Bellyphant!

Sorry about the gap in posting there, gentle readers! I have been studying for the Orals like a madwoman. I hope I can make up for my e-silence by offering at long last the pattern for my baby sweater with elephants on the belly -- or as I've dubbed it, the Bellyphant Cardigan!

Click here to download the 9-page pattern pdf for $4.99 (Ravelry dowload):




This one is a first for me, because it's a bottom-up raglan instead of a top-down. The difference was necessitated by the design's having the elephants at the bottom of the sweater -- unless you want to do some math, it's much easier to start with the stranded portion and then knit in stripes until it's the right length, rather than starting at the top with the stripes and then beginning the stranded portion at the appropriate number of inches from the bottom of the sweater.


The details:

Size 3-6 (6-9, 12-18) months
Finished Measurements 21” (22”, 25”) chest, 10.5” (11”, 12.5”) long
Gauge 6 stitches and 8 rows = 1 inch

Requirements
Size US 3 (3.25 mm) straight or circular needles. I would recommend a long circular needle
Size 3 (3.25 mm) double-pointed needles or long circular needle for magic loop
300-400 yards sport weight yarn in main color (MC) (I used Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in brown #11); about 200-300 yards sport weight yarn in contrast color (CC) (I used Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in pink #15 or teal #203)
8 stitch markers
2 Stitch holders or scrap yarn
Tapestry needle
7-10 Coordinating buttons

Skills required: knitting flat and in the round, stranded knitting done flat, 2x2 ribbing, paired decreases, three-needle bindoff, picking up stitches

The pattern includes a glossary of all abbreviations as well as illustrated instructions for ssk (slip-slip-knit decreases), picking up stitches, and working three-needle bindoff.

This pattern does require flat colorwork (not knit in the round), and there are some pretty large stretches of one color only in some rows. If you’d like, you may prefer to knit it in intarsia rather than stranded knitting. The colorwork section is only 11 rows, though, so I think it's reasonable.

Click here to download the 9-page pattern pdf for $4.99 (Ravelry dowload):




The original recipient of this sweater adores it, and I've worked up two more of them to sell for my choir's silent auction. So the pattern has been test-knit by me in two different sizes and knit a total of 3 times over the last 6 months or so.

That's it, my friends! As soon as I'm done with the Orals I promise I will post again. I'm so looking forward to knitting again, and indeed to doing anything with my spare time other than read about medieval lay devotion!