Cascading Cable baby sweater
6 months
Knit top-down using Drops baby Merino on #4 needles;
4 double point needles used to work sleeves in the round.
Another time, I would use #3 needles for neck and edges.
Gauge = 25 stitches, 32 rows + 4 inches, 10 cm
Abbreviations:
p2 tog, k2 tog = purl or knit 2 stitches together, decrease
yrn = yarn round needle (increase)
kfab = knit front and back of stitch (increase)
rs= right side, ws= wrong side
twist increase= Take the yarn and twist a backwards loop. Place this loop onto the right needle, so the working yarn is pointing away from you.
*Cast on 85 st. Work back & forth in purl 6 rows
*Another time I would start with #3 needles.
Work button hole in band on 4th row; p2, p2 tog, yrn, p around
7th row, R1 of pattern, #4 needles, R side, p4 (p1, kfab, k1, p1, kfab, k1)x12, p1kfab, k1, p1, p4
R2 p4, (k2, p2, k2, p2)x12, k2, p2, k2, p4
Row 3 of pattern: first cable. P4 (p2, slip 1 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, kfab, kfab stitch from cable needle, p2, k2)x12, p1, slip 1 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, kfab, kfab stitch from cable needle, p2, p4 (that was 2 increases in each cable)
R4 p4, (k2, p4, k2, p2)x1, k2, p4, k3, p4
R5 p4 (p2, k4, p2, k2)x12, p2, k4, p2, p4
R6 as row 4
R7 as row 5
R8 as row 4
R9 as row 5
R10 as row 4
R11 cable. P4 (p2, slip 2 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, kfab, k1, [k1, kfab from cable needle], p2, k2)x12, p2, slip 2 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, kfab, k1, [k1, kfab from cable needle], p2, p4
R12 p4, (k2, p6, k2, p2)x12, k2, p6, k2, p4
R13 p4 (p2, k6, p2, k2)x12, p2, k6, p2, p4
R14,16,18, 20 as R10
R15,17, 19 as R11
R21 cable. P4 (p2, slip 3 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, kfab, k2, [k2, kfab from cable needle], p2, k2)x12, p2, slip 3 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, kfab, k2, [k2, kfab from cable needle], p2, p4
R22 p4, (k2, p8, k2, p2)x12, k2, p8, k2, p4
R23 p4 (p2, k8, p2, k2)x12, p2, k8, p2, p4
R24,26 as R22
R25 as R23
Separate for Sleeves:
R27 As R23 Except in second cable section [kfab in last st of cable, before rib, slip rib stitches (beginning with the p2,k2,p2), 2 full cable patterns & the next rib section (including p2) onto a holder for the sleeve (36 st), increase 8 st under arm by twist increase , to be worked as 2k2 ribs with p2’s between. Kfab in 1st st of first cable] of back, continue to work 5 cable sections across back, [kfab in last st of cable, before rib, slip rib stitches (beginning with the p2,k2p2), 2 full cable patterns & the next rib section (including p2) onto a holder for the sleeve (36 st), increase 8 st under arm by twist increase, to be worked as 2k2 ribs with p2’s between. Kfab in 1st st of first cable] work across front.
Continue to work body maintaining the front band, 2 cables on the front, 3 ribs under the arm, 5 cables on the back, 3 ribs under second arm, 2 cables on the second front, and the second front band, for a total of 16 rows (12 more), creating & maintaining the 2 ribs under the arm (k2,p2,k2,p2,k2) on ws, (p2,k2,p2,k2,p2) on rs
For the sweater pictured above, this is what I did: in green I will put in what I’d do another time. These changes were made when the ultrasound showed a boy, and I decided that the sweater pictured below, which was the originally planned sweater, looks more feminine.
R37 Cable & increase P4 (p2, slip 4 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, kfab, k3, [kfab 1st stitch, k3 from cable needle], p2, k2) for cables, maintaining ribs under arms, p2, p4
Continue even, purling the first & last 4 stitches of each row, and treating all others as stockinette to maintain pattern another 16 rows
R 53 Cable- no increase- P4 (p2, slip 4 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, k4, k4 from cable needle, p2, k2) for cables, maintaining ribs under arms, p2, p4
Continue even, purling the first & last 4 stitches of each row, and treating all others as stockinette to maintain pattern another 16 rows
**R 69 Cable- no increase- P4 (p2, slip 4 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, k4, k4 from cable needle, p2, k2) for cables, maintaining ribs under arms, p2, p4
**Another time I would end with a more even bottom by:
R 69 Cable- decrease- P4 (p2, slip 4 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, k2tog, K2, [k2tog, K2] from cable needle, p2, k2) for cables, maintaining ribs under arms, p2, p4
R70 Work as an even number row, except decrease one stitch in the middle of each cable by P2tog.
***Purl 3 rows. Bind off.
***Another time I would use #3 needles for purl rows.
Sleeves: From right side, pick up 8 st under arm, to be knit. Continue on that needle, working stitches from the holder, p2,k2,p2. On second needle, (k8,p2,k2,p2). Divide sleeve stitches onto 3 d.p. needles (14,14,14) such that each needle is (k8,p2,k2,p2) and work rs round & round, maintaining ridges & valleys, for a total of 16 rows (12 more).
Cable- no increase- On each needle: slip 4 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, k4, k4 from cable needle, p2, k2, p2 = 3 cables around arm.
Work 16 rows even.
~Cable- no increase- On each needle: slip 4 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, k4, k4 from cable needle, p2, k2, p2 = 3 cables around arm.
Another time I would end with a more even bottom by:
~ Cable- decrease- slip 4 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, k2tog, K2, [k2tog, K2] from cable needle, p2, k2, p2 on each needle.
Work one row, decreasing in the middle of each cable by k2tog.
Purl 3 rows, bind off.
Another time I would use #3 needles for purl rows.
For a sweater that is shaped more like the one pictured below, but with the more obvious ribs of the one pictured above, use the following directions:
R37 Final cable & increase P4 (p2, slip 4 st onto cable needle, hold in front of work, kfab, k3, [kfab 1st stitch, k3 from cable needle], p2, k2) for cables, maintaining ribs under arms, p2, p4
Continue even, purling the first & last 4 stitches of each row, and treating all others as stockinette to maintain pattern another 34 rows, 4”
Purl 3 rows. Bind off.
Sleeves: From right side, pick up 8 st under arm, to be knit. Continue on that needle, working stitches from the holder, p2,k2,p2. On second needle, (k8,p2,k2,p2). Divide sleeve stitches (6 +36) onto 3 d.p. needles (14,14,14) such that each needle is (k8,p2,k2,p2) and work rs round & round, maintaining ridges & valleys, but not doing any more cables or increases. Work 34 rows, purl 3 rows, bind off.
1 button at neck.
Good website for Drops merino wool: Nordic Mart http://www.nordicmart.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=342&cat=DROPS+Baby+Merino
