opening. Optional: With C1, crochet 2 rounds of single crochet around the neck and the armholes edges. A buttonhole can also be crocheted in place of the loop of yarn.
A Fair Summer Isle Chart
