You can make the buttonholes on either front. If you want to knit it ahead of time but want the buttonholes on the 'correct' side, knit the sweater, making buttonholes on one side, but don't sew the seams. Since garter stitch is reversible, just turn the sweater inside-out before sewing the seams, and the buttonholes will be on the 'correct' side for the other gender. Or you could use Elizabeth Zimmermann's method: make buttonholes on both sides, and sew the buttons on over the buttonholes on one side when you find out the gender of the baby.

Finished size: Infant

• Chest: 19"
• Sleeve length: 6 7/8"
• Body length: 11 1/2"
• 6 oz. Worsted weight yarn

3 3/4" buttons

size 10 (6 mm) knitting needles

size I (5.25 mm) crochet hook

Gauge in garter stitch: 15 sts. = 4", 30 rows = 15 garter ridges = 4"

I've included the approximate measurements in inches as well as rows in case your row gauge does not match the stated gauge.

1 - Right Sleeve 2 - Back 3 - Right Front 4 - Left Front 5 - Left Sleeve

Starting with the right sleeve, cast on 22 sts.

Rows 1 - 5: Work in K1, P1 ribbing (approximately 1")

Rows 6 - 15: Work even in garter st.

Rows 16 - 28: Continue in garter st., increasing 1 st. at each end on the 16^th row and every 4^th row. (4 increase rows. You should have 30 sts. after row 28.)

Rows 29 - 35: Work even in garter st.

Rows 36 - 41: Continue in garter st., increasing 1 st. at each end of every row. (6 increase rows. You should have 42 sts. at the end of row 41.) (Piece should measure approximately 6 7/8" from the beginning.)

Rows 42 & 43: Cast on 21 sts. in purl with cable cast-on at the beginning of the row, then knit across. (You should have 84 sts. at the end of row 43.)

Rows 44 - 60: Work even in garter st

Row 61: Work 42 sts. and put on holder for right front. Knit across.

Rows 62 - 90: Work even on the remaining 42 sts. (approximately 4")

Put these stitches on a holder. Break yarn.

Row 1: Put the 42 stitches from the holder for the right front on the needle. Join yarn at the neck edge. Cast off 4 sts., knit across. (38 sts. remain)

Rows 2 & 4: Work even in garter st.

Rows 3 & 5: Decrease 1 at beginning of row, knit across. (36 sts. remain)

Rows 6 - 16: Work even in garter st.

Row 17: For a girl's sweater, work buttonhole row. For a boy, work in garter st.

Buttonhole row - K2, (K2 tog, yo, K3) 3 times, K19

Rows 18 - 20: Work even in garter st. (approximately 2 1/2" from beginning of right front)

Cast off in knit.

Cast on 36 sts.

Rows 1 - 3: Work even in garter st.

Row 4: For a boy's sweater, work buttonhole row. For a girl, work in garter st.

Buttonhole row - K2, (K2 tog, yo, K3) 3 times, K19

Rows 5 - 14: Work even in garter st.

Rows 15 & 17: Increase 1 at end of row (neck edge.) (38 sts.)

Rows 16 & 18: Work even

Row 19: Cast on 4 at end of row (neck edge.) (42 sts.)

Do not break yarn

Place the 42 sts. from the holder for the back on the empty needle. The neck edge of the back should be at the point of the left (formerly empty) needle. Knit across these 42 sts., using the yarn attached to the left front. (This will complete Row 19 of the left front, and all sts. will be on one needle.)

Rows 1 - 17: Work even.

Rows 18 & 19: Cast off 21 at the beginning of the row. (42 sts. remain)

Rows 20 - 25: Decrease 1 st. at each end of every row. (6 decrease rows. 30 sts. remain)

Rows 26 - 32: Work even.

Rows 33 - 45: Decrease 1 at each end of row 33 and every 4^th row. (4 decrease rows, 22 sts. remain.)

Rows 46 - 55: Work even.

Rows 56 - 60: Work in K1, P1 ribbing. (1")

Bind off in knit.

Sew sleeve & side seams.

With crochet hook, work 1 row sc along the perimeter of the sweater (front edges, neck, & bottom.) Work I row sl st.

Sew on buttons.

Cable Cast-On:

I'll try to describe the cable cast on. You insert the needle between the first 2 stitiches & pull up a loop, & place it on the needle next to the first stitch on the needle. Repeat for the desired number of stitches. If you insert the needle from the front, it would be cast on in knit (which is the normal way.) If you insert the needle from the back, it would be cast on in purl. There are instructions (with photos) of the cable cast-on at Knitting About Com . It demonstrates the knit version.

This pattern was downloaded from http://www.thinkingknitter.com

rae@thinkingknitter.com

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This page was last updated on 12/10/2006.