Knitted Baby Romper

Sizes: (premature) 0/1 – 1/3 – 6/9 – 12/18 months (2 – 3/4) years

Sizes in cm: (40/44) 48/52 – 56/62 – 68/74 – 80/86 (92 – 98/104)

You will need:

DROPS BABY MERINO yarn (100% wool, 50 g/175 m);
3.5 mm double-pointed and circular needles;
5 buttons, stitch markers.

Patterns and stitches:

garter stitch;
2×2 rib;
lace pattern: work from chart

Gauge: 34 sts and 32 rows = 10×10 cm in rib pattern.

Shaping the raglan lines: all increases are worked on RS rows using yarn overs. The yarn overs should be worked into the rib pattern.

Buttonholes: worked on the right button band – knit sts 3 and 4 together, yarn over.

Buttonhole placement:

Size (premature): 1 and 3 cm
Size 0/1 months + 1/3 months: 1 and 4 cm
Size 6/9 months + 12/18 months: 1 and 4½ cm
Size (2 years + 3/4 years): 1 and 5 cm

Decreases (lower part of the romper): decreases are worked on both sides of the three garter stitches.

On RS rows: after the 3 sts, work p2tog through the back loops; before the sts, work p2tog.

On WS rows: after the 3 sts, work k2tog through the back loops; before the sts, work k2tog.

Decreases (sleeves): work until 3 sts remain before the marker, k2tog, 2 sts in rib, k2tog through back loops.

Knitting the Main Piece of the Romper:

Yoke

Worked top down. Cast on (54) 60-60-64-74 (74-74) sts (including button band sts) and work 4 rows in garter stitch, then continue as follows: knit until (6) 8-8-8-10 (10-10) sts remain, turn work, knit until (6) 8-8-8-10 (10-10) sts remain on the other side, turn work, knit until (12) 16-16-16-20 (20-20) sts remain, turn work. Continue with short-row shaping, increasing the same number of sts on both sides each time until (18) 24-24-24-30 (30-30) sts remain on each side, turn work and knit to the end of the row.

On the next WS row work: 6 knit sts of the band, (42) 48-48-52-62 (62-62) purl sts while at the same time increasing evenly by (32) 26-42-38-44 (60-60) sts, 6 knit sts of the band (remember the buttonholes) = (86) 86-102-102-118 (134-134) sts.

On the next RS row work:

Only for sizes (premature) and 0/1 months:

Work the 6 band sts in garter stitch, k2, p2, chart A.2, p2, k2 (place marker between the knit sts), *p2, k2, repeat from * 2 more times, p2, k2 (place marker between these sts), *p2, k2, repeat from * a total of 5 times, p2, k2 (place marker), finish the row symmetrically, placing another marker.

Only for sizes 1/3 – 6/9 – 12/18 months:

Work the 6 band sts in garter stitch, k2, p2, chart A.1, p2, k2, p2, k2 (place marker between these sts), *p2, k2, repeat from * a total of 3-3-5 times, p2, k2 (place marker between the knit sts), *p2, k2, repeat from * a total of 7 times, p2, k2 (place marker), finish the round symmetrically, placing 2 more markers.

Only for sizes (2 – 3/4) years:

6 band sts in garter stitch, **k2, p2, chart A.1, p2, repeat from ** 2 times total, k2 (place marker between the knit sts), *p2, k2, repeat from * a total of 5 times, p2, k2 (place marker), *p2, k2, repeat from * a total of 9 times, p2, k2 (place marker), finish the round symmetrically, placing 2 more markers.

For all sizes:

Continue in pattern while at the same time working increases on the next RS row along the raglan lines. Repeat the increase row every 2nd row (7) 7-7-11-11 (11-11) more times.

At the same time, when the piece measures (4) 5-5-6-6 (7-7) cm, finish working the bands and continue knitting in the round as follows: fold both bands together, placing the right band on top of the left band, and knit all the band sts together in pairs (k2tog, 1 st from each band), finish the round and cut the yarn; start the next round at the center back.

Continue knitting in rib in the round while at the same time continuing the raglan increases; work the joined band sts as follows: p2, chart A.1, p2. After the last increase there will be (144) 144-160-192-208 (224-224) sts on the needles. Work (0) 2-2-2-2 (2-2) more rounds in pattern = (7) 8-8-10-11 (11-11) cm from the shoulder.

On the next round, move (32) 32-32-40-48 (48-48) sleeve sts from each side onto a holder and continue working on the front and back sts.

Main Piece

= (80) 80-96-112-112 (128-128) sts. On the next round, cast on new (8) 16-12-12-16 (16-20) sts in place of the sleeve sts and place markers at the center of the cast-on sts. Continue in rib and pattern, and after (13) 16-20-20-21 (24-27) cm from the armhole, divide the work.

Back

Front

Continue in pattern, working 3 sts in garter stitch on each side, while at the same time decreasing 1 st at the garter sts (see description above). Repeat the decrease row every row (11) 13-17-21-19 (23-17) more times, then every 2nd row (0) 2-0-0-2 (2-8) times = (24) 24-24-24-28 (28-32) sts. Work 1 knit row while at the same time decreasing evenly (8) 8-8-8-10 (10-12) sts. Work the next WS row in knit. On the following row, work: (3) 3-3-3-3 (3-4) knit sts, *yarn over, k2tog, (2) 2-2-2-3 (3-3) knit sts, repeat from * once more, k2tog, yarn over, (3) 3-3-3-3 (3-4) knit sts. Work 4 more rows in knit and bind off all sts on a WS row.

Sleeves

(32) 32-32-40-48 (48-48) sts. Cast on new (8) 16-12-12-16 (16-20) sts, place a marker at the center of the cast-on sts, and join to work in the round. Continue in rib while at the same time, 1 cm from the new sts, decreasing 1 st on each side of the marker; repeat the decrease round every (4) 4-6-6-6 (8-8) rows (3) 7-3-7-7 (7-7) more times = (32) 32-36-36-48 (48-52) sts. After (12) 16-20-20-24 (29-35) cm, bind off all sts.

Finishing

Sew the openings between the main piece and the sleeves. Sew 2 buttons along the edge of the left band and 3 buttons on the lower part of the romper (see photo).

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