Intarsia baby jumper
Robust moss stitch and exciting intarsia make this snuggly baby jumper a joy to knit. By Ruth Maddock.
With car and flower motif options, this super-cute moss stitch sweater can be knitted for sons and daughters, nieces and nephews
Easy to knit and full of fun, motif jumpers for new babies are hard to resist! We’ve given you two choices of motif to add to the middle of this particular jumper – choose from a shiny green car or a pretty pink flower. You’ll need to use the intarsia method for them, rather than strand the work across the back of the work. This means creating bobbins of each yarn colour and switching as you work through each row, twisting the old and new yarn strands so there aren’t any holes between each change. Give the loose strands a little tug to neaten the stitches before weaving them in at the end.
BACK
Cast on 49 ( 53: 59: 65) sts using 3 mm needles and Yarn A and work in rib as follows: Row 1 (RS) K2, *P1, K1, rep from * to last st, K1. Row 2 K1, *P1, K1; rep from * to end. Rep the last two rows 3 ( 3: 3: 4) more times, and inc 4 sts evenly across the last row worked. [53 ( 57: 63: 69) sts] Change to 4mm needles and work one purl row (this is a RS row). Cont in moss st patt as follows: Row 1 K1, *P1, K1; rep from * to end. This row forms the patt. Rep Row 1, 7 more times. Work in st st starting with a RS knit row for 2 ( 2: 2: 4) rows. Choosing either a Car or Flower Motif, work as folls:
CAR MOTIF
Working in st st and using the intarsia method, work from the Car Chart as follows: Chart row 1 K1 ( 3: 5: 7) in Yarn A, work Row 1 of Car Chart, K3 ( 3: 5: 7) in Yarn A, work Row 1 of Car Chart, K rem 1 ( 3: 5: 7) sts in Yarn A. You will have worked 2 chart repeats. Cont working from the Car Chart in position as set until the Car Chart is complete, then work 2 ( 2: 2: 4) rows in st st, ending with a WS purl row.
FLOWER MOTIF
Working in st st and using the intarsia method, work from the Flower Chart as follows: Chart row 1 K4 ( 3: 4: 6) in Yarn A, work Row 1 of Flower Chart, K3 ( 6: 8: 9) in Yarn A, work Row 1 of Flower Chart, K3 ( 6: 8: 9) in Yarn A, work Row 1 of Flower Chart, K rem 4 ( 3: 4: 6) sts in Yarn A. You will have worked 3 Flower Chart repeats. Continue working from the Flower Chart in position as set until the Flower Chart is complete, then work 3 ( 3: 3: 5) rows in st st, ending with a WS purl row.
FOR BOTH MOTIFS
Begin working in moss st patt until the work measures 21 ( 23: 26: 28) cm from the cast- on edge, ending with a WS row. Work in rib as given at the beg for eight rows. Cast off loosely in rib.
FRONT
Work as given for the Back until the work measures 16 ( 18: 21: 22) cm from the cast- on edge, ending with a WS row.
SHAPE NECK
Next row Patt across the first 24 ( 25: 28: 30) sts, cast off the centre 5 ( 7: 7: 9) sts, patt to end. Turn and work on this last group of 24 ( 25: 28: 30) sts only as follows: Next row ( WS) Patt to last 2 sts, k2tog. [23 ( 24: 27: 29) sts] Next row Cast off 2 sts, patt to end.
[21 ( 22: 25: 27) sts] Cont in patt, dec 1 st at the neck edge only of next 4 ( 3:4:4) rows. [17 ( 19: 21: 23) sts] Cont on rem 17 ( 19: 21: 23) sts until work measures 21 ( 23: 26: 28) cm from the cast- on edge, ending with a WS row at the neck edge. Change to 3 mm needles.
Next row (RS) K2, *P1, K1; rep from * to the last st, K1.
Next row K1, *P1, K1; rep from * to end. Rep these 2 rows once more.
Next row Rib 4 ( 5:6:7) sts, rib2tog, yo, rib 6 ( 7:8:9) sts, rib2tog, yo, rib rem 3 sts. Work in rib for 3 more rows.
Cast off in rib.
Using 4mm needles and with WS facing, rejoin the yarn to rem sts at the neck edge. Work on these 24 ( 25: 28: 30) sts as follows: Next row ( WS) Cast off 2 sts, patt to
end. [22 ( 23: 26: 28) sts] Next row Patt to the last 2 sts, k2tog. [21 ( 22: 25: 27) sts] Cont in patt, dec 1 st at the neck edge only of the next 4 ( 3:4:4) rows. [17 ( 19: 21: 23) sts] Cont on rem 17 ( 19: 21: 23) sts until the work measures 21 ( 23: 26: 28) cm from the cast- on edge, ending with a WS row at the armhole edge. Change to 3 mm needles.
Next row (RS) K2, *P1, K1; rep from * to the last st, K1.
Next row K1, *P1, K1; rep from * to end. Rep these two rows once more.
Next row Rib 3 sts, rib2tog, yo rib 6 ( 7:8:9) sts, rib2tog, yo, rib rem 4 ( 5:6: 7) sts. Work rib patt for 3 more rows.
Cast off in rib.
SLEEVES
Cast on 31 ( 33: 35: 37) sts using 3 mm needles and Yarn A, and work in rib as follows:
Row 1 (RS) K2, *P1, K1; rep from * to last st, K1. Row 2 K1, *P1, K1; rep from * to end. Rep the last 2 rows 3 ( 3:3:4) more times, and inc 4 sts evenly across the last row worked. [35 ( 37: 39: 41) sts] Change to 4mm needles and purl 1 row (this is a right- side row), then continue in the moss stitch pattern as follows:
Row 1 K1, *P1, K1; rep from * to end.
Cont in moss st, and inc 1 st at each end of the foll 4th row, then at each end of every foll 4th ( 4th: 6th 6th) row until there are 47 ( 51: 53: 59) sts. Cont without shaping until the work is 13 ( 15: 18: 23) cm.
Cast off these sts loosely.
FRONT NECKBAND
With 3 mm needles and working from the RS, pick up and knit 47 ( 49: 51: 53) sts evenly around the Front neckline. Work as follows: Next row ( WS) K1, *P1, K1; rep from * to end. Next row K2, *P1, K1; rep from * to last st, K1. Rep these 2 rows once more. Buttonhole row Rib 3, rib2tog, yo, rib to last 5 sts, yo, rib2tog, rib to end. Work rib patt for 3 more rows. Cast off in rib.
BACK NECKBAND
Work the same as Front Neckband, but work the buttonhole row as a plain rib row.
TO MAKE UP
Place the Front of the jumper so that shoulder rib of the Front lies on top of the shoulder rib for the Back. Loosely sew the ribs together at the armhole edge. Mark the centre point of these ribs, and match the centre point of the top of the Sleeve to this point. Pin the Sleeve top to the body without stretching, and sew it into place. Sew the underarm seam from the wrist to the hem. Sew the buttons into place. Sew in yarn ends.
HOW TO USE OUR CHARTS
Start at the bottom right-hand corner. Read right-side rows from right to left and wrong-side rows from left to right. A row of squares represents a row of knitting.