What's up Buttercup?!

Yes, I finished the What’s Up Buttercup?!   While I was typing these notes, I got the phone call… YES, a baby girl has arrived, and this Grams is ready to gift her a sweater! 

Buttercup Baby

Marilynn Blacketer '16

The Buttercup Baby works well in DK acrylic, or wool blend. The wrap can be finished in a weekend or two, and makes a perfect gift or accessory for any little one. This may be considered an intermediate level pattern because you'll be making unique yoke increases and working the garter stitch border at the same time. The wrap is designed to fit a newborn or infant, with bigger needles and yarn, this can easily be made larger to fit a toddler.

Finished sizes:

Newborn: 14” chest, 8” height neck to hem, 5” sleeve

3-6mo Infant: 16” chest, 10” height neck to hem, 6” sleeve

Gauge: US#5, 6 stitches = 1”; US#6, 5.5 stitches = 1” Adjust needle size to match gauge.

Materials: Yarn: acrylic or wool blend in DK;

Newborn: Main color, 174yards, 50grams; Contrasting color, 90yards, 25grams

Infant: Main color, 210yards, 60grams; Contrasting color, 90yards, 25grams

Photo:Buttercup Baby, size Infant, was knit in Plymouth Yarn Dreambaby DK Paintpot; 50% acrylic, 50% nylon; main color 1406; & Plymouth Yarn Dreambaby DK; 50% acrylic, 50% nylon; contrasting color 142 yellow

Needles: Newborn: Size US#4, Newborn & Infant:Size US#5 , Infant: US#6, 16”, 24” circular needles; and/or sets double pointed needles (for sleeves)

Notions: Stitch markers, tapestry needle, two ½ ” buttons, yarn/kitchen scale

Abbreviations: CO=cast on       K=knit k2tog=knit 2 stitches together       p=purl      KFB=knit front&back      pm=place marker       rm=remove marker       sm=slip marker Rnd=round      sts=stitches       RS=right side      WS=wrong side      yo=yarn over      MC=main color      CC=contrasting color

8/17/23 Special Stitches:  The sweater starts with 8 stitches increased in the neckband.  While working the front border and yoke, the CC and MC yarn are held together and knit as one stitch, then on the WS row those “two” stitches are worked on their own (split) making the increases at the front border of the sweater. Row 9 creates a stripe in the sweater. It doesn't add an increase at the border, 8sts increased for that row. I designed the technique/pattern because I liked the clean look. I enjoyed working the borders along with the sweater rather than picking up the stitches along the edge to add borders when the sweater was finished.

 

Buttercup Baby Directions Directions are written for newborn [infant in brackets]. (Notes are in italic.)

Getting Started: Pull, do not cut, and wind 5 grams of CC into a ball. (This is enough CC yarn to complete the border and one sleeve.)

Neckband: With CC, use long tail CO making the slip knot with the 5 gram (very long) tail and skein, with size #4 [#5] circular needles, CO 31 sts. Do not join, work back and forth in rows.

Set up(WS): with skein CC, Knit3, pm, k5, pm, knit15, pm, k5, pm, k3

Row 1(RS): with skein CC, KFB, k2, sm, KFB, k3, KFB, sm, KFB, k13, KFB, sm, KFB, k3, KFB, sm, k1, KFB, k1 (39sts)

Row 2 (WS): with ball CC, Knit

Row 3(RS): with ball CC, KFB, k3, sm, KFB, k5, KFB, sm, KFB, k15, KFB, sm, KFB, k5, KFB, sm, k2, KFB, k1 (47sts)

Row 4(WS): with skein CC, Knit (the ball is resting, and will be available for the right front border, but the sweater is worked upside down so this is your work to the left)

Yoke and Front Borders:

Row 1(RS): with (skein) CC, with size #5 [# 6], 24”circular needles, Knit 3, pick up MC and knit both CC&MC in the fourth stitch, drop CC, with MC * knit to 1stitch before marker, yo, k, sm, k, yo; repeat from * to last 4sts, pick up (ball)CC and knit both CC&MC in the same stitch, drop MC, with CC, knit 3 (10 sts increased on RS rows) (This first row, you're right there, just yo, knit, sm, ... at the last 4 sts, yo as you pick up CC to knit MC&CC in the same stitch)

Row 2(WS): with CC, Knit 4, bring the CC forward, with MC, purl to last 4 sts, with CC, knit 4 (You may need to work sts 4&5 out of order to keep borders even)

Rows 3-8: Repeat Rows 1 and 2.

Row 9(RS): with CC, * Knit to 1stitch before marker, yo, k, sm, k, yo; repeat from * to end (8sts increased on RS row)

Row 10(WS): with skein CC, Knit 4, purl to last 4 sts, knit 4 (Row 10: 95sts, Row 20:143sts)

Repeat Rows 1-10 a total of 2 times and Rows1&2 twice more. (163sts)

Divide Body and Sleeves:

RS: with CC Knit 3, pick up MC and knit both CC&MC in the fourth stitch, drop CC, with MC knit to 1st marker, sm, slip33 sleeve sts onto holder, rm, CO3 underarm sts, k43 across back, rm, slip33 sleeve sts onto holder, CO3 underarm sts, sm, knit to last 4sts, pick up CC and knit both CC&MC in the same stitch, drop MC, with CC knit 3 (front 28sts, back 49sts, front 28sts= 105sts)

WS: with CC, Knit 4, with MC, purl to last 4 sts, with CC, knit 4 (105sts)

Body and Front Borders:

Row 1 (RS): with CC, Knit 3, pick up MC and knit both CC&MC in the fourth stitch, drop CC, with MC * knit to last 4sts, pick up CC and knit both CC&MC in the same stitch, drop MC, with CC knit 3 (2sts increased RS rows)

Row 2 (WS): with CC, knit 4, with MC, purl to last 4 sts, with CC, knit 4

Rows 3-8: Repeat Rows 1 and 2. (as established, you are ready for Rows 7-8)

Row 9(RS): with CC, Knit (no stitches increased on RS row)

Row 10(WS): with skein CC, Knit 4, purl to last 4 sts, knit 4 (Row 10 counts: 107, 115, 123, [131]sts)

Repeat Rows 1-10 (from the neck) total 5 [6] times, and Rows 1-8 again.(4.5” [5.5”]from underarm, 131[139]sts)

Bottom Eyelet Border: (cut MC, cut ball CC, place hanging markers to note sides, remove markers)

Rows 1, 2: with CC, with size#4 [#5], 24”circular needle, Knit

Row 3(RS): with CC, Knit 3[2], * k2tog, yo, k1; repeat from * to last 2sts, knit 2

Rows 4, 5, 6: with CC, Knit (131 [139]sts)

Row 7(RS): with size#5 [#6] needle, Bind Off loosely in knit, to last 2sts, k2tog, Bind Off.

Sleeves:

Move 33 stitches from holder onto size #5 [#6] circular/or double pointed needles. Pick up and knit 5 sts from underarm, pm, pick up and knit 5 more sts, and join to work in the round. 43sts

Rnds 1-4: with MC, Knit

Rnd 5: with MC, K1, k2tog, knit to last 2 sts before marker, k2tog

Work stripes as established Rnds 9-10: with CC, knit ,decrease if necessary. (Carry CC at first stitch of Rnd 5)

Repeat Rnds 1-5 a total of 5 times (33sts)

Work even until sleeve measures 4.5” [5.5 ”] from underarm, and ending on a Rnd 8.

Cuff Eyelet: (cut MC)

Rnd 1: with CC, with size #4 [#5] needles, Knit

Rnd 2: with CC, Purl

Rnd 3: with CC, * K2tog, yo, k1; repeat from * to end

Rnd 4: with CC, Purl

Rnd 5: with CC, Knit

Rnd 6: with CC, Purl

Rnd 7: with CC, with size #5 [#6] needle, Bind Off loosely in knit.

Repeat for other sleeve.

Finishing: Weave in all the tails. Very securely sew 1/2” buttons to front left side and border. The right eyelet border will be used as the button holes .

Buttercup Baby is available at MarilynnsGardenKnitDesign.blogspot.com

Buttercup Baby Wrap pattern pdf is available on Ravelry.com (login needed)

Copyright 2016, Marilynn Blacketer. All rights reserved. 11/20/16

For pattern support please contact: marilynnblacketer@gmail.com

Here are a few photos of the process:  

Started by working the CC neckband, and joined MC to work the yoke with CC borders.

 Using #4 needles as the stitch holders, I divided for the sleeves.

Worked the body, cut MC and ball CC to work the bottom eyelet border. 

Picked up the stitches, knitted the sleeve onto #6 needles, and worked both sleeve on two circular needles.  Used #5 needles to work the cuff. 

I securely stitched on two buttons. 

 

I tested the pattern by knitting another Buttercup Baby.

 Buttercup Baby is available at MarilynnsGardenKnitDesign.blogspot.com

Buttercup Baby Wrap pattern pdf is available on Ravelry.com (login needed)

Copyright 2016, Marilynn Blacketer. All rights reserved. 11/20/16

update:  (skein) (ball)   7/15/22;    8/17/23

For pattern support please contact: marilynnblacketer@gmail.com