This is a generously sized sweater knit in stretchy garter stitch, increasing the length of wear on fast growing babies. The arms and neck are wide to help parents with the challenge of wrestling clothing onto a wriggling baby. It’s easy to knit, simple and practical and the garter stitch also makes it rather cuddly. I designed it last year when I knew loads of people who were expecting babies and wanted to knit them something they could use that wasn't really fiddly. I've made six or seven of these, it's become a reliable stand by pattern for me.
To fit 0 – 3 (3 – 6) months
4mm straight needles
100g (125g) double knitting yarn
2 buttons
Crochet hook sized between 3.5mm and 4mm (optional)
Gauge: 20 sts to 4 inches of garter stitch. Row gauge isn’t necessary for this pattern – woo hoo!
WORKED IN GARTER STITCH THROUGHOUT.
PATTERN
Left arm
Cast on 32 (40) sts. Knit until arm measures 5 1/2 (6 1/2) inches, ending with RS facing.
Cast on for body
At the end of the current row cast on 30 (33) sts. 65 (73) sts in total.
Knit across all sts and cast on 30 (33) sts at the end of the row. 92 (106) sts in total.
Work on all 92 (106) sts until body measures 1 ½ inches, ending with WS facing.
Separate for front
Knit 46 (53) sts, slip the remaining 46 (52) sts onto waste yarn to be worked on later.
The 46 (53) sts on the needle will be the front of the sweater. Knit until front measures 8 (8 ¾) inches, ending with RS facing. Break yarn and slip the stitches for the front onto waste yarn.
Re-join for back
Slip back sts off waste yarn and onto a needle ready to be worked. Re-join yarn and knit until back measures 8 (8 ¾) inches, ending with RS facing.
Finish body
Slip front sts off waste yarn and onto a needle. Knit across front sts so that the front and back are now joined together. Knit on all 95 (106) sts until the front and back measure 9 ½ (10 ¼) inches, ending with RS facing.
Cast off for right arm
Cast off 30 (33) sts at the beginning of the next two rows. 32 (40) sts remaining.
Work on these 32 (40) sts until arm measures 5 1/2 (6 1/2) inches. Cast off.
You’ll have a piece of knitting that looks like this:
Finishing
Weave in loose ends securely. Fold sweater in half into a ‘T’ shape so that the front and back are against each other and the arms are folded in half. Sew side and arm seams. Use a crochet hook to make two 1 ½ inch lengths of crochet chain or just make a loop out of a length of yarn. Sew each chain into a loop and attach 1 inch in from each neck edge. Sew on a button on each side to correspond with the loops. Wrestle onto a baby.