I have been working on top down raglans for my grandchildren this summer. My first project was a cardigan for my new baby granddaughter. I decided to make this sweater in size 18 mos. because that should be the size that will fit her this fall. Top down raglans are fairly easy to knit — once you get past the neckline, but the neckline is a bit tricky. I followed The Magic Custom Fit Raglan pattern by Danielle White as a guide. I say guide, because the pattern gives sizing directions for babies up to 12 months and then for children age 2 and up — but not for 18 months. So I had to do some guessing to figure out the actual measurements to use for the size I wanted.
I used Cascade 220 Superwash Yarn in Pink for the body of the sweater. I knit the sweater front bands, neck band, cuffs and the bottom band in seed stitch with the remainder of the body knit in stockinette stitch. I used Cascade 220 Superwash in Magenta for the edging, which was done in single crochet all the way around the edge to finish and then made ties by doing a crocheted chain for each side of the neck.
I then decided that I had enough yarn to knit a little tam to go with the sweater. I used the Magenta yarn to start the brim in 1 X 1 ribbing and then switched to the Pink. Baby hats are really quick knits, and this one was no exception. I washed the set up in the washer and then laid them flat to dry.
My notes and other details can be found in my project on Ravlery here: Baby Cardigan and Hat Project
Here’s my swatch with the new color scheme added. The darker blue color definitely shows up better than the lighter blue against the teal color that I want for the main color. I have started knitting the romper in the darker blue and I think I’m going to really like the coordinated outfit that will result. This project is a bit challenging because I am knitting on size 0 and size 1 needles to get the right guage. Lots and lots of small stitches…