Picture Courtesy Sande Francis
Intro: This pattern is based on EZ's concepts, especially
that babies come in many sizes, and
that they are basically square units. So this is in garter stitch,
and I give no gauge--use what
you have on hand, on appropriate needles. I use 40 stitches as my example,
but the coat is
so easy, you can change this if you have an exact size in mind. Since
you will have up to 81
stitches, most will find a circular needle most helpful.
It is knit all in one piece. I have made 2, one with every two
rows (one ridge) different, and one
where I alternated two yarns, one ridge in a solid, one ridge in a
varigated. Have some fun!
When I finished the first one, somebody said it looked like the famous
Surprise jacket. That is
when I realized that it is the same shape, only knit from a different
direction, and it was the first time I really understood why the Surprise
jacket shape worked.
The front of the coat looks like this:
+++++++++++++
*************
*
*****
*
* - - - - -/ + \- - - - -
*
* /
+ \ *
*******/ | + |
\*******
*
| + | *
*
| + | *
*
| + | *
*******************
The +++ and + are where you cast on (along the top of one sleeve, and down the button band). The \ and / show where the double decreases are (from the corners of the collar notch to the underarms). The dashed lines show the direction of the garter stitch ridges. The back is straight across the top. Where you cast off isn't shown in symbols, but it is the top of the other sleeve and the other side of the button band.
For the coat you have decreased, then increased, (halfway point), then decreased, then increased. The back should look like this:
*****************************
*
/|\ *
* - - - - -/ | \- - - - - *
* /
| \ *
*******/ | | |
\*******
*
| | | *
*
| | | *
*
| | | *
*****************
Again, the / and \ show the line of increases/decreases, and the dashed lines show the direction of the garter ridges. At the middle, the ridges should go across the length of the fabric. The "point" is the center back.
(Where you sew together is along the top of the sleeves.)
The basic "unit" of this coat is 40 stitches, but you cast on 5 less to make the neck region.
Cast on 35 stitches. On the same needle, with the same yarn (maybe the other end of the skein), cast on another 35 stitches. Work these two bits separately for 5 ridges (10 rows).
Then: knit across first piece, place marker, make a stitch, knit across second piece--pieces are now joined. Knit back.
Now you are going to do a double decrease at the marked stitch on every
other row until half the
stitches are used.
What I do is: knit to one stitch before marker, move the marker back
one stitch by slipping the
next stitch, take marker off, put stitch back on left-hand needle,
put marker on right needle, do
S2KP (slip 2, knit one, pass slipped stitches over), knit to end. Knit
back.
Repeat these two rows until there are 20 stitches before the marker (41 stitches total). Knit 4 rows even (underarm section).
Now start to increase. Knit to before marker, make 1, slip marker, knit
1, make 1, knit to end. Knit back. Repeat this until there are 40
stitches in front of the marker (81 stitches in total). This
is the middle of the back.
Next row: knit to marker, slide marker, k1, bind off the rest of the
stitches.
Next row: Cast on 40 stitches, knit to the end of the row.
Alternatively, one could:
1. bind off the first 40 stitches (to the marker), knit to the end
of the row.
2. Knit 41, PM, cast on 40 stitches.
Now do the double decreases like on the front until there are 20 stitches
before the marker,
knit 4 plain rows (second underarm), do the double increases until
there are 35 stitches before the marker.
Knit 35, cast off 1, knit to end. You will now work both 35-stitch sections
separately for 5
rows, cast both off.
Sew tops of sleeves together. Put i-cord or crochet around edges, making
a loop at the top of
one side of collar for a buttonhole, put button on other side of collar.
Alternately, sew buttons to
one side of front, put icord or crochet down other side of front, not
attaching it where the buttons
are, to make the buttonholes.
AFTERWORD: The trick is to balance the increases and decreases. Another solution to this would be similar to raglan options: instead of one stitch in the center, leave 3 stitches, or even make a cable, then do the increases and single decreases on either side of this center section (k2tog and SKP).
I did make an adult version of this. It has one advantage over most
of the one-piece garter
designs out there: it is vertically patterned all the way down, instead
of the horizontal design
around the hips most of them have. However, by the time you are near
the end, you have a lot of garment in your lap! I messed up on the neck
of the adult piece, it came out way too wide and I had to add sections
up there. Just a warning that it makes a heavy adult coat, so think of
the gravity factor and make the neck smaller than you think it should be.
Or be ready to compensate, which isn't difficult to do.
Adults are not as square as babies. I made the sleeves too short, and
then just picked up and
knitted down until they were long enough. It actually looked pretty
good. What I mean in general is that the proportions will need to be played
with on an adult coat, but that just making one and compensating afterwards
is fun, easy, and your solutions make the coat uniquely yours.