free pattern friday: baby om

This is a versatile, colorful sweater with a simple intarsia motif. I chose a lotus, both because prenatal yoga was important to the sweater's recipient, and because the theme seemed to resonate with the strong colors I had in mind. Peaceful, calming symbols just can't hurt when you have a new baby in the house.

I knit this using two strands held together of Peruvian Baby Silk, a fingering-weight yarn made of 80% baby alpaca and 20% silk. The result is a luxuriously soft fabric with a loose drape, but you could subsititute almost any DK-weight wool or acrylic-blend yarn for this little pullover (you will need about 500 yards total). Instead of a button for the back closure, I used a small bead, but you can choose whatever you like, including velcro if you prefer.

materials

• 6 balls of Elann.com Peruvian Baby Silk in color #1740 (Gentle Violet). 25 g; 109 yd each. Knit doubled (MC). Wind two balls together to form one doubled ball of yarn (three times).
  
• 1 ball of Peruvian Baby Silk in color #1575 (Mulled Grape); and 1 ball of Peruvian Baby Silk in color #2020 (Claret). 25 g; 109 yd each. Wind these two balls together to form one doubled ball of yarn.
  
• US size 6 and size 5 circular needles
• US size E crochet hook
• one 3/8 inch button or bead

gauge: 5 st/inch on size 6 needles

size: 0-6 mos (6-12 mos)

measurements:
chest circumference: 21 (24) inches
back length: 11 (13) inches
sleeve length: 7 (8.5) inches

back
CO 52 (60) st in CC using smaller needles. K 7 rows in seed stitch (K1 P1 every row).
Row 8: Change to larger needles and MC yarn. Knit this row and all following rows in stockinette stitch (K on RS, P on WS). Continue knitting until the piece measures 8.5 (10.5) inches from CO edge.

neck opening
Next RS row: K 23 (27) in st st, K 3 in seed st, turn work leaving remaining st on a stitch holder.
WS: K3 in seed st, K to end in stockinette.
RS: K to last 3 st, K3 in seed st. Repeat last 2 rows 3 times more, ending on WS row.
Next RS row: K to last 9 st, slip them onto a st holder, turn work.
Next WS row: P2 tog, P to end.
Next RS row: K to last 2 st, K2 tog. Continue in st st, dec 1 st at neck edge on every row until 14 st rem. Work without shaping until piece measures 11 (13) inches from CO edge. Leave rem st on holder.

With RS facing, rejoin yarn and finish the other side to match.

knit the front
CO 52 (60) st in CC using size 5 needles. K 7 rows in seed stitch (K1 P1 every row).
Row 8: Change to larger needles and MC yarn. Knit this row and all following rows in stockinette stitch (K on RS, P on WS). Continue knitting until the piece measures 5.5 (7.5) inches from CO edge.

Next RS row: work intarsia pattern, centering motif at the chest. (Intarsia pattern is 23 st wide and 17 rows high). Cont knitting until piece measure 9 (11) in from CO edge.



Next RS row: K 16 (20) st, BO 20, K to end.
WS: K to end (leave rem st on the opposite side on a st holder).
RS: K 2 tog, K to end.
WS: P to last 2 st, P2 tog.
Repeat the last two rows until 14 st rem on needle. Cont without shaping until piece measures the same as the back. Leave shoulder st on a holder.
Complete the other side in the same manner.

sleeves (make two)
Using smaller needles, CO 25 (30)st in CC. K in seed st for 7 rows. Change to larger needles and MC.
K 4 rows in st st.
Next RS row: Kfb of 1st and last st in this row. Continue this double increase on every other RS row until there are 47 (68) st on the needle. Cont in st st without shaping until sleeve measures 7 (8 1/2) inches.

collar
Use the three-needle bind-off method to join the two shoulder seams.
Using smaller needles and CC, beginning at the back divide and working around towards the front, pick up all the collar st. As you go, pick up all BO st , and 3 out of 4 selvedge st around the sides of the neckline. If you still have live st on a st holder, pick up all of them. Cont around to the other side of the back divide so that you have picked up all the collar st. Turn work and knit 4 rows in seed st. Next row: BO all st.

finishing
You will use the crochet hook to "finish" the inside edges of the back divide in the contrast color. Using the crochet hook and CC yarn, SC 8 st down inside of back neck opening and 8 st up the opposite side. Chain 10 st for a button loop, sew loop down.



Sew sleeves into sweater. Sew up side seams and sleeve seams. Weave in loose ends. Sew button into place.

post script
If you have any problems with this pattern, please email me (f [dot] pea [at] airpost [dot] net). This is a very simple sweater, but I only took sketchy notes while I was knitting, so the pattern may be less thorough than I realize.

important notice: This is a free pattern and you are welcome to use it for all the non-commercial purposes you like. However, you may not reproduce this pattern to sell, and you may not sell what you make with it. You may donate what you make with it to charity, and you may use it for charity fundraisers only if 100% of the proceeds are donated to the charity (and by charity I don't mean your kid's college fund). Thanks for understanding!