Experimental Sweater

I have just recently got a book "Knitting Around" by Elizabeth Zimmermann, and I will be mostly knitting sweaters in the round from now on. I have also knitted a few in the round beforehand, and I must tell you that no seaming afterward rocks!



 Only one disappointing thing about E. Z guide to knitting in the round is that it doesn't apply to kids in the same way as adults. So I had to tweak it, and here it is...the experimental sweater.

Another reason I call it experimental is that I am finally trying some of the fuzzy yarns I have been looking at  for a while, but was not quite sure what to do with them. I also liked the pleats idea, so I threw those into the design.


Materials:

4 balls of Tebe Extrafine merino (dk weight yarn, ~150 yards per ball), color: crabapple
2 skeins of Hush yarn from Berroco (color 6308)
About 30 yards of contrast color yarn.
4 mm 12"( 0r a set of 5 double pointed needles), 16" and 24" circular needles
5 mm 16" and 24" circular needles
Stitch markers

Gauge: 22 sts to 4 inches

Sizes:
1-2 year old to fit 18-20 inch chest
2-3 year old (size shown) to fit 20-23 inch chest
4-5 year old to fit 22-24 inch chest

19 sts front panel pattern:

The pattern is optional, and you can just omit it and knit 19 stitches each round. The yarn i picked for the project is very soft and doesn't have a great stitch definition, as a result the pattern is not clearly visible.

Rnd 1: p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k2, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k2, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1
Rnd 2 & 16: k1, p1, k1, p2, k3, p1, k1, p1, k3, p2, k1, p1, k1
Rnd 3 & 15: k2, p1, k1, p1, k4, p1, k4, p1, k1, p1, k2
Rnd 4 & 14: k3, p2, k9, p2, k3
Rnd 5 & 13: k4, p1, k4, p1, k4
Rnd 6 & 12: k3, p2, k3, p1, k1, p1, k3, p2, k3
Rnd 7 & 11: k2, p1, k1, p1, k2, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k2, p1, k1, p1, k2
Rnd 8 & 10: k1, p1, k1, p2, (k1, p1)x4, k1, p2, k1, p1, k1
Rnd 9: p1, k1, p1, k1, p2, (k1, p1)x3, k1, p2, k1, p1, k1, p1


Method:

Instructions are written for 2-3 and the other sizes are given in brackets (1-2 and 3-4)or clearly indicated in text.


Using 4 mm needles and main color yarn cast on 76 (68, 76) sts.
Place marker and join in the round.
Knit one round and
Put markers after 12 (half back), 10, 24, 10 sts, knit 12 (half back) for 1-2 size.
Put markers after 13 (half back), 12, 26, 12 sts, knit 13 (half back) for sizes 2-3 and 4-5.
You will have 5 markers at this point. One will be indicating the beginning of the round and will be a center back as well, and the other 4 are for working raglan increases.
Rnd 1: Increase 1 sts before and after each marker (except the beginning of the round marker) by knitting into front and back of a stitch every alt round(you will be increasing by 8 sts each increase round). You should have 84 (76, 84) sts.
Rnd 2: Purl
Work these two rounds 3 more times. You should have 108 (100,108) sts
From this point on, you will be knitting in stockinette stitch, introducing increases in one round and knitting the alt one.
Switch to fuzzy yarn and knit 2 rnds with it
Switch to main color and work the following rounds in stockinette st till there are following number of sts between raglan markers:
(56, 42, 56, 42 sts) for size 1-2 years old;
(58, 44, 58, 44 sts) for size 2-3;
(60, 46, 60, 46 sts) for size 4-5

Next:

Size 1-2: Knit 28, place 42 sts on a stitch holder or scrap yarn, join and knit 56, put the other 42 sts on a stitch holder or scrap yarn, knit 28.
Size 2-3:Knit 29, place 44 sts on a stitch holder or scrap yarn, join and knit 58, put the other 44 sts on a stitch holder or scrap yarn, knit 29.
Size 4-5: Knit 30, place 46 sts on a stitch holder or scrap yarn, join and knit 60, put the other 46 sts on a stitch holder or scrap yarn, knit 30.
Stitches on hold will be sleeves latter.
Join and knit in stockinette sts for 4 rounds.
Switch to contrast color, knit 4 rnds, knit next 4 rnds with fuzzy yarn, and next 4 rnds with contrast color.

Switch to main yarn, knit and place markers as follows:
Size 1-2: knit 6, pm, knit 13, pm, knit 14, pm, knit 13, pm, knit 19, pm, knit 13, pm, knit 14, pm, knit 13, pm, knit 7.
Size 2-3: knit 6, pm, knit 14, pm, knit 14, pm, knit 14, pm, knit 19, pm, knit 14, pm, knit 14, pm, knit 14, pm, knit 7.
Size 4-5: knit 7, pm, knit 14, pm, knit 15, pm, knit 14, pm, knit 19, pm, knit 14, pm, knit 15, pm, knit 14, pm, knit 8

Next round increase 1 st before and after each marker by knitting into the front and back of the stitch ( do not do any increases around the marker marking beginning of the round).
Next round work the knit sections in stockinette sts and purl the increased stitches (ie there will be a purl sts on each side of the marker.
Start working front panel pattern (19 sts)
Increase around markers every 8th round by purling into the front and back of the stitch (all your increased stitches will be purl stitches. they form the pleat). I did about 7 rounds of increases for the 2-3 year old size ending wit the increase round. The garment measured about 9.5 inches from underarm. For the size 1-2 you probably will want to do 6 rounds of increases and for the size 4-5 8-9 rounds. This is totally customizable, depending on the length you want. Once you add the fuzzy yarn to the bottom the garment will lengthen by about 1.5 inches.
Switch to fuzzy yarn
Rnd 1: knit
Switch to 5 mm needles
Rnd 2: purl
Rnd 3: knit
Rnd 4: knit
Rnd 5: purl
Rnd 6: knit
Rnd 7: knit
Bind off

Sleeves:

Note: I like using 12" (30 cm) circular needles for knitting sleeves. If you are using double pointed needles instead, distribute the stitches evenly on 4 needles and knit with the 5th one.


Pick up 44 (42, 46) sts from holder, and evenly pick up 4 (0, 2) more sts from the underarm area (48, 42, 48 sts).
For size 1-2 only : Knit in 4x3 rib (knit 4, purl 3) rib till sleeve measures 4.5 inches or desired length minus 1 inch from the underarm.
For sizes 2-3 and 4-5 only: Knit in 4x4 rib till sleeve measures 5.5 (6.5 ) inches or desired length minus 1 inch from the underarm.
All sizes: Increase 2 sts in each purl section (for example, knit 4, purl into the front and back of the loop, purl 2, purl into the front and back of the loop, knit 4, etc...). There should be 12 sts increase.
Knit in the established pattern for 4 more rnds
Increase 2 sts in purl sections again. There should be another 12 sts increase.
Knit in the established pattern for 4 more rnds.
Switch to the fuzzy yarn:
Rnd 1: Knit
Rnd 2: Purl
Rnd 3: Knit
Rnd 4: Knit
Rnd 5: Purl
Bind off.

Weave in any ends. Done.