Pink Peony

Knitted jumper for children in DROPS Baby Merino. The piece is worked top down with saddle-shoulders, lace pattern and short sleeves. Sizes 3-14 years.

DROPS Baby 38-21
DROPS Design: Pattern no bm-024-bn
Yarn group A
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SIZES:
3/4 - 5/6 - 7/8 - 9/10 - 11/12 - 13/14 years
Equivalent to the child’s height in cm:
98/104 - 110/116 - 122/128 - 134/140 - 146/152 - 158/164

MATERIALS:
DROPS BABY MERINO from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group A)
150-150-200-200-250-300 g colour 54, powder pink

KNITTING TENSION:
24 stitches in width and 32 rows in height with stocking stitch = 10 x 10 cm.

NEEDLES:
DROPS DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES SIZE 3 MM.
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 3 MM: Length 40 cm and 60 cm or 80 cm for stocking stitch.
DROPS DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES SIZE 2.5 MM.
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 2.5 MM: Length 80 cm for rib.
Needle size is only a guide. If you get too many stitches on 10 cm, change to a larger needle size. If you get too few stitches on 10 cm, change to a smaller needle size.

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EXPLANATIONS FOR THE PATTERN:

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PATTERN:
See diagrams A.1 and A.2. Find your size in the diagram.

INCREASE TIP-1 (evenly spaced):
To work out how to increase evenly, count the total number of stitches on the needle (e.g. 84 stitches) and divide by the number of increases to be made (e.g. 22) = 3.8. 
In this example, increase by making 1 yarn over after alternately each 3rd and 4th stitch (approx.). On the next round work the yarn overs twisted to avoid holes.

INCREASE TIP-2 (for saddle shoulders, sleeves and yoke):
BEFORE MARKER:
The new stitch twists to the right.
Use the left needle to pick up the strand between 2 stitches from the previous round, pick up the back strand and knit in the front loop.
AFTER MARKER:
The new stitch twists to the left.
Use the left needle to pick up the strand between 2 stitches from the previous round, pick up the front strand and knit in the back loop.

CASTING-OFF TIP:
To avoid the cast-off edge being tight you can cast off with a larger size needle. If the edge is still tight, make 1 yarn over after approx. each 6th stitch at the same time as casting off; the yarn overs are cast off as normal stitches.

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START THE PIECE HERE:

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JUMPER – SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE PIECE:
The neck and yoke are worked in the round with circular needle, top down. Stitches are increased for the shoulders, then for the sleeves and finally for the yoke.
The yoke is divided for the body and sleeves and the body continued in the round. The sleeves are worked in the round with double pointed needles/short circular needle, top down.

NECK:
Cast on 84-88-92-92-96-100 stitches with circular needle size 2.5 mm and Baby Merino.
Knit 1 round, then work rib (knit 2, purl 2) for 3 cm. When the rib is finished, knit 1 round where you increase 22-22-26-26-26-26 stitches evenly spaced – read INCREASE TIP-1 = 106-110-118-118-122-126 stitches.
Knit 1 round; yarn overs knitted twisted. Change to circular needle size 3 mm.

YOKE:
The beginning of the round is the transition between right shoulder and back piece. Insert 1 marker after the first 35-36-41-41-42-43 stitches (= approx. mid-front) – THE PIECE IS MEASURED FROM HERE!
In addition, insert 4 other markers as described below – without working the stitches and each marker inserted between 2 stitches. The markers are used when increasing and should be of a different colour to the marker on the neck.
Marker 1: Insert the marker before the first stitch on the round (= back side of right shoulder when garment is worn).
Marker 2: Count 16-16-22-22-22-22 stitches from marker 1 (= shoulder), insert the marker before the next stitch.
Marker 3: Count 37-39-37-37-39-41 stitches from marker 2 (= front piece), insert the marker before the next stitch.
Marker 4: Count 16-16-22-22-22-22 stitches from marker 3 (= shoulder), insert the marker before the next stitch.
There are now 37-39-37-37-39-41 stitches left on round after marker 4 (= back piece).

Allow the 4 markers to follow your work onwards.

INCREASES FOR SADDLE SHOULDERS:
Read the whole of the next section before continuing!
Piece is now worked with A.1 over the stitches on front piece and back piece (see diagram for your size), and stocking stitch over the stitches on saddle shoulder/sleeves.
AT THE SAME TIME, on the first round increase 4 stitches for the shoulders as follows:
Increase 1 stitch BEFORE markers 1 and 3 and increase 1 stitch AFTER markers 2 and 4 – read INCREASE TIP-2. You are only increasing on the front and back pieces, the number of sleeve stitches remains the same.
Increase like this every round a total of 12-16-20-22-24-26 times = 154-174-198-206-218-230 stitches. REMEMBER THE KNITTING TENSION! The increased stitches are worked into A.1. When A.1 is finished in height, continue pattern the same way upwards (A.2 shows 1 repetition of pattern), make sure that A.2 fits over the stitches from A.1. After the last increase, the piece measures approx. 4-5-6-7-8-9 cm from the marker on the neck. Now increase for the sleeves as described below.

INCREASES FOR SLEEVES:
Continue with stocking stitch over the stitches on the sleeves, and continue pattern as before on front piece and back piece.
AT THE SAME TIME on the next round increase 4 stitches as follows:
Increase 1 stitch AFTER markers 1 and 3 and increase 1 stitch BEFORE markers 2 and 4. You are only increasing on the sleeves and the number of stitches on the front and back pieces remains the same. The increased stitches are worked in stocking stitch. Increase like this every 2nd round a total of 13-17-15-16-18-19 times = 206-242-258-270-290-306 stitches. The piece measures approx. 12-16-15-17-19-21 cm from the marker on the neck.

INCREASES FOR YOKE:
Now increase 1 stitch on each side of all 4 markers as follows:
Work until there is 1 stitch left before markers 1 and 3, increase 1 stitch before the marker, work 1 stitch, move the marker to the right needle and increase 1 stitch after the marker.
Work to markers 2 and 4, increase 1 stitch before the marker, move the marker to the right needle, work 1 stitch and increase 1 stitch after the marker (= 8 stitches increased). You are now increasing on both the front and back pieces and on the sleeves.
The increased stitches are worked into A.2 on the back/front piece and in stocking stitch on the sleeves.
Increase like this every 2nd round a total of 5-2-2-1-0-0 times = 246-258-274-278-290-306 stitches.
When all the increases are finished, the piece measures approx. 15-17-17-18-19-21 cm from the marker on the neck. If the piece is shorter than this, continue working without further increases to the correct length. Now divide the piece for body and sleeves on the next round as follows:
Place the first 52-54-56-56-58-60 stitches on a thread for sleeve, cast on 8-8-8-10-10-10 new stitches (= in the side, under the sleeve), work as before over the next 71-75-81-83-87-93 stitches (= front piece), place the next 52-54-56-56-58-60 stitches on a thread for sleeve, cast on 8-8-8-10-10-10 new stitches (= in the side, under the sleeve), and work as before over the last 71-75-81-83-87-93 stitches (= back piece).
Body and sleeves are finished separately. THE PIECE IS NOW MEASURED FROM HERE.

BODY:
= 158-166-178-186-194-206 stitches.
Work A.2 as before; the stitches which do not fit into A.2 in the sides are worked in stocking stitch.
Continue working until the piece measures 12-12-15-16-17-17 cm from the division. There is approx. 4 cm left to finished length; try the jumper on and continue to desired length.
Knit 1 round where you increase 36-36-36-40-44-44 stitches evenly spaced = 194-202-214-226-238-250 stitches. NOTE: You increase stitches here to prevent the rib being tight.
Change to circular needle size 2.5 mm and work rib (knit 1, purl 1) for 4 cm. Cast off with knit over knit and purl over purl – read CASTING-OFF TIP! The jumper measures approx. 34-36-40-42-44-46 cm from the shoulder down.

SLEEVES:
Place the 52-54-56-56-58-60 stitches from the thread on the one side of the piece on short circular needle/double pointed needles size 3 mm and knit up 1 stitch in each of the 8-8-8-10-10-10 stitches cast on under the sleeve = 60-62-64-66-68-70 stitches. Insert a marker thread in the middle of the new stitches under the sleeve.
Start at the marker thread and work stocking stitch in the round.
Continue working until the sleeve measures 5-6-10-13-15-17 cm from the division,
There is approx. 4 cm left to finished length; try the jumper on and continue to desired length. Knit 1 round where you decrease 4 stitches evenly spaced = 56-58-60-62-64-66 stitches. Change to double pointed needles size 2.5 mm and work rib (knit 1, purl 1) for 4 cm. Cast off with knit over knit and purl over purl – remember CASTING-OFF TIP! The sleeve measures approx. 9-10-14-17-19-21 cm from the division. Work the other sleeve in the same way.

Diagram explanations

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