Difficulty: Intermediate ✦✦✧✧✧
In searching for clothing patterns for my little boy, I was very disappointed with the options. Nothing matched the style of what I want for my little boy. So, since I'm having an autumn baby, I set out to make a cute little cardigan for him! Before we knew the sex of our child, my husband picked out this Isaac Mizrahi Craft worsted-weight yarn in University blue. Luckily for him, we're having a boy otherwise I would be making a number of baby overalls and "jeans"!
I used just under 2 skeins (90g = 144 meters) of this worsted weight yarn (40% acrylic, 31% superwash wool, 29% polyaminde) and a 7mm hook.
Update: Now that my son is here, I know that this cardigan is much too big for a newborn. It is just starting to fit him now at 3 months of age. And it will likely still fit him for several months. I have to roll up the sleeves now and it's a bit loose, but it fits!
I would say that it will fit a baby 3-9 months of age.
Gauge: The gauge for this pattern is 7 TSS in 7 rows makes a 2 inch (5 cm) square.
Special Stitches: To increase in TSS (Inc), you insert your hook in between two vertical bars, pull up a loop, then proceed with the next vertical bar. On the return pass, treat the new bar like any of the other vertical bars.
For each row, the return pass is stitched as normal. The instructions will apply to the forward pass where you pick up vertical bars.
Left Front:
Row 1: Ch 11. Row 2: TSS across. Row 3: TSS across. Row 4: TSS to the end, Inc before last bar.
Row 5: TSS across.
Repeat Rows 4-5 nine more times.
In this next set of rows, we will create a button hole.
Row 6: TSS across, skipping last 3 bars. Row 7: TSS across shortened row.
Row 8: TSS across shortened row. Before return row, YO 2 times, pick up the 3 skipped sts from Row 6. (TSS across the 3 "picked up" sts, pulling through 1 YO from the hook on the last st) twice. Pick up vertical bars for last 3 sts and return TSS row.
Button hole made.
Button Hole: Start with 2 short rows (6 and 7, black, Rows 6 and 7). Then pick up the bars for the the third row (T's, in red), yarn over twice (O's, in orange), TSS (forward and back) a very short row on the three skipped stitches from row 6 (in yellow) using the first YO as the first bar of the row, repeat for the next row (in green), then pick up bars for the last very short row (in blue) and return over both red and blue bars together as one continuous row.
Row 9: TSS across. (shown in purple above)
Repeat Rows 6-9 two more times times to make 3 button holes.
Row 9: Slip stitch across to finish. Tie off.
Right Front:
Row 1: Ch 11.
Row 2: TSS across. Row 3: TSS across. Row 4: TSS to the end, Inc before last bar.
Row 5: TSS across.
Repeat Rows 4-5 nine more times.
Row 6: TSS across.
Repeat Row 6 eleven more times. Row 7: Slip stitch across to finish. Tie off.
Back:
Row 1: Ch 40. Row 2-35: TSS across. Row 36: Slip stitch across to finish. Tie off.
Blocking
Sleeves:
(make 2) Row 1: Ch 21. Row 2: TSS across. Row 3: TSS across. Row 4: TSS to the end, Inc before last bar.
Row 5: TSS across.
Row 6: TSS across. Repeat Rows 4-6 six more times.
Row 7: TSS across. Row 8: Slip stitch across to finish. Tie off.
Tunisian pieces always curl. You will need to block all pieces before sewing together. Block the pieces to the following dimensions:
Back: 11" x 11" square.
Front Pieces: 3" at top, 5.5" at bottom, 11" tall.
Sleeves: 6" short end (cuff), 9" long end (shoulder), 8" long.
Left: All pieces before blocking. Middle: Blocking pieces to correct size.
Right: All pieces blocked, arms sewn into tubes, ready for assembly.
Sewing:
To sew all pieces, I used a whip stitch.
1. Sew the sleeves into tubes along the 8" long end.
2. Sew the front and back pieces together at the top of the shoulder. Line up the front and back pieces at the outer edge and sew across the short top edge of the front for both front sides.
3. Sew the sleeves onto the front and back pieces and stitch up the sides. Start at the top where the front and back join, flatten the sleeve with the seam down, line up the sleeve so that the opposite side from the seam matches the join between the top front and back pieces. Sew down the back joining one side of the sleeve and tie off (orange). Join again at the top and sew down the front to join the other side of the sleeve (yellow). At the arm pit, continue sewing down to attach the front and back pieces to attach them along the rest of the side. Repeat for the other sleeve and side.
4. Attach buttons onto the right front piece so that they line up with the button holes on the left front.
