Captain Small's Sailor Pants
by Gretchen Erdmann of MeiMing Design No additional step of covering the diaper with a plastic cover is needed when changing. This button up waist band needs neither elastic nor ties to stay up, and the flap front allows for easy access diaper changes. The preemie to 24 month sizes of these pants accommodate cloth diapered bottoms, while the 2T size fits training pants. Waist size should be 1-2 inches smaller than actual waist measurement. The Cascade Ecological Wool is soft, durable, economical and quick to knit.
These wool pants deflect wet cold conditions of spring weather and sea spray. Additionally, wool baby pants, called longies, are very convenient and healthy as diaper covers for cloth diapered babies. The lanolin in the wool naturally neutralizes urine into water and salt, and the wool is waterproof and breathable. This pattern is worked circular from the cuffs up, but shaped like a traditional sewn trouser. The legs are joined front to back, and then knit around the body a few times making shapely short rows at the back, which quickly divide into straight knitting forming the sailor pants flap front closure. Dart shaping towards the waist band maintains the tailored look. The technique I use on the legs is knitting in the round with two circular needles. If you are very clever and concentrate well, you can knit both legs at the same time this way. However, I have written the pattern for one leg at a time. Use a long cable for magic loop, or DPN's if you choose to instead.
SIZE
Preemie 30-40 weeks gestation [NB 0-3, SM 3-9 , M 9-15, L 15-24, 2T] (shown in NB on a 5 week baby)
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Waist: 11 [13, 15, 17, 19, 20] inches Hip: 14 [16, 18, 20, 22, 22] inches Rise: 10 [13, 16, 18, 20, 20] inches Inseam: 5 [6, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5, 11] inches
MATERIALS
[MC] Cascade Ecological Wool [100% Organic Wool; 478 yd per 250g skein]; color: Royal Blue; 1 skein This pattern will work with any aran weight, 8 wpi, yarn in blue, white, cream, grey, or red. 2 16 inch US #7/4.5mm circular needles or double-point needles (sizes Sm-2T substitute one 20 or 24 inch for one 16 inch) 1 tapestry needle for sewing on buttons and sewing in ends. 2 stitch markers 2 coiless safety pins or slit ring markers Notions required $4\,[6,6,8,8,8,]\,5/8^{*}$ shank buttons with anchor or eagle design.
GAUGE
17 sts/24 rows $=4$ inches in stockinette stitch $(4.25/6{=}1$ inch)
PATTERN NOTES
Allrows have selvage stitches of slip 1 purlwise (slp) to begin a row, and knit 1 twisted (k tbl) as last stitch.
Fabric pattern:
Sliyif: slip one stitch purlwise with yarn held in front of work In the round: $\mathbf{1}\ ^{*}\mathbf{K}\mathbf{1}$ , sl 1 yif\* 2 K all stitches 3 \*Sl1yif, $\mathbf{K1^{*}}$ $4\,\mathrm{K}$ all stitches Flat: 1 Slp, ${\bf\nabla\ast}{\bf k1}$ , Sl1yif\* k1 tbl 2 Slp, purl across, last stitch k tbl $3\,\mathrm{{Slp}}$ ,\*Sl1yif, $\mathbf{K}\mathbf{1}^{*}\mathbf{\deltaK}\mathbf{1}$ tbl $4\,\mathrm{Slp}$ , purl across, last stitch k tbl
Short rows:
WT: slp next stitch with yarn held on RS of work, bring yarn to WS, replace slipped stitch back to left needle. Turn work around and continue in pattern. As you knit or purl over wrapped stitches on the following row, lift them from the bottom up and over the stitch they wrapped. Knit stitch with wrap tog tbl, purl stitches together normally.
Buttonhole rows [always worked on WS]:
Work 3, yo, p2tog, pto 5 sts before end of row, p2tog, YO, p2, kitbl Next row work in pattern knitting the YO sts.
PATTERN
Legs [make 2] CO 28 [32, 36, 42, 46, 46] sts Join round and knit in fabric pattern, dividing sts evenly on 2 needles for 8[8, 10, 10, 12, 12] rnds as noted above. Work 16[22, 29,33, 35, 44] more rnds even. Inc rnd: k1, m1, knit even to end of rnd. Work one rnd even. Repeat inc rnd and even rnd 2[2, 2, 3, 4, 4] more times Sts at end of incing equal 31[35, 39, 46, 51, 51] K 4[5, 5, 7, 8, 8] sts past center on one leg only. Holding this leg as the back needle, cut yarn to 18 inches and graft holding right sides out 415, 5, 7, 8, 8] center sts from each leg.
Body
Round begins at center front. With longer needle work around all body sts, picking up 1[2] sts on both sides of graft on front and back of work, pm at center back as you go. 58 [68, 76, 86, 94, 94] body stitches. Work 2 more rnds even. Begin short rows: (remember to pick up your wraps as you go back and forth) Preemie: K2 st past center back marker, WT, p4 WT, k6 past marker, WT, p12, WT, k10 past marker, WT, p20, WT, K14 past marker, WT, p28, WT NB 0-3: K4 st past center back, WT, p8, WT, k8 past marker, WT, P16, WT, k12 past marker, WT, p24, k16 past marker, WT, p32, WT SM 3-9: K3 st past marker, WT, p6, WT,k7past marker, WT, p14, WT, k11 past marker, WT, p22, WT, k15 past marker, WT, purl 30, WT, k19 past marker, WT, P38,WT M 9-15: K4 st past marker, WT, P8, WT, K8 past marker, WT, p16, WT, K12 past marker, WT, p24, WT, K16 past marker, WT, p 32, WT, K21 past marker, WT, P42,WT L 15-24, 2T: K4 st past marker, WT, P8, WT, K9 past marker, WT, p18, WT, K14 past marker, WT, p28, WT, K19 past marker, WT, P38, K24 past marker, WT, P48, WT Finish rnd to front, then Ki[2, 3, 4, 2, 2] more rnds picking up last wraps as you g0.
Divide Front
K to 7[7, 9, 9, 11, 11] sts before front marker, k14[14, 18, 18, 22, 22] sts onto second 16 inch circular needle k the last stitch tbl. Turn work, mark this row on 3rd st from both sides, slp first st and p back removing center marker. Begin fabric stitch pattern as noted above working buttonhole rows across front flap on rows Preemie: 8, 16 NB 0-3: 8, 16, 24 SM 3-9: 10, 20, 30 M 9-15: 10, 18, 28, 34 Afterlast buttonhole row work one row in pattern, p one row, BO next row in k st.
Backside
Pick up and place on opposite end of needles 5 purl head stitches from WS of row marked at front division on both sides of front flap. Join yarn and p across row. Next row begin and end 5 selvage sts in fabric stitch, with St st in between. Work 6[10, i8, 20, 24, 24] more rows even ending with a WS row.
Work darts:
Preemie: work 5 sts in pattern, pm, k2tog,k12, pm, k2tog, k12, SSK, pm, k12, SSK, pm, work 5sts in pattern. P one row even. NB 0-3: work sts in patten, pm, ktog, k5, pm, k2tog, k16, SK, pm, k5, SSK, pm, work 5 sts in pattern. P one row even. SM 3-9: work 5sts in pattern, pm, k2tog, k16, pm, k2tog, k18, SK, pm, k16, SK, pm, work 5 sts in pattern. P one row even. M 9-15:work 5 sts in pattern, pm, k21, pm, k2tog,k22, SK, pm, k21, pm, work 5 sts in pattern. P one row even. L 15-24: work 5 sts in pattern, pm, k22, pm, k2tog, k24, SSK, pm, k22, pm, work 5 sts in pattern. P one row even. 2T: work 5 sts in pattern, k21, pm, k2tog, k26, SSK, pm, k21, knit 5 sts in pattern. P one row even. Work 22, 2, 3, 3, 3] more dec rows, k2tog after first two markers, SSK 2 sts before last two markers [size 2T k2tog after first marker and SSK 2 sts before second marker]. 42[52, 56, 64, 68, 74] sts remain at end of decing.
Waistband:
Work 8[10, 10, 10, 12, 12] rows of fabric stitch for waist band, B0 last row in knit.
FINISHING
Sew 4[6, 6, 8, 8, 8]5/8 inch gold or brass buttons up front button bands. Sew in ends. Wash by soaking with mild soap in warm water, dunk in warm water to rinse, melt a pea-sized drop of lanolin to a cup of very hot water with a dot of soap, add to final rinse, soak 20 minutes. Gently spin or press out excess water, lay flat to dry. hip circ 14[16, 18, 20, 22, 22]
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Gretchen Erdmann knits around Madison, WI creating woolies for babies and children. Her love of wool began with a pair of wool “wet socks" on northwoods canoe trips. Inspired by her daughter, she is writing the first book of all wool diaper cover patterns. Raveler MeiMingDesing. MeiMing is my daughter's Chinese name, it means beautiful bright.
