when you have one of these . . . everything you think you’re going to accomplish, kind of comes to a halt or at least slows to a snail’s pace.  baby monstaa / holiday elf / ‘lil cupid has figured out how to crawl and cruise, leaving a bit less time than we had predicted for finishing projects.  we started this pint-sized bateau top for him back in march, thinking that he could wear it on a family trip to france.  of course, that didn’t quite happen and we put off finishing the sweater until august.

the sweater, designed to be loose and boxy with 3/4″ sleeves, was meant to fit an average baby 12-18 months of age (about 29-31″ in length). by the time we finished the sweater, our baby model had busted through to the the next size up.  he now wears 18-24 months clothing.  had we finished it in may/june (as we thought we would), it would have been a perfect fit . . . so you’ll just have to imagine the sweater looking a bit looser and longer than photographed.

on the other hand, we did whip up the beret the same day we finished the sweater and it is sized appropriately for him, albeit with a wee bit of room for him to grow into.

in the photos, baby bretagne is 32″ long, weighs 23lbs and has a head circumference of 18.5″.

pattern and more photos ahead . . .

baby bretagne (beret and bateau top)

materials

• Moo Cotton by Jones & Vandermeer (20% milk fiber/80% cotton; 125 g/285 yds per ball): 2 balls total (1 ball each of Studio White and Nantucket Blue).
• US10 (6.0 mm) 16″ circular needles
• US10 (6.0 mm) DPNs
• Darning Needle
• Crochet Hook
• Stitch marker

finished sweater size   12-18 months (29-31″ length)
finished beret size         approximately 18-19″ head circumference

gauge  15 sts and 22 rows = 4” in garter stitch

special abbreviations

  K2tog: knit two sts together.
  K1 F&B: make 1 increase by knitting into the front and back of the same st.

the bateau top pattern!

the body: we designed the top to have a split, hi-lo hemline.  the back is about 3/4″ longer than the front.  the pattern starts at the bottom of the back side. the front hem is then knit separate, and finally both the front and back pieces are joined to be knit in the round.

with Studio White yarn, CO 44 sts

Row 1 (RS): K all
Row 2 (WS): K all
Rows 3-6: repeat rows 1-2.

break yarn and move all sts to a holder.

with Studio White yarn, CO 44 sts

Row 1 (RS): K all
Row 2 (WS): K all
Row 3: with Nantucket Blue yarn, K all.  then, transfer all sts from holder back to circular needles. continue to knit transferred stitches.  place marker to denote the beginning / end of round; and join to knit in the round (being careful not to twist) [88] sts
Round 4: P all

Round 5: with Studio White yarn, K all. (NB: when changing colours, be sure to pick up the new colour from under the old one, so as to avoid hole formation).
Round 6: P all
Round 7: K all
Round 8: P all

Round 9: with Nantucket Blue yarn, K all
Round 10: P all

Rounds 11-40: repeat rounds 5-10 five more times.

Rounds 41-44: repeat rounds 5-8.

back armholes and shoulders: transfer the next 44 sts on the left hand needle to a stitch holder.  this next section is knit flat and comprises the upper back of the sweater.  recall that the back section has a longer hemline than the front section. (NB: note change in RS/WS designations for odd and even rows).

Row 1 (WS): P all
Row 2 (RS): P all
Rows 3-14: P all
Row 15: P12, BO20, P12. [24] sts

transfer remaining sts to a stitch holder.

front armholes and shoulders: note change in RS/WS designations for odd and even rows from previous section.

Row 1 (RS): K all
Row 2 (WS): K all
Rows 3-14: K all
Row 15: K 12, BO20, K12. [24] sts

then, use “three needle bind-off method” to simultaneously bind-off and join the two shoulder seams. weave in all loose ends.

sleeves: make 2. the sleeves are knit from the armhole down to the forearms (3/4 length sleeves). with Studio White yarn, CO 26 sts.  then divide the sts evenly across 3-4 DPNs.  join to knit in the round, being careful not to twist. place a marker to denote the beginning / end of a round.

Round 1: P all
Round 2: K all
Rounds 3-10: repeat rounds 1-2 four more times.

Round 11: with Nantucket Blue yarn, P all
Round 12: K2tog, K to last 2 sts, K2tog  [24] sts

Rounds 13-16: switch to Studio White yarn, repeat rounds 1-4
Rounds 17-18: repeat rounds 11-12 [22] sts
Rounds 19-22: repeat rounds 13-16
Rounds 23-24: repeat rounds 11-12 [20] sts
Rounds 25-28: repeat rounds 13-16

BO purl-wise.

finishing

turn the garment inside out.  weave in all loose ends.  then, attach sleeves to armholes.  we used a single crochet seam to do so, as it’s extra sturdy and can stand up to the kid’s tugging and pulling!

the beret pattern!

the beret is kind of awesome for hiding those crazy baby hair days . . . with Nantucket Blue yarn, CO 66 sts on circulars. do NOT yet join to knit in the round. 

break yarn, leaving an 8″ tail.  thread the tail end through the remaining sts with a darning needle.  pull tight and secure in place by weaving in loose end.  then, weave in loose end at brim of beret. and now for the hard part . . . keeping the kid from yanking the hat off!