It's a Stitch Up

A seamless baby wrap-cardigan in DK weight cotton, with contrast edging, buttons and hidden press-stud fastenings. The body is knitted in one piece with the sleeves knitted onto the armholes in-the-round.

I wanted to create a garment for a friend’s new baby boy that would be comfy and easy to get on and off. There are plenty of cardigan patterns for baby girls, but I couldn’t find anything that would suit a baby boy so I decided to create one. I chose easy-to-care-for cotton. But, as cotton can be stiff around the seams, I opted for seam-free construction.

The sleeves are knit on a circular needle using the magic loop technique, double-pointed needles could also be used. Shoulder sections are joined using the three-needle cast-off (that’s ‘bind-off’ to US English speakers). This technique is a bit fiddly but well worth it for softer, flatter seams. This pattern also uses the basic intarsia technique to join areas worked in different colours.

The sample shown is striped but the instructions are for a single colour with contrast edging.

Size information

The sizes are based on the standard baby measurements on Yarn Standards, but I have modified the proportions, reducing widths slightly, based on feedback from parents. If in doubt, measure the baby! Choose the size closest to the baby’s body circumference and add or reduce rows at the suggested point to obtain the desired length.

Approx. age	months	0-3	(3-6	6-12	12-18)
Chest circumference	inches	14	(16	18	19)
	cm	36	(41	46	48)
Garment width (a)	inches	9.5	(10.5	11.5	12)
	cm	24	(27	29	30)
Garment length (b)	inches	9	(10	10.5	11)
	cm	23	(25	27	28)
Sleeve length (c)	inches	5.5	(6.5	7.5	8.5)
	cm	14	(16.5	19	22)

Yarn & notions

• 2 (3, 3, 3) x 50 g balls Rowan Milk Cotton for main colour (MC)
• 1 x 50 g ball Rowan Milk Cotton for contrast colour (CC)
• 2 x 1 cm (2/5 inch) buttons
• 2 small press studs

Needles & equipment

• 3.5 mm circular needle
• 4 mm circular needle
• Extra 4 mm needle for three-needle cast-off
• 3 x stitch holders or scrap yarn
• 2 x removable stitch markers

Tension/gauge

22 sts and 30 rows over 10 cm (4 in.) square in stocking stitch

Instructions

Body

With 3.5 mm circular needle, CO 156 (174, 189, 198) sts in CC

Next row (rs): [K1, p1] to end (work an extra p1 on third size)
Work 5 further rows in 1 x 1 rib, ending with a ws row

Change to 4 mm circular needle

Row 1 (rs): Using CC, rib 5 sts, change to MC, k to end
Row 2 (ws): K5, p to last 5 sts, change to CC, bringing CC up underneath MC to prevent a gap forming (intarsia technique), rib 5 sts
Be sure to use the intarsia technique in subsequent rows when changing between MC and CC

Next row (rs buttonhole row): K1, p1, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, change to MC, k to end
Next row (ws): as row 2

Continue working rows 1 & 2 until work measures 6.5 (7.5, 7.5, 9) cm / 2.5 (3, 3, 3.5) in., ending with a ws row. Add or reduce rows here in order to achieve desired garment length.

Shape front slopes

Next row (rs): Work 11 (13, 14, 15) sts, transfer these sts to a stitch holder or scrap yarn, work 41 (45, 49, 51) sts, place marker, work 52 (58, 63, 66) sts, place marker, work to end
Next row (ws): Work 11 (13, 14, 15) sts, transfer these sts to a stitch holder or scrap yarn, work to end. 134 (148, 161, 168) sts

Next row (rs dec):  K1, sl1, k1, psso, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Next row (ws dec): P1, p2tog, p to last 3 sts, p2tog tbl, p1

Repeat these 2 rows 3 times more. 118 (132, 145, 152) sts

Continue, decreassing on rs only, until work measures 13 (14, 14.5, 15) cm/5 (5.5, 5.75, 6) in.

Seperate front right

Next row (rs): Work rs decrease, knit to marker, turn

Work these sts only, decreasing at start each rs row as before, until 13 (15, 17, 18) sts

Continue without shaping until work measures 23 (25, 27, 28) cm / 9 (10, 10.5, 11) in. from cast-on edge, ending with a ws row

Leave remaining sts on the needle for later three-needle cast-off

Back

With rs facing, rejoin yarn at back right armhole

Work to second marker, turn. Working on these 52 (58, 63, 66) sts only, continue in stocking stitch until work measures 23 (25, 27, 28) cm / 9 (10, 10.5, 11) in., ending with a rs row.

Next row: P13 (15, 17, 18), transfer next 26 (28, 29, 30) sts to a stitch holder or scrap yarn, p remaining 13 (15, 17, 18) sts

Join right front and right back shoulder seams using three-needle cast-off technique

Left front

With rs facing, rejoin yarn at left armhole, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Next row (ws): Purl

Continue decreasing this way until 13 (15, 17, 18) sts

Continue without shaping until work measures 23 (25, 27, 28) cm / 9 (10, 10.5, 11) in., ending with a rs row

Join left front and left back shoulder seams using three-needle cast-off technique

Sleeves (both alike)

Using 4 mm nedle, with rs facing, starting at armhole, pick-up-and-knit 23 (25, 27, 28) sts to shoulder seam, turn, pick up 23 (25, 27, 28) sts to armhole (picking up approx 3 sts for every 4 rows). 46 (50, 54, 56) sts

Join to work in the round using magic loop technique

Knit 3 (3, 4, 4) rounds

Next row (dec): K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, sl1, k1, psso, k1

Continue in stocking stitch, working a decrease row every 3rd (3rd, 4th, 4th) row until 28 (28, 32, 32) sts

Continue without shaping until sleeve measures 11 (14, 17, 19) cm / 4.5 (5.5, 6.5, 7.5) in.

Change to 3.5 mm needle

Using CC, [k1, p1] to end
Work a further 5 rows in 1 x 1 rib

Cast off loosely in rib

Body ribbing

Transfer 11 (13, 14, 15) sts of left edge of right front from stitch holder to 3.5 mm needle

With rs facing, join CC at outer edge and knit the 11 (13, 14, 15) transferred sts
Pick-up-and-knit 1 sts for every row along right front slope to shoulder
Transfer back neck sts from stitch holder and knit these sts
Pick-up-and-knit 1 st for every row along left front slope
Transfer remaining 11 (13, 14, 15) sts of right edge of left front slope from stitch holder and knit these sts

Count sts to check whether you have an odd or even number

Next row (ws): Purl, working a single decrease at centre back neck if necessary to ensure an odd number of sts

Next row (rs buttonhole row): K1, p1, k1, yo, k2tog, [k1, p1] to last st, k1
Next row (ws): [P1, k1] to last st, p1

Next row (rs): [K1, p1] to last st, k1
Next row (ws): [P1, k1] to last st, p1

Repeat the last 2 rows once more

Cast off in rib

Finishing

Sew on buttons

Sew on press-studs to fasten garter stitch edge of left front to inside of right front, taking care to make stitches invisible from the right side of right front.