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Arts & crafts

Kitting pattern - baby jumper

(54 Posts)
puzzledgiraffe Tue 03-Sept-19 22:21:53

I am really struggling to find a pattern for a baby jumper. There seem to be hundreds for cardigans but I can't find what I am after in jumpers. I want something fairly plain, because the wool is multicoloured, so mainly stocking stitch and the most important thing is the neck. I am after the sort of neckline where you fold it over onto the inside, so the neckband is double thickness as I think this gives a much neater finish. I'm sure my children had jumpers like this, but they were probably knitted by my mother in law who was a prolific knitter. The patterns were probably originally for her own babies, so 1960's vintage. I think I have done this sort of neck line myself at some point, but I haven't knitted much for 25 years, but since the arrival of my granddaughter at Easter I have started knitting again. I seem to think the neck band has a row of holes where the fold goes (Fold along the dotted line!) but I might be imagining this. If I could find the neckline on any jumper pattern I could probably adapt a pattern with a different neck. They just look so unfinished to me when the neck edge is just cast off. Can anyone help please?

GabriellaG54 Wed 04-Sept-19 11:34:30

GrannySomerset
I myself realised the costvwhen I fancied a knitted waistcoat a few tears back.
Found a pattern and bought wool and knitting needles plus more needles for sewing together plus buttons....
Wool was over £40 and I hadn't the heart to say 'No, that's too much when all the items were totted up and it was pay time.
The bag of stuff is still in a cupboard as I've gone off the idea of knitting. shock

Dico60 Wed 04-Sept-19 11:35:39

Picot edged jumper pattern

GabriellaG54 Wed 04-Sept-19 11:36:18

costvwhen cost when
tears years

Camelotclub Wed 04-Sept-19 11:47:50

Linky to the Rav. page:
www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#craft=knitting&availability=free&photo=yes&pc=pullover&fit=baby&sort=best&view=captioned_thumbs

Some adult patterns have slipped in there too!

Coconut Wed 04-Sept-19 12:14:00

Pinterest have some lovely unusual designs ....

Beejo Wed 04-Sept-19 12:22:44

Try www.allfreeknitting.com - lots of patterns of all kinds, also www.lovecrafts.com - again lots of free patterns for babies, children and adults.

JanaNana Wed 04-Sept-19 15:27:48

You could try looking on eBay under vintage knitting patterns and might find some there. Some of the charity shops have these along with sewing patterns often it's worth asking as they often kept in big plastic folders. If you have a library near to you there could be a pattern you could adapt at the neckline. Otherwise some of the smaller independent knitting wool shops could have some you like and be able to alter the neckline. I always used to just knit the rib around the neck to the lenght I thought was suitable regardless of what the pattern said. Also not sure if people still do this so much now but some of the wanted and for sale ads you used to get in the newsagents or local groups online.

grandtanteJE65 Wed 04-Sept-19 15:36:30

I would knit up to the sleeves on a round needle, then knit the front and back up to neckline on straight needles. Knit the neckline from shoulder to shoulder in rib and make button holes on the front of the left shoulder. The shoulders should be six to eight rows higher than the neckline.

Hope you fathom what I mean.

puzzledgiraffe Wed 04-Sept-19 16:32:10

What a lot of good ideas. Thank you all for your help.

And as for the people saying there is no point in knitting, that could apply to a lot of things and certainly most crafts. I haven't found wool to be very expensive for tiny baby garments. Most of the things I have knitted have been machine washable, although I did do a little pink cardigan in pure wool that will need hand washing. My son really seems to appreciate that they are an expression of love for my gorgeous granddaughter. I am also in the position of a lot of people on here that the baby is my son's and so the other grandmother spends more time with them, and showers her with gifts. I refuse to get in a bidding war, but other grandmother doesn't knit, so this is the one thing I can do that no one else does! I have been careful not to overdo it and have just done 4 little cardigans in the first sizes, and a blanket. I'm not working on a couple of items for autumn/ winter. When my children were babies my Mum knitted a coat, hat and gloves which all three of my children wore. I could guarantee that if I took them out in the pram in that outfit that old ladies would coo over the baby, so I am all in favour of hand knitted items.

puzzledgiraffe Wed 04-Sept-19 16:33:46

** NOW working on autumn / winter (NOT working is a typo!)

pce612 Wed 04-Sept-19 17:13:29

Just do a Google search for: 'free baby knits'
then choose IMAGES at the top of the page and choose one that you like the look of.

This link should take you straight there:

www.google.co.uk/search?q=free+baby+knitting+patterns&safe=active&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiizLLZxrfkAhURVBUIHevBCJkQ_AUIEigB&biw=1425&bih=661#spf=1567613326467

Jeanlizzie Wed 04-Sept-19 17:44:38

I collect loads of 1940s and 1950s womans magazines I will look and see if I can find a pattern like you describe in one of those.
I have quite often knitted the "vintage " ladies patterns and have quiet a collection of twin sets now and sad as it is I love them

HannahLoisLuke Wed 04-Sept-19 17:54:13

I'm with Granny Somerset.
Modern babies don't wear knitted stuff.

Callistemon Wed 04-Sept-19 17:59:30

Oh, but lots of them do!

Best ask Mum first though - some love modern, soft knits and others don't.

Calendargirl Wed 04-Sept-19 17:59:57

Sadly, I agree with some other posters that most modern mums do not dress their babies in hand knitted items. I’m glad that the OP’s son appreciates the gifts, but wonder if DIL shares his enthusiasm.

Callistemon Wed 04-Sept-19 18:02:34

I wouldn't knit in wool for small babies, unless it is cashmere which would probably have to be hand washed.
Bamboo? I know acrylics are supposed to be bad for the environment but yarns such as Sirdar Snuggly are very soft for little ones.

I think the children tend to go off hand knits when they get to about 9 or 10.

MamaCaz Wed 04-Sept-19 18:11:10

Regarding the washing of hand-knitted items - my DiL pointed out to me that most, if not all, modern washing machines have a programme that is perfectly ok for these things.
I have knitted loads of things for my baby dgd (at DiL's request). They are worn and machine washed regularly and all still look as good as new - so much so that I have just borrowed back one that i knitted a few months ago, to enter in our village show this weekend smile

Most of them have cost very little too, as I keep an eye out for yarn in the charity shops. I managed to knit both my dgds cardigans out of a cone of 2 or 3 ply yarn that cost me 90p, and found a cone of 4 ply in a lovely colour only yesterday at a similar price which i can't wait to use.

Tooyoungytobeagrandma Wed 04-Sept-19 18:11:18

Look on pinterest (but beware its addictive) I found some lovely patterns for my grandson smile

Callistemon Wed 04-Sept-19 18:37:04

DIL is sad that my older DGD doesn't want to wear hand-knits any more but said that the younger DGD is still keen so please keep on knitting.

4allweknow Wed 04-Sept-19 19:13:53

Have you tried charity shops? They can have loads of patterns from 50s, 60s a d cost a few pence by comparison to those in the stores. Love knitting also provides free knitting patterns that seem from a few decades ago.

OmaforMaya Thu 05-Sept-19 00:20:02

HannahapLousLuke You are very wrong. Hand knitting is big nowadays and much so amongst young mothers.
Knitting never went away.... internet shopping closed a lot of the yarn shops. Knitting nowadays is not the granny style knitting of old. Designers and makers of good yarns (Not plastic acrylics) are providing us knitters with the best and top materials to create with.

Grannyknot Thu 05-Sept-19 07:55:54

Modern babies do wear/use knitted stuff. And there are some smashing, funky patterns nowadays from a new generation of knitters. I was sent a 'remember this?' photo recently of Baby No 2 wearing a cute hat I knitted for her brother; a young friend whose daughter is 4 wrote that the 'blankie' I knitted is destined to become a life-long treasure smile; my grandson is the smartest boy in class with his handknitted pull over, beanie and gloves in school colours.

And there is a point in knitting and other crafts, it is mindfulness in action. A knitting group in a local drug and alcohol service is 'invaluable' according to the OT who started it. People relax when they are in a craft group, put the world to rights.

Witzend Thu 05-Sept-19 08:04:49

My dd will never hand wash anything. I've made a few little cardies/jumpers for GDCs in mostly soft baby dk, and they've all washed fine, over and over.

My main quibble about baby patterns is the fussiness of so many - I'm just no good at complicated/lacy patterns. Plainer ones are harder to find, but quite apart from the difficulty factor, I much prefer the look of them.

Grannyknot Thu 05-Sept-19 08:15:41

Witzend I agree 're plain patterns. I have a batwing cardigan pattern (for babies) that has proved to be a smash hit smile - the batwing sleeves make it easy to put on little arms or over other clothes, and it can be made interesting by using variegated wool. It is knitted all-in-one. If anyone wants a copy of the pattern, drop me a PM with your email address.

kathyd Thu 05-Sept-19 09:42:56

Have a look here. She restores and updatrs a lot of vintage patterns.

www.purplekittyyarns.com/