I have some pretty yarn that I want to make up into a ballet style wrap cardigan for my niece, but couldn’t quite find a pattern that fitted with what I wanted so am attempting to write my own. Sizing borrowed from the Coffee Bean Cardigan. Looks a little on the small size at the moment compared to newborn stuff I’ve knitted for baby W.

Test version in a fun orange, and if it comes out ok I will make up in some fancy etsy yarn.

Once 44 stitches in each front create button hole at end of row.

22g for sleeves left after main body. Very little yarn left at the end!

As is tradition, it has grown massively on blocking and now looks humongous. There’s a lesson to be learnt here somewhere…

Pattern

CO 50 stitches
Gt-st for 8 rows
Knit 6, PM, Knit 8 (sleeve), PM, Knit 22 (back), PM, Knit 8 (sleeve), PM, Knit 6.

Raglan increases:

Right side rows: SL1, K3, M1R, Knit to marker, M1R, SM, M1L, K to marker. After final marker, knit to final 4 stitches, M1L, K4.
Wrong side rows: S1, Knit 3, P to last 4 stitches, Knit 4.

Continue in this fashion until there are 48 stitches across the back. There should be 180 stitches on the needles: 32 (wrap), 34 (sleeve), 48 (back), 34 (sleeve), 32 (wrap).

Divide for sleeves:

SL1, K3, M1R, Knit to marker, transfer 32 sleeve stitches to waste yarn, K to next marker, transfer 32 sleeve stitches to waste yarn, Knit to final 4 stitches, M1R, K3.

Body:

Wrong side rows: S1, K3, P to final 4 stitches, K4
Right side rows: S1, K3, M1R, K to final 4 stitches, M1L, K4.

Continue in this fashion until work measures 4.75 inches from sleeve divide . For me this was when I’d got to 44 stitches in each wrap section.

4 rows of Gt-st
SL1, K2, YO, K2tog (button hole), K40 (or number of stitches in your wrap section minus 4), YO, K2tog, K to end.
3 rows Gt-st
BO.

Pick up sleeves from waste yarn and knit for desired length. I can’t see from my scrappy notes that I cast on any additional stitches but assume I did to avoid holes. I knit the sleeves for 3.5 inches total but I was short on yarn, they could do with being longer. Optional: decrease every 5 rows for tapered sleeves.
8 rows gt-st
BO.

Thoughts on next time:

• 100g was not quite enough yarn to make this work exactly as envisioned.
• Next time will try the garter bands in a contrasting yarn so I can do longer sleeves. I will CO 38, i.e. only 2stitches for each of the front sections and pickup stitches for the garter band.