Cabled Toddler Hoodie

Cabled Toddler Hoodie by Joanne Jongsma This is a basic top-down raglan cardigan that starts with a provisional cast on so you can work the hood from the neck up without seaming. An attractive cable band goes up the button band, around the edge of the hood and back down. Straight hems edge the sleeves and base of the jacket for a clean look. Child's chest size: 20.5 in (age 18 mo) Yarn: Worsted weight cotton approx 550 yds (Lana Grossa Multicot—6 balls) Needles: Size 8, Size 5 (circular and dpns come in handy for both sizes) Gauge: 17 sts and 23 rows over 4 in X 4in square Skill Level: Intermediate (I assume you have familiarity with common methods and abbreviations.)

MAIN BODY Provisional cast on (with a crochet chain) 70 sts. (There are multiple tutorials available online) Row 1: Start with the first row of the 10 st cable band (see below), k5, place marker (pm), k10, pm, k20, pm, k10, pm, k5, end with the same row of the cable band. CABLE 1. 2. 3. 4.

BAND: (RS) k1, p1, k6, p1, k1 (WS) k1, p1, p6, p1, k1 (RS) k1, p1, C4B, k2, p1, k1 (WS) k1, p1, p6, p1, k1

5. 6. 7. 8.

(RS) k1, p1, k6, p1, k1 (WS) k1, p1, p6, p1, k1 (RS) k1, p1, k2, C4F p1, k1 (WS) k1, p1, p6, p1, k1

Row 2: Turn and do the second row of the cable band, p to the last 10 sts, and repeat the second row of cable band. (At this point, I will stop referring to the cable band-- just continue down as described at the beginning and end of every row, repeating every 8 rows. I will only mention the middle bits in the following instructions.) Row 3: Start increasing: k to one st before the marker and m1 (go in through the back and knit), k1, slip marker (sm), k1, m1 (go in through front and knit through back loop). Do this for all 4 markers. Row 4: purl Repeat Rows 3 and 4 fifteen times. Next row (RS): k to the first marker and put the 40 sleeve sts on a holder. Continue knitting the back sts until you come to the next marker. Put these sleeve sts on a holder also, and then knit to the end. Knitting back and forth, work straight down to desired length (continuing the cable bands and stockinette in between). Switch to Size 5 needles and purl one row (go right through the cable bands too)-- this will be the fold line for the hem. Knit in straight stockinette for 7 rows and then cut yarn (about twice as long as the bottom of the jacket). Fold the hem up and tack down to the inside of the jacket one st at a time without binding off.

SLEEVES Pick up the sleeve stitches with size 8 needles (dpns might be useful here instead of a circular) and knit in the round, putting a marker at the beginning of the round at the armpit. When you get to the desired length, switch to size 5 needles and purl one row (folding row). Then knit 7 more rounds and then fold up and tack to the inside without binding off. If you would like, you may put a little elastic around the wrists before tacking the hem on. Do the same for the other sleeve. HOOD Using a size 5 circular needle, pick up the original 70 sts while carefully unraveling the crochet chain. Now we continue the cable pattern, but since we are going the opposite way, we just swap C4F and C4B in the instructions. Working back and forth, continue the cable band pattern for the first and last 10 sts, and work a k2p2 rib starting with k2. (On the WS, you would start with p2) Continue the rib section for a total of 6 rows. Again, I will leave out the cable bit now assuming you've got the idea-- keep repeating the 8 row pattern for the first 10 and last 10 stitches all the way to the end. Switch to size 8 needles and continue in stockinette st for 34 more rows (ending with a WS row). Start decreasing: Row 1: Put a marker in the center of the hood (35 sts on either side of it). Knit to 3 sts before the marker, ssk, k1, sm, k1, k2tog, knit the rest. Row 2: Purl Work these two rows until you have a total of 10 decrease rows (20 sts decreased = 50 sts total). Now split the work in half on the circulars and graft the two halves together using the kitchener stitch. (Again, there are multiple tutorials online.) Note: I didn't do this, but if you can manage to work in a cable while you graft can you even do that?), you might be able to get a better continuation of the cable band across the top. I found that it helped to thread a double strand of yarn through the top of the ribbing of the neck to cinch it up a little. FINISHING Sew on as many buttons as you would like on the left front of the sweater in the middle of the cable band. On the corresponding spot on the right cable band, pick up three stitches right on the edge of the cable band (next to the stockinette sts) with a size 5 dpn. Make an i-cord by by knitting the three sts over and over without turning the work. Make the i-cord long enough to stretch over the size buttons you have chosen, and then tie off and stitch back to the sweater right next to where you picked up the original three sts. Repeat for the rest of the buttons. (I used three 13/16 in buttons, and made the icords 9 rounds long.) If you wish, you could also take a piece of fabric the width of the cable band and face the entire band to hold the shape of the jacket better. Blocking should help too.