Raglan Cardigan with Leaf Placket for Babies
You’ll Need:
1 [2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4] hanks of MadelineTosh Vintage Worsted Weight (100% superwash merino, 200 yards/182 meters per 3.5 ounce/100 gram hank); Tern;
Knitting needles 4.5 mm;
Circular knitting needles 4.5 mm;
4 (5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8) buttons;
Scrap yarn;
Tapestry needle.
Size:
3 months (6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 2T, 3T, 4T, 6);
Size shown: 6 Months.
Finished Measurements:
- Chest: 17½ [19, 21, 21¾, 23½, 25¼, 27, 28] inches
- Length: 9 [11, 11, 13½, 13½, 15¾, 16, 18] inches
Stitches Control:
18 sts x 24 rows = 4 inches square in St st.
Notes:
The cardigan is raglan styled and is knit in a top-down fashion. The leaf placket is worked in line with the rest of the cardigan and incorporates buttonholes. The leaf placket is designed such that the next leaf begins at the same time as the previous leaf ends, which means that the first and last rows of the pattern are done in sequence within the same row of the cardigan. The leaf also incorporates a CDD (Central Double Decrease - sl2 tog kwise, k1, pass slipped stitches over). When the cardigan reaches the appropriate length, the bottom band is knit in a broken rib stitch. In order to maintain the design, the cardigan’s length changes in whole-leaf increments only. The right placket is knit next, also in the broken rib stitch; the neckband is added last. The sleeves are knit in the round using double-pointed needles and are finished in the same manner as the rest of the cardigan.
Special Stitches:
- M1p (make 1 purl) - with left needle and working from back to front, pick up strand between sts and purl it.
- Skpo – Slip next st kwise, k1, pass slipped st over.
- Sk2po – Slip next st kwise, k2tog, pass slipped st over.
Instructions:
Leaf Placket:
Row 1 (WS): K2, p5, k1.
Row 2: P1, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2, m1p, p1, k1.
Row 3: K3, p7, k1.
Row 4: P1, k3, yo, k1, yo, k3, m1p, p2, k1.
Row 5: K4, p9, k1.
Row 6: P1, skpo, k5, k2tog, m1p, p3, k1.
Row 7: K5, p7, k1.
Row 8: P1, skpo, k3, k2tog, m1p, p1, k1, yo, p2tog, k1 – Buttonhole Row.
Row 9: K3, p1, k2, p5, k1.
Row 10: P1, skpo, k1, k2tog, m1p, [p2, k1] twice.
Row 11: K3, p1, k3, p3, k1.
Row 12: P1, CDD, pass first st on right needle over second st, bind off next 2 sts pwise (5 sts remain before pattern marker), [k1, yo] twice, k1, p1, k1.
Repeat 1st-12th rows.
Body:
With circular needle, cast on as follows:
cast on 3 [3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6], PM,
cast on 10 [10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10], PM,
cast on 18 [18, 20, 20, 22, 22, 24, 24], PM, cast on 10 [10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10], PM,
cast on 3 [3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6]: 44 [44, 48, 48, 52, 52, 56, 56] sts total.
Body Increases:
Row 1 (RS): Kfb, * knit to one st before marker, kfb, sm, kfb; repeat from * 3 times more, knit to last st, kfb: 54 [54, 58, 58, 62, 62, 66, 66] sts total.
Row 2: Purl to last st, PM (use a contrasting marker; this is the leaf pattern marker), k1.
Row 3: Kfb, * knit to one st before marker, kfb, sm, kfb; repeat from * 3 times more, knit to last st, kfb: 64 [64, 68, 68, 72, 72, 76, 76] sts total.
Row 4: Purl to leaf repeat marker, k1, p1.
Row 5: Kfb, k1, * knit to one st before marker, kfb, sm, kfb; repeat from * 3 times more, knit to last st, kfb: 74 [74, 78, 78, 82, 82, 86, 86] sts total.
Row 6: Purl to leaf repeat marker, k2, p1, cast on 3 sts: 77 [77, 81, 81, 85, 85, 89, 89] sts total.
Row 7: [P2, k1] twice, * knit to one before sleeve marker, kfb, sm, kfb; repeat * 3 times more, knit to end of row: 85 [85, 89, 89, 93, 93, 97, 97] sts.
Row 8: Purl to leaf repeat marker, k3, p1, k2.
Row 9: P1, (k1, yo) 3 times, p1, k1, * knit to one st before marker, kfb, sm, kfb; repeat from * 3 times more, then knit to end of row. (The third yo in this Rnd creates a buttonhole, and is done in this specific Rnd only): 96 [96, 100, 100, 104, 104, 108, 108] sts.
Rnd 10: Purl to leaf repeat marker, k1, k2tog, p5, k1: 95 [95, 99, 99, 103, 103, 107, 107] sts.
Continue working leaf pattern on left front edge starting with Row 2 while also maintaining raglan increases for 10 [14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 26, 28] more rows, ending on a WS row.
So far the cardigan should have 20 [24, 26, 28, 30, 34, 36, 38] rows and 38 [42, 46, 48, 52, 56, 60, 62] sts between back markers, 30 [34, 36, 38, 40, 44, 46, 48] stitches for each sleeve.
Divide for Sleeves (RS):
Work next row of leaf pattern, knit to first sleeve marker, remove marker, slip next 30 [34, 36, 38, 40, 44, 46, 48] sts to scrap yarn, remove marker, cast on 1 st, knit to next marker, remove marker, cast on 1 st, remove marker, slip next 30 [34, 36, 38, 40, 44, 46, 48] sts to scrap yarn, remove marker, knit to end of row.
Continue Body in St st while maintaining leaf pattern on left front, until 3 [4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7] leaves are finished, working the last row of the last leaf (Row 13) in the following manner:
(RS): P1, sk2po, pass first st on the right-hand needle over the second st, bind off next 5 sts pwise (2 sts remain before marker), k2, remove marker, knit to end of row.
Lower Band:
Row 1 (WS): [K1, p1] across.
Row 2 (RS): Knit across.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2, 2 [2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4] more times, then repeat Row 1 once more.
Loosely bind off all sts knitwise and weave in loose ends.
Sleeve:
Slip stitches to dpns or 12-inch circular needles. Pick up 2 stitches under arm, place marker between picked-up stitches: 32 [36, 38, 40, 42, 46, 48, 50] sts.
Knit every round (St st) until sleeve measures 4 [4¼, 4½, 5, 5¼, 5½, 5¾, 6] inches from armhole edge (approximately 24 [26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38] rows).
[K4, k2tog] 5 [6, 6, 6, 6, 7, 8] times, [k2tog] 1 [0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0] time, k0 [0, 2, 4, 6, 2, 0, 2]: 26 [30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42] sts remain.
Sleeve Cuff:
Rnd 1: [K1, p1] around.
Rnd 2: Knit around.
Repeat Rnds 1 and 2, 2 [2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4] more times.
Bind off all sts knitwise.
Repeat for second sleeve.
Finishing:
Right Front Band:
With RS facing, pick up 3 sts for every 4 rows, across right front, making sure to pick up an even number of sts.
Row 1: [K1, p1] across.
Row 2: Knit across.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2, 3 more times for all sizes.
Bind off all sts knitwise.
Neckband:
With RS facing, pick up stitches along the neck in the following manner: pick up 4 sts from Right Front Band edge, pick up 3 [3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6] sts from cast-on stitches of right front, PM, pick up 10 sts across the top of sleeve, PM, pick up 18 [18, 20, 20, 22, 22, 24, 24] sts across back neck, PM, pick up 10 sts across the top of sleeve, PM, pick up 3 [3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6] sts across cast-on stitches of left front, pick up 3 sts across left front panel (the first 6 rows of cardigan where kfb increases were made), pick up 3 sts across where 3 sts were cast on for the leaf placket: 54 [54, 58, 58, 62, 62, 66, 66] sts.
Row 1: [K1, p1] across.
Row 2: * Knit to 2 sts before marker, ssk, sm, k2tog; repeat from * 3 times more, knit to end of row.
Row 3: [K1, p1] across.
Bind off all sts knitwise. Weave in all loose ends and block. Using a steam iron and working from the WS, steam the leaves to shape.