DIY Baby Sweater Dress

What Prompts Me to DIY
The one ball of Bernat Baby Sport yarn that I bought for the Super Easy Infant Sweater is so big that there is at least 3/4 ball left after that sweater. So I decide to make a matching sweater dress from it. I thought that would use up most of what's leftover, but surprisingly, I still have about half a ball left! That's much a huge ball of yarn for just $6!!

Project
Baby Sweater Dress - Sized for Baby 12 Months

Materials
Yarn: Bernat Baby Sport, Color Funny Print
Knitting Needle: US10, US4

Time & Cost
Project Time: 25 Hr
Cost: $2

How (Adapted from Original)

1. Gauge: (US10) 18 sts = 4" in stockinette stitch; (US4) 26 sts = 4" in stockinette stitch.
2. Front Skirt:
1. (US10) Cast on 63 st. K 4 rows (row 1-4).
2. St st (k on RS, p on WS) until piece measures 10.5" (row 5-64). 
3. k3, (k2tog, k1) 20 times - 43 st (row 65).
4. bind off.
3. Front Bodice:
1. (US4) RS facing. Pick up k43, 1 row. p 1 row. (row 1-2)
2. k2, (kfb, k1) 20 times, k1 - 63 st (row 3).
3. St st until piece measures 11.5" (row 4-8).
4. bind off 7 sts, k to end - 56 st (row 9).
5. bind off 7 sts, p to end - 49 st (row 10).
6. k1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 - 47 st (row 11).
7. p1, p2tog, p to last 3 sts, p2tog, p1 - 45 st (row 12).
8. k1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 - 43 st (row 13).
9. p 1 row (row 14).
4. Front Neck:
1. k12, slip onto holder. bind off 19 sts. k to end (row 1).
2. p 1 row (row 2).
3. k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 - 11 sts (row 3).
4. p1, p2tog, p to end - 10 sts (row 4).
5. k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 - 9 sts (row 5).
6. p1, p2tog, p to end - 8 sts (row 6).
7. k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 - 7 sts (row 7).
8. St st until piece measures 15" (row 8-24).
9. bind off.
10. Slip the 12 stitch back onto US4, ready to work on WS. Join yarn, p to end. (row 2)
11. k1, k2tog, k to end - 11 sts (row 3).
12. p to last 3 sts, p2tog, p1 - 10 sts (row 4).
13. k1, k2tog, k to end - 9 sts (row 5).
14. p to last 3 sts, p2tog, p1 - 8 sts (row 6).
15. k1, k2tog, k to end - 7 sts (row 7).
16. St st until piece measures 15" (row 8-24).
17. bind off.
5. Back: Make same as Front.
6. Finishing
1. Neck: Seam across top of 1 shoulder. (on RS) pick up around Neck. bind off. Seam across other shoulder.
2. Armholes: (on RS) pick up around Armhole. bind off. Seam sides.

LLBB's super cute Baby Sweater Dress!

Tips

1. There are several challenges in this otherwise easy sweater dress, but nothing that a few tutorials can't teach. First is to pick up a bound off edge. This is done to add special effects to the piece such as this one where you change from a US10 to a US4 across the edge, thus making a gathered skirt effect. Here is a great Picture Tutorial by KD Sandy. You almost don't need to read the text! 
2. Second is to seam the shoulders and the sides of the dress in such a way that it looks as if it's knitted all in one piece. Here is a Complete Tutorial of Basic Seaming Techniques published on the Knit Simple Magazine. What you need to use for this dress is the Vertical Seam on Stockinette Stitch for the dress sides and Horizontal Seam on Stockinette Stitch for the shoulders.

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