I am speed-knitting this little Kimono Jacket for a baby shower less than two weeks away.

Modifications:

1. I’m slipping the first stitch of every row, because I feel this gives a slightly smoother edge in garter stitch.
2. For the decreases, rather than binding off two at the beginning of each row, I’m doing: sl1, k1, ssk, ssk. It makes for a smoother, more rounded edge, and the slipped stitches will make it easier to pick up stitches for the sleeves. The added bonus was that I didn’t have to knit a collar.
3. Instead of using i-cord inside, I used a small button, sewn onto the top flap, so that it buttons inward. It’s less bulky and potentially easier to deal with if the baby is squirming.
4. For button holes, rather than using yarn-overs, I’m following this technique. Yarn-over button holes and be a little hard to find, and if you’re trying to dress a baby, easier is better. These make really lovely, clean, and “professional” looking buttonholes, and since I’m knitting this for a non-knitter, those are nice details.
5. I made the arms one stitch more toward the fronts than the pattern indicated, which allowed me to decrease to 10 stitches for the shoulders. Babies have really wide heads and very little in the way of necks, and I wanted this to be comfy.
6. I used kitchener stitch to graft the shoulders together. It was totally invisible.
7. I picked up 52 stitches around for the arms and then knit them using the magic loop to save seaming up. I did an extra set of decreases to make up for the extra stitches, and did all my decreases on either side of the bottom of the arm(s).
8. I shortened the sleeves to 10 cm, partly because of time and partly because babies have short arms. I think they look proportional, though, and the more I look at it the happier I am about it (no chewing these sleeves!).

I made it! I cast off at 2 a.m. the night (morning?) before the shower, soaked it and let it block overnight. I wove the ends in and sewed on the buttons in the morning, while it was still wet, and then let it finish drying in the back of the car on the way to the shower. I am totally pleased with this, and can definitely say it’s a quick little knit.