Knitting a top-down baby sweater in Wacki Saki – 1 ball

This is the 6-month size of the top-down Wacki Saki sweater.

Wisdom Yarns Wacki Saki, a sock-weight, faux-Fair Isle, space-dyed yarn, is so soft that it’s perfect for a baby sweater. I designed this pattern at a looser gauge than one would think was okay to do with sock-weight yarn, but it works perfectly. Little Mason is modeling this faux-Fair Isle top-down sweater knit out of less than ⅔ a ball of Wacki Saki in the Absurd Aqua colorway. One full ball should be enough to finish the larger of the three sizes.

Main Pattern Information

Finished chest sizes 18¾” (20¾”, 23“) [48 (53, 58.5) cm]: sizes 6mo, (9mo, 18mo) Instructions given for smallest size, instructions for other sizes given in ( ) if different. Head Girth 17½″ [44.5cm] Length 15¾” (16″, 16½″) [40 (40.5, 41) cm] Gauge in st st in the round: 20 = 4″ [10cm], 26.5 rows = 4″ [10cm] materials • US 6 [4.25mm] circular needle or size necessary to achieve gauge. A 16” [40cm] circular is feasible, or a set of dpns but longer circular needles work for the magic loop method. • 2 stitch holders • 4 stitch markers • 2 lengths of scrap yarn

Top-Down Yoke

Cast on 86 sts, and, ensuring not to twist stitches, join to knit in the round. Rnd 1: [K1tbl, p1], rep between [ ] around. Rep Rnd 1 until work measures approx. ½” [1.5cm] Rnd 2: [K2, m1, k30, m1, k2, pm, k1, m1, k7, m1, k1, pm] twice. Markers indicate center of raglan faux seams–94 sts. Rnd 3: Knit. Rnd 4: [Knit to next marker, sm, k1, m1, knit to 1 st before next marker, m1, k1, sm] twice–98 sts. Rnd 5 and every odd round: knit.

The change in circumference between the body and the sleeves makes for a change in stripe width and placement of the space-dyed dots. Even though the sleeves are only fraternal twins, the whole sweater is very charming.

I added a little textural change along the fake raglan sleeves, but I don’t find that they are really all that helpful for the design so I’ve left them out. You can add any double moss stitch pattern 2 or 3 sts before and after each marker if you’d like. I just love how the space-dyed colors in Wacki Sakiwork into stripes and speckled sections.

Sizes 6mo and 9mo only

Rnd 6: Rep Rnd 4. 102sts Rnd 8: Knit. Rnd 10: [K2, m1, knit to 2 sts before next marker, m1, k2, sm, k1, m1, knit to 1 st before next marker, m1, k1, sm] twice. 110 sts Rnd 12: Knit. Rnd 14: Rep Rnd 4. 114 sts Rnd 16: Knit. Rnd 18: Rep Rnd 10. 122 sts Rnd 20: Knit. Rnd 22: Rep Rnd 4; (size 9morep Rnd 10). 126 (130) sts Rnd 23: Knit.

Size 9mo only

Rnd 24: Rep Rnd 10. 138 sts Rnd 25: Knit.

Size 18mo only

Rnd 6: [K2, m1, knit to 2 sts before next marker, m1, k2, sm, k1, m1, knit to 1 st before next marker, m1, k1, sm] twice. 106 sts Rnd 8: Knit. Rnd 10: Rep Rnd 6. 114 sts Rnd 12: Knit. Rnd 14: Rep Rnd 6. 122 sts Rnd 16: Knit. Rnd 18: Rep Rnd 6. 130 sts Rnd 20: Rep Rnd 4. 134 sts Rnd 22: Rep Rnd 6. 142 sts Rnd 24: Rep Rnd 6. 150 sts Rnd 26: [K2, m1, knit to 2 sts before next marker, m1, k2, sm, knit to next marker, sm] twice. 154 sts Rnd 27: Knit. Divide for sleeves & body Set-up Rnd: [K40 (44, 50), place next 23 (25, 27) sts on a stitch holder, with scrap yarn, cast on 7 (8, 8) sts] twice, removing all markers except last one to indicate beg of rnd. 94 (104, 116) sts for body. Next 8 rnds: K around.

Shaping for hips

Rnd 1: [K47 (52, 58), m1] twice. 96 (106, 118) sts Rnds 2-7: K around. Rnd 8: [K48 (53, 59), m1] twice. 98 (108, 120) sts K until body measures 6 (6¼″, 6½″) [15 (15.5, 16) cm] from armholes.

Ribbing

Rnd 1: [K1tbl, p1], rep between [ ] around. Rep Rnd 1 until ribbing measures approximately ¾″ (1″, 1″) [2 (2.5, 2.5) cm] Bind off loosely.

Sleeve

Return sts from st holder to needle, undo provisional cast-on at underarm and place 6 (7, 7) sts on needle. Join to knit in the round. 29 (32, 34) sts. Set-up Rnd: K around, working ssk at one edge of armhole sts to close gap due to stretching and k2tog at other edge of armhole sts. 27 (30, 32) sts. K in the round, working one k2tog at underarm every 8th row, twice–25 (28, 30) sts. Continue knitting in rounds until sleeve from armhole measures 4¼″ (4½″, 4¾″) [11.5 (12, 12.5) cm Work Ribbing as for body. Bind off loosely. Rep for other sleeve. Weave in all ends.