Pattern by @ileradebu, Esti Juango
Inspiration
Koalas and their stuffed animals are one of those animals you see always hugging. I want to show that tenderness in this baby sweater. Babies are without doubt, a mirror of that tenderness.
Difficulty Level
Easy – Intermediate
What do you need to know?
To knit and purl, increases and decreases. Colorwork/ intarsia for color change. Duplicate stitch. There are support videos included if it is your first time.
Sizes
Newborn (1-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-24 months)
Abreviations
- St (s): stitch (es)
- k: knit
- RS: Right side
- With CA/B/C/D: with color A/B/C/D
- M: Marker
- SM: Slip Marker
- PM: Place Marker
- p: purl
- WS: Wrong side
- k2tog: knit 2 sts together, 1 right – slanting decrease
- YO: Yarn over
- St st: Stockinette stitch; (RS) k, (WS) p
- Garter st: (RS/WS) k
Material
- Yarn: Drops Merino Extra fine – 50gr; Each skein has 105m / 115 yds. Merino Superwash Wool (100%).
- Amount main color: 2 (2, 3, 3, 4) 50 gr skeins. Total in meters: 210 (210, 315, 315, 420) m. Total in yards: 230 (230, 345, 345, 460) yds.
- Few meters/yards for Koala, nose and diaper.
- Needle 4 mm (US 6).
- Other yarn suggestions
- Marker for delimiting the Koala chart.
- 2 small buttons around 12.5 mm/ 0.5 in
- Waste yarn or stitch holders.
- Tapestry needle for finishing off.
Gauge
- In a 10 x 10 cm (4 in x 4 in) square you should have 20 sts and 26 rows. Work the swatch in Stockinette st and block it.
- For the swatch, knit a bigger square of around 15 x 15 cm (6 in x 6 in) in order to measure the gauge in the middle. Knit the first and last 3 sts in garter stitch to prevent the sample from curling.
- If you do not have the same stitch gauge try using a different needle until you have the exact number of stitches. Please take your time and do not skip this part before you start knitting.
Approx. Measurements
Sizes: Newborn (1-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-24 months)
Construction notes
The sweater is worked flat in one piece, starting up the front and down the back.
- Start up the front. Work flat while completing the Koala until reaching the sleeves.
- Cast on sts for the sleeves.
- For the neckline, Bind off the center stitches and leave right sleeve stitches on waste yarn or stitch holder. Continue with left sleeve. Make additional rows for the sweater opening. Cast on the sts of neckline and opening and continue working back with sleeves.
- Bind off sleeve sts and work back.
- Finish off: Duplicate stitch for Koala’s diaper and sew side and sleeve seams.
Techniques
Working intarsia for the Koala. Support video. Watch video.
Knitting On Cast on Method. Support video. Watch video.
Counting rows. Support video. Watch video.
Duplicate stitch knitting for Koala’s diaper. Watch video.
Let’s start – Instructions
Section 1: Front
Cast on 39 (43, 49, 53, 57) sts with 4 mm (US 6) needle.
Row 1-6: K to end.
Row 7 (RS): K to end.
Row 8 (WS): P to end.
Keep working rows 7-8 in St st 2 (6, 10, 14, 18) rows more. In total you should have worked 10 (14, 18, 22, 26) rows.
We start with the baby Koala.
PM to delimit the Koala, counting from the edge: 9 (11, 14, 16, 18) sts, PM, 21 sts, PM, 9 (11, 14, 16, 18) sts.
Row 1 (RS): K to M, SM, work row 1 Koala chart, SM, k to end.
Row 2 (WS): P to M, SM, work row 2 Koala chart, SM, p to end.
Odd rows (RS): K to M, SM, work corresponding row Koala chart, SM, k to end.
Even row (WS): P to M, SM, work corresponding row Koala chart, SM, p to end.
Keep working this last two rows until you have worked 18 (24, 28, 30, 30) rows of Koala Chart, ending in a WS row.
Section 2: Sleeves
We will cast on sts to work both sleeves and body:
Row 1 – Cast on left sleeve sts (RS): Cast on 26 (30, 32, 36, 42) sts with Knitting on Cast on method. Start working the just cast on sts. K to M, SM, work Koala row 19 (25, 29, 31, 31), k to end. 65 (73, 81, 89, 99) sts.
Row 2 – Cast on right sleeve sts (WS): Cast on 26 (30, 32, 36, 42) sts with Knitting on Cast on method. Start working the just cast on sts. K5, p to M, SM, work Koala row 20 (26, 30, 32, 32), p to last 5 sts, k5. 91 (103, 113, 125, 141) sts.
Size Newborn/1-3 months/3-6 months
Continue working the Koala chart until completing it.
Row 3 (RS): K to M, SM, row Koala 21 (27, 31, -, -), SM, k to end.
Row 4 (WS): K5, p to M, SM, row Koala 22 (28, 32, -, -), SM, p to last 5 sts, k5
Continue working last two rows with corresponding Koala row until Koala is completed. Once completed continue working in St st, except for the 5 edge sts on both sides that are worked in Garter st.
Work until you have 18 (20, 20, -, -) rows from sleeve begin. Finish on a WS row. Remove M.
Size 6-12 months/12-24 months
Koala is finished. Remove M.
Row 3 (RS): K to end.
Row 4 (WS): K5, p to last 5 sts, k5.
Repeat Row 3-4 until you have – (-, -, 22, 24) rows from sleeve begin. Finish on a WS row.
Section 3: Neckline
Work Garter st around the neckline and close the neck. Instructions as follows:
Row 1 (RS): K to end.
Row 2 (WS): K5, p30 (p35, p40, p45, p52), k21 (k23, k23, k25, k27), p30 (p35, p40, p45, p52), k5.
Row 3-4: Repeat Row 1-2 once more.
Row 5 (RS): k38 (k43, k48, K53, k60), bind off central 15 (17, 17, 19, 21) sts, k38 (k43, k48, K53, k60).
Right sleeve.
Work the sts on right sleeve. You have 38 (43, 48, 53, 60) sts.
Row 6 (WS): K5, p to last 3 sts, k3.
Row 7 (RS): K to end.
Row 8 (WS): Repeat Row 6.
Leave these sts on a stitch holder or waste yarn. Continue with left sleeve.
Left sleeve
Work sts on left sleeve. 38 (43, 48, 53, 60) sts.
Begin from center part of the sweater.
Row 6 (WS): K3, p to last 5 sts, k5.
Row 7 (RS): K to end.
Row 8 (WS): Row 6. Turn.
Row 9 (RS): K to end.
Work only 12 (13, 16, 17, 18) sts to create the shoulder opening where we will work the buttonholes.
– Row 9.0 (WS): K12 (k13, k16, k17, k18), turn and leave rest left sleeve sts on the needle.
– Row 9.1 (RS): K12 (k13, k16, k17, k18).
– Row 9.2 (WS): K12 (k13, k16, k17, k18), turn and leave rest left sleeve sts on the needle.
– Row 9.3 (RS): K3, k2tog, YO, k to last 5 sts, k2tog, YO, k3. The YO are for the buttonholes.
– Row 9.4-6: Repeat Row 9.0, 9.1 and 9.2.
– Row 9.7: Bind off the 12 (13, 16, 17, 18) sts of the shoulder opening.
You have 26 (30, 32, 36, 42) sts of left sleeve and 38 (43, 48, 53, 60) sts of right sleeve.
Continue with row 9 where we have the left sts knitted until shoulder opening starts.
Cast on 27 (30, 33, 36, 39) sts. These are the bound off sts for the neck and shoulder opening.
Continue knitting the sts of the right sleeve which where on the stitch holder. You have 91 (103, 113, 125, 141) sts.Row 10 (WS): K5, p30 (p35, p40, p45, p52), k30 (k33, k36, k39, k42), p21 (p25, p27, p31, p37), k5.
Row 11 (RS): K to end.
Row 12 (WS): Repeat Row 10.
Row 13 (RS): K to end.
Row 14 (WS): K5, p to last 5 sts, k5.
Repeat rows 13-14 until you reach Row 30 (32, 32, 34, 36).
If you prefer you should have 48 (52, 52, 56, 60) rows from sleeve start. See Techniques on page 4 for support in counting the rows.End on a WS row.
Section 4: Bind off Sleeves – back part
Bind off sleeve sts and continue with back part.
Row 1 (RS): Bind off 26 (30, 32, 36, 42) sts, k to end. 65 (73, 81, 89, 99) sts.
Row 2 (WS): Bind off 26 (30, 32, 36, 42) sts, p to end. 39 (43, 49, 53, 57) sts.
Continue working St st until the back part measures the same as the front. The last 6 rows are knitted in Garter st.
Bind off 39 (43, 49, 53, 57) sts.
Section 5: Finishings
Although you could knit it as you go, I decided to Duplicate st for the diaper, after the Koala is completed. Therefore, with a tapestry needle copy the “V” of the knitted sts where the diaper should be. You can watch this support video. Watch video.
Sew side seams with Mattress Stitch. Watch video.
Sew sleeve seams horizontally. Watch video.
Block the sweater.
Sew the 2 buttons.
Your Koala baby sweater is ready. 🙂
Thank you for knitting this pattern. You can share it on IG with #Koalababysweater and tag my @ileradebu. My name is Esti Juango and I knit for my family and myself. I have two Little daughters which are my great inspiration. If you like the pattern and you want to be updated with my designs please follow me on Ravelry and IG as @ileradebu. You can also visit my webpage www.ileradebu.com. If you have any question regarding the pattern you can write to: info@ileradebu.com