Infant Tulip Wrap Sweater, the pattern

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Infant Tulip Wrap Sweater

Fits 0-6 months (perhaps more?)

I was inspired by the garter stitch wrap top in Erika Knight, Simple Knits for Cherished Babies, New York: Collins & Brown, 2001, p. 61. But I didn’t really want to do garter stitch or even one piece construction and didn’t have yarn the right size so I decided to make up my own pattern. For some of the dimensions and the shape of the sleeves and armholes I referred to Kate Buller, Style Your Own Kids’ Knits, New York: Collins & Brown, 2002.

100gm double knitting yarn (I used Paton’s Pearl Double Knitting)

(with absolutely no extra, you may feel more comfortable with 125gm or so)

Size 4 needles (either a circ or also have 2 dpn in the same size) or size to get gauge

3 stitch holders

Tulip Stitch (from 365 Knitting Stitches a Year, Woodinville, WA: Martingale, 2002, May 1)

Multiple of 8+7

Row 1 (right side) Knit

Row 2 (and every even row) Purl

Row 3 k3 *yo sl1 k1 psso k6* to last 4 stitches yo sl1 k1 psso k2

Row 5 k1 *k2tog yo k1 yo sl1 k1 psso k3* to last 6 k2tog yo k1 yo sl1 k1 psso k1

Row 7 (same as 3)

Row 9 Knit

Row 11 k7 *yo sl1 k1 psso k6*

Row 13 k5 *k2tog yo k1 yo sl1 k1 psso k3* to last 2 st k2

Row 15 (same as 11)

Row 16 Purl

Gauge – row gauge, unfortunately, matters. Take my dimensions and do the math if you need to.

Over Tulip Pattern: 5.5st and 8 rows to the inch. Any time I needed a little more I snuck a stitch or two at either end, not in the middle of the pattern.

Back

Cast on 55 stitches using a cable cast on.

Rows 1-4, seed stitch

Rows 5-on maintain pattern.

At 6” from cast-on edge, bo2 stitches

Next row bo2 stitches

Next 6 rows bind of 1 stitch at the beginning of each row. You should have bound off 5 stitches each side for a total of 45 stitches across.

Knit even until you’re 9.5” from cast-on edge. Knit 12, put the next 21 on to a stitch holder. Turn. P2 tog. Purl back. Put these 11 stitches onto a holder. Attach yarn to the other side. K2 together, purl back. Put these 11 stitches onto a holder.

Fronts

Are the same, but mirror images. I will save time and not repeat.

Cast on 50 stitches using cable cast on.

Knit 4 rows in seed stitch.

Rows 5- maintain pattern. 50 is not divisible by 8+7, I k2 did pattern k1 for the left hand side when you’re looking at it. K1 pattern k2 for right hand side.

Knit even for 3”.

Start neck edge decrease – this will go on for ~5.75”. On neck edge k1, dec 1, maintain pattern across. Purl rows, purl to 3 stitches from the end dec purl 1.

At 6” (remember to keep on doing the neck decreases, you’ll have to pat your head and rub your tummy to do all this and make the pattern pretty at the same time), bo2 at side edge. Next three purl rows bo1 at the side edge (this should be the same as you did for the back).

When you have 12 stitches left, knit even until you’re at ~9.75”. Do a three needle bind off with the back. Fudge the extra stitch on the front.
Sleeves

Make 2 the same.

Cast on 31 stitches using the cable cast-on. (yes, I could abbreviate what I have below, but that always confuses people)

Rows 1-4 seed stitch

Rows 5-10 31 stitches in pattern (pattern from now on)

Row 11 increase beginning and end of row (like 1 stitch in, invisible or bar, either is ok)

Rows 12-14 even, 33 stitches

Row 15 inc beg & end

Rows 16-18 even 35 stitches

Row 19 inc beg & end

Rows 20-22 even 37 stitches

Row 23 inc beg & end

Rows 24-26 even 39 stitches

Row 27 inc beg & end

Rows 28-30 even 41 stitches

Row 31 inc beg & end

Row 32 even 43 stitches

Row 33 inc beg & end 45 stitches

Row 34 inc beg & end 47 stitches

Row 35 even

Row 36 bo2 continue on across 45 stitches

Row 37 bo2 continue on across 43 stitches

Row 38 dec 1 beg & end 41 stitches

Bind Off.

Ties

Make 2 the same.

Cast on 4 stitches. Knit back and forth in seed stitch until it’s 10”. That is plenty long because they will really stretch and you’re tying them behind anyway.

Finishing

The shoulders are already done. Use mattress stitch. Sew on the sleeves matching up the center of the sleeve with the shoulder seam. Sew up the right hand (when looking at the sweater from the front) seam. Sew the left hand seam from the sleeve down to 3” from cast off edge. Leave about a 1” hole, and sew the rest of the way down.

Bind off the stitches on the holder (21) using a two stitch I-cord. Do a single crochet down both neck sides to stiffen, and make less likely to curl. Reinforce the hole in the left side seam with a single crochet, chain stitch, or buttonhole stitch. Sew the ties on to the neck edges at the top of the straight part, before the neck decreases. Weave in all ends. Voila.