Pippa

Sarah Hatton

Cardigan for baby girls, decorated with a peplum

Pretty as a picture! This cardigan for baby girls has a sweet little peplum

SARAH HATTON’S cardigan design for baby girls has an old-fashioned feel, with its softly textured fabric and little peplum. It’s knitted in one piece to the armholes, and includes moss stitch edgings. The project uses the new 4ply-weight version of West Yorkshire Spinners’ soft Bo Peep yarn, which is an easy-care blend of Falkland Islands wool and nylon, and comes in solid and speckled pastel colourways.

BODY

(worked in one piece to armhole) Using 2.75mm needles, cast on 161 ( 169: 177: 181: 185) sts. (The long-tail or thumb cast-on will give the neatest finish). Row 1: K1, (P1, K1) to end. This row sets moss stitch. Work 5 rows more in moss stitch. Change to 3.25mm needles. Next row (RS): Moss st 5, knit to last 5 sts, moss st 5. Next row: Moss st 5, purl to last 5 sts, moss st 5. Rep these 2 rows until work meas 5cm, ending with RS facing for next row. Change to 2.75mm needles. Next row (RS): Moss st 5, K9 ( 6: 4: 6: 8), *sk2po, K7 ( 8: 9: 9: 9); rep from * 12 more times, sk2po, K9 ( 7: 4: 6: 8), moss st 5. 133 ( 141: 149: 153: 157) sts. Place marker at each end of last row. Work 5 rows in moss st, ending with RS facing for next row. Change to 3.25mm needles. Row 1 (RS): Knit. Row 2: Purl. Row 3: K2 ( 2: 2: 4: 2), *P1, K3; rep from * to last 3 ( 3: 3: 1: 3) sts, P1 ( 1: 1: 0: 1), K2 ( 2: 2: 1: 2). Row 4: Purl. Row 5: Knit. Row 6: P4 ( 4: 4: 2: 4), *K1, P3; rep from * to last 1 ( 1: 1: 3: 1) sts, K0 ( 0: 0: 1: 0), P1 ( 1: 1: 2: 1). These 6 rows set pattern. Working as set throughout, cont until work meas 13 ( 15: 16: 18: 19) cm, ending with RS facing for next row.

SPLIT FOR ARMHOLES

Next row: K29 ( 31: 33: 34: 35), cast off 6 sts (1 st left on needle), knit until there are 63 ( 67: 71: 73: 75) sts after cast-off, cast off 6 sts (1 st left on needle), knit to end. Cont on the last 29 ( 31: 33: 34: 35) sts only for left front. Work 1 row, ending with RS facing for next row.

SHAPE ARMHOLES AND FRONT NECK

Next row: K2, skpo, patt to last 4 sts, K2tog, K2. 2 sts dec’d. Next row: P3, patt to last 4 sts, P2tog tbl, P2. 2 sts dec’d. These 2 rows set armhole and front neck shaping. Working 3 sts at each edge in st st and all other sts in patt, dec 1 st at armhole edge as set on next 3 rows, then on 3 foll RS rows and AT THE SAME TIME dec 1 st at neck edge of every foll RS rows. 17 ( 19: 21: 22: 23) sts. Dec 1 st at neck edge only of 2nd and every foll 4th row to 11 ( 12: 13: 14: 15) sts. Cont without shaping until armhole meas 11 ( 11: 12: 12: 13) cm, ending with RS facing for next row.

SHAPE SHOULDER

Next row: Cast off 5 ( 6: 6: 6: 7) sts, knit to end. Work 1 row. Cast off rem 6 ( 6: 7: 8: 8) sts.

With WS facing, rejoin yarn to 63 ( 67: 71: 73: 75) sts for Back, purl to end. Next row: K2, skpo, knit to last 4 sts, K2tog, K2. 2 sts dec’d. Next row: P2, P2tog, purl to last 4 sts, P2tog tbl, P2. 2 sts dec’d. These 2 rows set armhole shaping. Dec 1 st as set at each end of next 3 rows, then on 3 foll RS rows. 47 ( 51: 55: 57: 59) sts. Cont without shaping until armhole matches Left Front to start of shoulder shaping, ending with RS facing for next row.

SHAPE SHOULDERS

Cast off 5 ( 6: 6: 6: 7) sts at beg of next 2 rows and 6 ( 6: 7: 8: 8) sts at beg of foll 2 rows. 25 ( 27: 29: 29: 29) sts. Cast off rem sts. With WS facing, rejoin yarn to rem 29 ( 31: 33: 34: 35) sts for right front. Work 1 row, ending with RS facing for next row.

SHAPE ARMHOLES AND FRONT NECK

Next row: K2, skpo, patt to last 4 sts, K2tog, K2. 2 sts dec’d. Next row: P2, P2tog, patt to last 3 sts, P3. These 2 rows set armhole and front neck shaping. Working 3 sts at each edge in st st and all other sts in patt, dec 1 st at armhole edge as set on next 3 rows, then on 3 foll RS rows and AT THE SAME TIME dec 1 st at neck edge of every foll RS rows. 17 ( 19: 21: 22: 23) sts. Dec 1 st at neck edge only of 2nd and every foll 4th row to 11 ( 12: 13: 14: 15) sts. Cont without shaping until armhole meas 11 ( 11: 12: 12: 13) cm, ending with WS facing for next row.

SHAPE SHOULDER

Next row: Cast off 5 ( 6: 6: 6: 7) sts, purl to end. Work 1 row. Cast off rem 6 ( 6: 7: 8: 8) sts.

SLEEVES

Using 2.75mm needles, cast on 37 ( 37: 39: 39: 41) sts. Work 6 rows in moss st as set on Body, ending with RS facing for next row. Change to 3.25mm needles. Beg with a K row and working in st st throughout, inc 1 st at each end of 3rd and 6 ( 1: 0: 7: 7) foll 2nd ( 2nd: 0: 4th: 4th) row, then on every foll 4th ( 4th: 4th: 6th: 6th) row to 59 ( 59: 65: 65: 69) sts. Cont without shaping until Sleeve meas 12 ( 15: 17: 19: 21) cm, ending with RS facing for next row.

SHAPE SLEEVE TOP

Cast off 3 sts at beg of next 2 rows. 53 ( 53: 59: 59: 63) sts. Working decreases as set on Back, dec 1 st at each end of next 5 rows, then on 2 foll RS rows. 39 ( 39: 45: 45: 49) sts. Work 1 row, ending with RS facing for next row. Cast off 5 ( 5: 6: 6: 6) sts at beg of next 6 rows. 9 ( 9: 9: 9: 13) sts. Cast off rem sts.

MAKING UP

Using mattress stitch, join shoulder seams.

NECKBAND

With RS facing, using 2.75mm needles, pick up and knit 25 ( 30: 34: 37: 39) sts up right front edge from marker to start of neck shaping, 34 ( 34: 37: 37: 41) sts up neck shaping, 25 ( 25: 25: 27: 27) sts from back neck, 34 ( 34: 37: 37: 41) sts down left front neck and 25 ( 30: 34: 37: 39) sts to marker. 143 ( 153: 167: 175: 187) sts. Working in moss stitch as set on Body throughout cont as folls:Work 3 rows. Next row: Patt 3, *cast off 2 sts (1 st left on needle), patt 6 ( 8: 9: 11: 12) ; rep from * once more, cast off 2 sts (1 st left on needle), patt to end. Next row: Patt to end, casting on 2 sts over each gap created by casting off on previous row. Work 3 rows. Cast off in patt. Join sleeve seams. Sew in sleeves, matching cast-offs and decreases then easing remaining fabric in to place. Sew on buttons.