Whit's Knits: Snuggle Sack (and Bonus Hat!)

purl bee — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:29:58 +0000

The Snuggle Sack is designed for total toastiness. Made out of soft merino wool, it will stow your baby inside a warm hug!

This project celebrates Purl's new line of YKK Zippers, which come in a wide variety of sizes, styles and colors. Zippers are too wonderful a convenience to avoid, so if you have fears, conquer them with our new Zipper Tutorial. It walks you through the easy steps of sewing a zipper into a knit garment. I promise you will wonder what all the fuss was about!

Materials

Knitting Materials

Alchemy Yarns' Temple, 100% superfine merino (superwash too!). 5 skeins of the Main Color and 1 skein of each of the five Contrast Colors. These colors are:

A 24 inch US #5 circular needle

Stitch markers

A size E or F crochet hook

Sewing Notions

A 12 inch Non-Separating Molded Plastic Zipper. This color is Yellow.
Gutermann Cotton Thread. This is color #1240.
A Hand Sewing Needle
Straight Pins
2 buttons, 3/4 of an inch in diameter

The Pattern

Gauge

6 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch

Finished Size

To fit an infant, 0-6 months old

Circumference = 24 1/2 inches

Length from neck to feet = 20 inches

The Bottom

With the Main Color (MC), cast on 150 stitches.

Place a marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.

Knit until the piece measures 1 inch from the cast edge.

Knit through the following chart, starting at the lower right corner. Read across the chart to the lower left corner. Repeat that row until the end of the round (5 times). Then move one line up the chart, starting again at the right side of the chart, reading left. (Please see the Materials list to clarify which colors represent which yarns.)

(If you would rather make up your own fair isle pattern, check out our Design Tutorial for tips. Make sure that whatever you design divides evenly into 150 stitches.)

(Or, if you would rather not do any fair isle, just knit until the piece measures 5 1/2 inches from the cast on edge and proceed to the Zipper Band Prep section.)

Once you've finished the chart, knit 3 rounds with the MC.

Zipper Band Prep

Round 1: K70, place a marker, [k1, p1] 5 times, k to end of round.

Round 2: K to marker, [p1, k1] 5 times, p1, k to end of round.

Round 3: K to marker, [k1, p1] 5 times, k to end of round.

Repeat Rounds 2 and 3.

Next Round: K to marker, [p1, k1] 2 times, p1, bind off 1 stitch, [k1, p1] 2 times, k to end. (149 stitches)

The Main Body

To begin: Remove the end of round marker, k to the next marker, [k1, p1] 2 times, k1. (You're only half way around the work at this point.)

Turn the work so the purl side is facing you.

From now on, you will be working back and forth in rows, knitting 1 row, purling the next.

Row 1 (wrong side): [k1, p1] 2 times, k1, slip marker, p139, place a marker, [p1, k1] 2 times, p1.

Turn the work so the knit side is facing you.

Row 2 (right side): [P1, k1] 2 times, p1, slip the marker, knit to next marker, [k1, p1] 2 times, k 1.

Turn the work.

Row 3: [K1, p1] 2 times, k1, slip the marker, purl to next marker, [p1, k1] 2 times, p1.

Repeat the last 2 rows until the piece measures 9 inches from the button band opening. End with a purl side row.

(If you find the markers more annoying than helpful, just remove them and remember to do 5 seed stitches at each end of every row.)

The Shoulders

Row 1 (right side): [P1, k1] 2 times, p1, k28, k2tog, place a marker, k4, ssk, k67, k2tog, place a marker, k4, ssk, k28, [k1,p1] 2 times, k1. (4 stitches decreased, 145 stitches)

Row 2 (wrong side): [K1, p1] 2 times, k1, purl to the last 5 stitches, [p1, k1] 2 times, p1.

Row 3: [P1, k1] 2 times, p1, knit to 2 stitches before first marker, k2tog, slip the marker, k4, ssk, knit to 2 stitches before the next marker, k2tog, slip the marker, k4, ssk, knit to the last 5 stitches, [k1,p1] 2 times, k1. (4 stitches decreased)

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 sixteen more times. (77 stitches remain)

The Neckband

Row 1 (wrong side): *P1, k1, repeat from * for 38 stitches, p2tog, **k1, p1, repeat from ** to last stitch, k1. (76 stitches)

Row 2 (right side): *K1, p1, repeat from * to end.

Row 3: *P1, k1, repeat from * to end.

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 two more times.

The Hood

Row 1 (wrong side): [K1, p1] 2 times, k1, *p11, make 1, repeat from * 4 more times, p12, [k1, p1] 2 times. (81 stitches)

Row 2 (right side): [P1, k1] 2 times, p1, knit to last 5 stitches, [k1, p1] 2 times, k1.

Row 3: [K1, p1] 2 times, k1, purl to last 5 stitches, [p1, k1] 2 times, p1.

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until hood measures 8 inches from the top of the neckband.

Cut the tail about 20 inches long.

With the wrong sides facing each, use the Kitchener Stitch to graft the hood together.

(You'll probably notice that the seed stitch border gets interrupted by the Kitchener Stitch. Even if you adapted the Kitchener Stitch for seed stitch, there would be a break in the pattern because the two sides aren't the same, so I just accept this as one of those inevitable knitting flaws that make something handmade! Hopefully, you'll see the problem in the same light!)

Sew the tail through to the inside of the hood.

Sew the Bottom Together

Now is probably a good time to sew in all your ends, if you haven't already. It will be easier to do this next step without a lot of ends getting in your way.

Using a new piece of yarn about a yard long, sew the center front to the center back. (Use the fair isle pattern to locate the center stitches.) Pull the yarn only half way through, so you can sew to the left with one half and to the right with the other half.

Keeping the wrong sides facing each other, sew under a knit stitch on one side (right under the cast on edge).

Then sew under the knit stitch directly across from that one.

Continue in this manner, back and forth, all the way to the corner. Pull the yarn to the inside.

Sew the other half of the seam in the same way.

The Zipper

Gently block the Snuggle Sack, being careful that it doesn't stretch out too much.

Then sew in the zipper. Please visit our Zipper Tutorial if you need some help with this step.

The Button Tab

With the MC, cast 20 stitches onto the same US #5 needle you have been using.

Row 1: Knit into the front and back (kfb), *k1, p1, repeat from * to the last stitch, kfb. (22 stitches)

Repeat Row 1 four more times, increasing 2 stitches each row. (ending with 30 stitches)

Buttonhole Row: [p1, k1] 3 times, yo, k2tog, [p1, k1] 7 times, p1, yo, p2tog, [k1, p1] 2 times, k1.

Next Row: K2tog, *k1, p1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, ssk. (28 stitches)

Repeat the last row 4 more times, decreasing 2 stitches each row. (ending with 20 stitches)

Bind off in the seed stitch pattern. Do not cut the yarn.

With the same yarn and a crochet hook, slip stitch around the entire edge of the button tab. Cut the yarn fairly long, and pull the tail through the last stitch.

Fold the button tab in half (point to point) and mark the middle with a removable stitch marker or a scrap of yarn. Lining the middle of the button tab up with the center of the zipper, situate the tab over the zipper pull.

Place a button directly on top of either buttonhole.

Sew that button onto the Snuggle Sack, right through the buttonhole. Remove the button tab, and sew the second button to the other side of the zipper, perfectly symmetrical to the first button.

Replace the button tab by buttoning the buttons. Use the tail to sew one half of the button tab to the Sack (whichever side you prefer - I sewed the right side.). Now the tab opens on one side and stays put on the other, so you'll never lose it!

You're done! Ready to snuggle!

Bonus Baby Hat!

One thing about fair isle is, it can leave you with a big pile of unused yarn. So, quick! Knit up a few of these coordinating hats to keep baby extra snugly.

Materials

The scrap yarn from your Snuggle Sack (any three colors you want!)
A 16 inch US #4 circular needle
A 16 inch US #5 circular needle
A set of US #5 double pointed needles
A Pom Pom Maker

The Pattern

Using the US#4 circular needle, cast on 90 stitches. Place a marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.

Round 1: *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 1 inch from cast on edge.

Change colors and also change to the US# 5 circular needle.

Knit every round until piece measures 3 1/2 inches from the cast on edge.

Next Round: *K8, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (81 stitches)

Knit 2 rounds.

Next Round: *K7, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (72 stitches)

Knit 2 rounds.

Next Round: *K6, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (63 stitches)

Knit 2 rounds.

Next Round: *K5, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (54 stitches)

Knit 2 rounds.

Next Round: *K4, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (45 stitches)

Knit 1 round.

(You may want you to switch to the double pointed needles around now or whenever the stitches no longer comfortably reach around the circular needle.)

Next Round: *K3, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (36 stitches)

Next Round: *K2, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (27 stitches)

Next Round: *K1, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (18 stitches)

Next Round: *K2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (9 stitches)

Cut the tail and sew it through the remaining stitches.

Using a third color and the second smallest pom pom form, make a nice dense pom pom. (For tips on using your Pom Pom Maker, visit our Pom Pom Tutorial.)

Bring the tails of the pom pom through the top center opening to the inside of the hat. Sew one tail under a stitch, then tie the tails in a knot . Weave in all the ends.

Here's a bonus Bonus Hat!: