The Weekend Baby Sweater

For all you knitters out there, you know that many baby sweaters, while gorgeous, are really time consuming to create. The fine yarn requires nearly the same number of stitches as larger children's sizes.  I searched and searched for a baby sweater that could be made with thicker worsted weight yarn and came across a number of patterns called,"The Five Hour Sweater".  I played with one pattern by Jennifer Cox, Beth Koskie and Beverly A. Qualheim and stripped it down to its bare bones.  In five hours you can make this darling little sweater (size Newborn - 3 months) and it  requires a little more than half a skein of yarn and five buttons.  It is very economical to knit (about $7.50 unless you have expensive tastes in yarn and buttons).  And if you are a knitter, odds are good that you will have enough leftover yarn that your only expense is purchasing the buttons.  Enjoy. :)

The Weekend Sweater – Garter Neck and Hem Version
This pattern is a ‘bare bones’ version of a pattern called ‘5 Hour Baby Sweater’ adapted and corrected by Jennifer Cox, Beth Koskie and Beverly A. Qualheim © 2002, 2009 Materials: 6.5 mm needles, 1 skein of worsted medium weight yarn (170 g (285 m)), 5 buttons, matching thread with needle, 4 place markers (or use a contrasting colour of yarn tied in a loop and slipped over the needle), 4 stitch holders (or thread a contrasting colour of yarn through stitches not in use), a yarn needle Note: Slip the first Knit stitch of each row; it makes for a nicer edge on the button band. This pattern has a set number of rows, so I have written out the directions for each row to make it easier to follow.  This pattern is knitted from the neck down.  Multi-coloured yard works nicely Abbreviations: S = Slip, K = Knit, P = Purl, YO = Yarn Over, K2tog = Knit two stitches together, PM = place marker, Knit Loop = Knit the strand of yarn between two stitches in order to increase one stitch
R		Row	Instructions
			Cast on 38 stitches
		1	Knit
		2	Knit
		3	Button hole row: S1, k1, YO, K2tog, knit to end
		4	Knit
		5	K5, (K1, Knit loop, K1) repeat until 5 stitches remain.  K5 (52 stitches total)
		6	K5, Purl til 5 stitches remain, k5
		7	Knit
		8	K5, Purl til 5 stitches remain, k5
		9	K6, (K1, Knit loop, K2) repeat until 7 stitches remain, K1, Knit loop, K6 (66 st total)
		10	K5, Purl til 5 stitches remain, k5
		11	Knit
		12	K5, Purl til 5 stitches remain, k5
		13	K6, (K1, Knit loop, K3) repeat until 8 stitches remain, K1, Knit loop, K7 (80 stitches total)
		14	K5, Purl til 5 stitches remain, k5
		15	Button Hole row: K2, YO, K2tog, Knit to end
		16	K5, Purl til 5 stitches remain, k5
		17	K6, (K1, Knit loop, K4) repeat until 9 stitches remain, K1, Knit loop, K8 (94 stitches total)
		18	K5, Purl til 5 stitches remain, k5
		19	Knit
		20	K5, Purl til 5 stitches remain, k5
		21	Knit
		22	K5, Purl til 5 stitches remain, k5
		23	K7, (K1, Knit loop, K5) repeat until 9 stitches remain, K1, Knit loop, K8 (108 stitches total)
		24	K5, Purl til 5 stitches remain, k5
		25	K19, K1, Knit Loop, place marker / K1, Knit Loop, K15 (sleeve), K1, Knit Loop, pm / k1, Knit loop, K32 (back), K1, Knit loop, pm / K1, Knit Loop, K15 (sleeve), K1, Knit Loop, pm / k1, Knit loop, K19 (front) (116 stitches total)  Knit rows 26-30 as directed, transferring the place markers on each row.
		26	K5, Purl til 5 stitches remain, k5
		27	Button Hole Row: k2, YO, K2tog, knit remaining stitches increasing one stitch on either side of markers using the knit loop method (124 stitches total)
		28	K5, Purl til 5 stitches remain, k5
		29	K5, knit remaining stitches increasing one stitch on either side of markers using the knit loop method
		30	K5, Purl til 5 stitches remain, k5
		31	K23 and place on holder. K23 keeping on needle.  Place other stitches on holders
R		Rows	SLEEVES: Knit the first sleeve and then pick up the stitches from the second last stitch holder to knit the second sleeve.  The two fronts and back will all be knit together once the sleeves are complete.
		1	On the first sleeve, you have already knit the first row when placing other stitches on stitch holder.  For second sleeve, knit this row (23 stitches total)
		2	Purl
		3	Knit
		4	Purl
		5	Knit
		6	Purl
		7	Knit
		8	Purl
		9	Knit
		10	Purl
		11	Knit
		12	Purl
		13	Knit
		14	Purl
		15	Knit
		16	Purl
		17	(K2, P2) repeat to last three stitches. K1, K2tog (22 stitches total)
		18	(P2, K2) to end
		19	(K2, P2) to end
		20	(P2, K2) to end
		21	(K2, P2) to end
		22	(P2, K2) to end
		23	Cast off loosely in K2, P2 pattern.
			Body
		1	Right side facing, place first front panel on right needle.  Place remaining stitches on left needle.  Attach yarn to first underarm and knit to end of row
		2	K5, Purl to last five stitches, K5
		3	Knit
		4	K5, Purl to last five stitches, K5
		5	Knit
		6	K5, Purl to last five stitches, K5
		7	Knit
		8	K5, Purl to last five stitches, K5
		9	Button Hole Row: k2, YO, K2tog, Knit to end
		10	K5, Purl to last five stitches, K5
		11	Knit
		12	K5, Purl to last five stitches, K5
		13	Knit
		14	K5, Purl to last five stitches, K5
		15	Knit
		16	K5, Purl to last five stitches, K5
		17	Knit
		18	K5, Purl to last five stitches, K5
		19	Knit
		20	Knit
		21	Button Hole Row: k2, YO, K2tog, Knit to end
		22	Knit
		23	Knit
		24	Cast off. Sew sleeve seams and sew on buttons