Benjamins Growing Onesie, all sizes
This onesie is knit in one piece, so no need to seam little pieces in the end. The ribbing allows it to fit the baby for as long as possible. The raglan sleeves make for a better fit, and is not bulky, even when it is a bit big.
I also recommend sewing on two sets of buttons in the crotch, so that you can vary the length.
Babywool is very soft merino wool, and can very well be used straight on the skin. If you´re not a wool lover, I recommend some other soft, natural fiber, like bamboo, milk or cotton. Steer away from synthetic fibers.
This pattern contains all three sizes, but you can also follow the link below to go to a different page for each size. I know that not all people like reading patterns with multiple sizes.
Sizes: 0-5 months (6-12 months) 1-2 years
Gauge: 29 sts = 4 inches or 10 cm in stockinette stitch (make a swatch).
You need:
Needles 2.5 mm and 3 mm (US 1 ½ and 2 ½)
Crochet hook 3 mm
Tapestry needle
6 or 9 small buttons
2(3)4 balls of babywool (100 g) 150 g( 200 g)
Yarn weight: Fingering (or light fingering)
Yardage: approx. 300(500) 600 meters of yarn
Abbreviations:
k= knit
p= purl
sts= stitches
n= needle
M1= make 1 stitch with a backward loop (increase)
k2tog= knit two stitches together
ssk= Slip, slip, knit.
yo= yarn over.
DPN: double pointed needle
Rib= *k2, p2*. Always knit stitches above previous knit stitches, and purl above purl stitches. This means that you sometimes have to start the ribbing with purl stitches. For example: If you add a stitch before two knit stitches, this will have to be a purl stitch.
This is how the onesie is made: Start at the bottom, with a front piece and a back piece. Put these together and knit the body piece in the round. Knit the sleeves separately and put them on the needle with the body piece. Knit the yoke in the round, and then split for the buttoning, and do the rest of the neck part back and forth.
Front piece (knit flat):
Cast on 22 (28) 30 sts on needle 2,5 mm. Knit 8 (8) 10 rows (= 4 (4) 5 ridges of garter stitch).
Row 9 (9) 11: Change to needle size 3 mm and k 2, M1, *k2, p2* repeat between ** 4 (6) 6 times, then k 4 (2) 4.
Row 10 (10) 12: K 2, M1, rib until 2 sts left, k 2.
Repeat row 10 (10) 12 until you have 42 (58) 60 sts.
Cut off the thread and put the front piece aside.
Back piece (knit flat):
Cast on 22 (28) 30 sts on needle 2,5 mm. Knit 3 (3) 4 rows.
Row 4 (4) 5 (button holes): K 2, K2tog, yo, k 5 (8) 9, k2tog, yo, k 6 (9) 10, k2tog, yo, k3.
In the next 4 (4) 5 rows, k all sts (=garter stitch)
Row 9 (9) 11: Change to needle size 3 mm and k 2, M1, *p2, k2* 5 (6) 7 times, then k 0 (2) 0.
Row 10 (10) 12: K 2, M1, rib until 2 sts left, k 2.
Repeat row 10 (10) 12 until you have 50 (70) 76 sts.
Knit 16 rows like this: k 2, rib until 2 sts left, k2.
Body piece:
You will now put together the front piece and the back piece on a 3 mm circular needle or magic loop, and start knitting in the round. Make sure both pieces are turned to the right side when putting them together, so that the ribbing will be correct.
Start before the front piece. Cast on 4 (6) 8 new sts (with backward loops). Rib all sts in the front piece. Cast on 4 (6) 8 new sts after the front piece as well. Rib all sts of the back piece. You now have 100 (140) 152 sts.
Continue ribbing in the round (on a small circular needle or magic loop) until the body piece measures 20 (23) 26 cm, measured from the leg opening in the side.
When you have reached the correct length, put the whole thing aside and make sleeves.
Sleeves:
The two sleeves will be mirror images of each other. If you use the magic loop method, you can knit both sleeves at once.
Sleeve 1:
Cast on 32 (36) 40 sts on needle 3 mm. Start with k 2, and continue ribbing in the round until the sleeve measures 8 cm. Start increasing:
Round 1: M1, rib all sts (you have added one stitch before the round)
Round 2: Rib all sts . Make sure the new stitch corelates with the ribbing after it.
Round 3: Rib until the end of the round, M1 (you have added one stitch after the round).
Round 4: Rib all sts . Make sure the new stitch correlates with the ribbing before it.
Repeat these 4 rounds until you have 48 (56) 64 sts.
When you get to the 4th round for the last time, knit the last 4 sts onto a separate DPN. Knit the first 4 sts of the round onto the same DPN, so that you have 8 sts on the DPN. Put the sleeve aside.
Sleeve 2:
Cast on 32 (36) 40 sts on needle 3 mm. Start with p 2, and continue ribbing in the round until the sleeve measures 8 cm. Start increasing:
Round 1: Rib until the end of the round, M1 (you have added one stitch after the round).
Round 2: Rib all sts. Make sure the new stitch correlates with the ribbing before it.
Round 3: M1, rib all sts (you have added one stitch before the round)
Round 4: Rib all sts. Make sure the new stitch correlates with the ribbing after it.
Repeat these 4 rounds until you have 48 (56) 64 sts.
When you get to the 4th round for the last time, knit the last 4 sts onto a separate DPN. Knit the first 4 sts of the round onto the same DPN, so that you have 8 sts on the DPN.
Now it’s time to put it all together, and start knitting the yoke in the round. The round starts before the front piece (which is the side with the shortest crotch piece).The round has to start with 2 k sts, so if that doesn´t fit with your ribbing, just move the starting point forward or back a few sts until it does.
Rib 46 (66) 70 sts, put the next 8 sts onto a separate DPN without knitting them.
Put in sleeve 1, and rib all sts of the sleeve, except the 8 sts that you have on a DPN. (Forgotten which sleeve is which? If your last sts on the front piece were 2 k-sts, your sleeve should start with 2 k-sts. If your last sts were 2 p-sts, your sleeve should start with 2 p-sts.
Continue around the back of the body piece.
Rib 42 (62) 70 sts, put the next 8 sts onto a separate DPN without knitting them.
Put in the remaining sleeve and rib all sts of it, except the 8 sts on the DPN.
You can now graft together the holes under the arms on each side, so that you get rid of the DPNs.
Start the raglan decreasing:
Round 1: Rib until 2 sts remain on the front piece, k2tog, ssk. Rib until 2 sts remain on the sleeve. K2tog, ssk (you have now decreased 2 sts= the raglan decrease). Repeat the process for the remaining sts in the round, decreasing between the body/ arm, and arm/body. You now have raglan decreases 4 places.
Round 2: Rib without decreasing. When you get to the two raglan sts, k2.
Repeat these two rounds until you have 116 (156) 176 sts.
It is now time to split for the buttoning, so you will knit the rest back and forth, not in the round.
The right sides: Ssk. Rib until 2 sts remain on the front piece, k2tog, ssk. Rib until 2 sts remain on the sleeve, and repeat the raglan decreasing here, and then on the last two places. Rib until 2 sts remain on the row, k2tog
The wrong sides: Rib all sts without decreasing. Purl the 2 raglan sts in all 4 places.
Repeat these two rounds until you have 60 (84) 96 sts.
Now rib the rest without decreasing.
Start the row on the right side like this: K1 *p 2, k 2* until 3 sts remain, p 2, k 1.
Wrong side: K 1, *k 2, p 2* until 3 sts remain, k 3.
When the last part measures approx 2 centimeters, bind off sts loosely.
The button edge is crocheted.
The left edge (on the body piece): Start in the bottom of the split, make single crochet sts along the edge, up towards the neck. You now have the opportunity to make it as tight/loose as you need it to be.
Turn with a chain stitch. Make single crochet sts back down towards the split, while putting in 3 button holes: chain 2 and single crochet in the third st from where your last single crochet was.
Place the buttonholes evenly, with a few single crochet sts in between.
The right edge (on the sleeve): Start at the top, and make single crochet sts down the split. Turn with a chain stitch and single crochet one stitch in each of the stitches from last round.
Repeat once more, so that you have three crochet rows.
Fasten the lower short edge of the crochet edge to the inside of the onesie with a tapestry needle.
Fasten three buttons on the right button edge so that they fit the button holes on the left edge.
Fasten three buttons on the garter stitch edge of the front piece in the crotch. Fasten the last three buttons approx 5 centimeters (2 inches) further up on the front piece, parallel with the first three.
Weave in all loose ends.
This pattern is © Cecilie Bergin Ditlevsen – Fragaria Bergin. You may link to it, but not copy the pattern or parts of it, to post somewere else. Please understand that I put alot of work into the pattern, and don´t want it to be copied and given out under other names.
You are free to share the link with friends. If you run into any problems in the pattern, I would love to hear about it, so that I can improve it (fragariabergin@gmail.com). I would love to see pictures of your finished work, so please post pictures on Ravelry 