Crocheting a stretchy infant tee shirt

This green shirt with the flower attached is version one. If you crochet tightly you may wish to use a size larger hook when chaining for the neck opening. This crochet recipe is easy to adjust by adding to the starting chain and adjusting neck opening size. You can use a cotton tee shirt as a measurement guide for different sizes. This needs to be worked with a finer, soft yarn such as DK or Baby Sport.

(The same idea can be used to create a pull over long or short sleeve sweater using worsted wt yarn, however, it will be much heavier and the fabric will be thicker. )

Here are my working notes:

One piece infant tee shirt
My Working Notes

Appliqués, such as a crocheted flower or bunny, are optional

I hook and DK wt. baby yarn

CHAIN 44

Sc across (43)

Pattern Rows:
1.) begin with sc and then alternate DC and Sc across; end with a sc.
2.) Chain 2 (not used as a stitch) begin with DC and the alternate sc and Dc across ending with a DC.

VERSION ONE:

Repeat these 2 rows until piece measures four-inches including base sc row.
( 12 pattern rows)
Fasten off

Join yarn with ss in first loop on opposite side of base sc row.
Chain one and sc in same loop and in next 10; chain 20 and miss 20 loops; sc in 21st loop and in each loop to end.

8 for each short sleeve

To work body of shirt work in pattern across center stitches (need odd number for sweater stitch)


Finishing:
With right sides together, using same yarn, sew up sides and sleeves. Place yarn needle into and through sides of stitches. Do not sew too tightly. Weave in loose ends.
Finishing neck on version one only; sc loosely around neck edge placing one sc in each shoulder seam.

Version 2:

Chain 44
Sc 43
Shoulders and neck opening:
Sc in 12 and fasten off
In 2O the Sc join yarn with a slip stitch; chain one; sc in same and it next 11;
Turn and chain one; Sc in 12; Chain 19; sc in 12 sc on opposite shoulder.
Turn and chain one; sc in each sc and in each chain across.
From here on work ‘sweater stitch’ until piece measures 4 inches from center shoulder (neck) line.
Fasten off. (11 pattern rows )


Body of shirt:
Count 2 stitches on each side and mark 9th with scrap of yarn or a bobby pin.

Mark right side of shirt with a yarn bow.

With right side facing attach yarn with slip stitch in first loop of starting chain.
Work in pattern the same as first sleeve section.
Fasten off and mark 9th stitch on each side as before.

Work in pattern across center stitches until desired length (5 or 5 ½ or 6 inches from under arm)

Pink Matinee Jacket For A Baby Girl

This is a little matinee jacket created for a great niece. It is a loose fitting . 3/4 sleeve jacket. The garment chest measures 22 inches and the armhole circumference is 8-inches. The ribbons are tied on over a sc and then secured on the wrong side of the jacket with needle and sewing thread.

I thought some of you might appreciate my sharing the process of crocheting from scratch.

**************************************************************

Baby Girls' Crocheted Matinee Jacket

H, K and G Hooks
DK wt baby yarn

SINGLE CROCHET SQUARE YOKE:
(This is the basic method for making a square, raglan type single crochet yoke)

With G hook chain 41 (sc yoke is worked with size G hook)

Row One: sc in 7; 3 sc increase, sc in 4; 3sc increase; sc in 14; 3 sc increase; sc in 4; 3sc increase; sc in last 7; turn and chain one

Rows 2 to 12: sc in each sc and work a 3 sc increase in the center sc of each 3 sc increase group.

FORM ARMHOLES/SLEEVE OPENINGS:

Single Crochet up to the center sc of the increase group; miss the shoulder/sleeve stitches; sc in center sc of next increase group; sc across back placing last sc in center of increase group; miss shoulder stitches; again sc in center stitch of increase group; sc in remaining sc.

Count the sc stitches you now have to work the body of the garment on.

BODY OF GARMENT:

This is where you decide what stitch pattern you wish to use. Next you need determine if your chosen stitch pattern is based on an odd or an even number of stitches.

Let's say you have an even number and need an odd number - in this case you can rip out (frog) the last sc row (where you formed the armholes) to the center of the back and work an increase there.

Another choice is to place increases, evenly spaced that will adjust the stitch count. This will at the same time add some fullness. This can be done by working a sc increase row or by going back and re-doing the previous ( arm hole forming) row.

You might also decide to work a "beading row" to thread ribbon through at some point; perhaps below the arm hole forming row. To create a beading row you work either sc or dc ; chain one and miss one stitch; and then make another sc or dc in the next across the row ending with a chain one, miss one, sc or dc in last.

After 7th DC cluster row on body do not cut yarn; sc across hem and up side of front ( with right side of garment facing); change to SMALLER SIZE G hook when sc yoke is reached; sc around neck; down other side of yoke; changing back to LARGER SIZE H hook when DC Cluster rows are reached, join in first sc and fasten off.)

I have chosen to use alternate DC with 3DC cluster stitches in the little jacket I am making. (need odd number of stitches - 83)

SLEEVES: These are worked in the round right on the garment; the same as in the crochet Baby Boys' Matinee Jacket. (30 sc around sleeve on right side and then change to H hook and then turn and work same stitch pattern as body; Chain 3 for first DC ; alternate 3 DC cluster and DC; end with a 3 DC cluster and join with slip stitch in top of beginning chain 3; turn and chain one. After 4th DC cluster round work one more sc row; CHANGE TO SMALLER SIZE G HOOK; work one more cluster round; change to SIZE F HOOK; sc crochet around ( 30 sc); join in first sc; do not turn; work sc decrease over first 2 sc; sc around; work another sc decrease over last two sc; join in first sc and fasten off.)

WORKING NOTES:
After working the first pattern stitch row I decided it would look better if a larger, size H, hook was used at this point. Also to make the stitch pattern come out right I needed to skip on stitch at the end of the first row ( the cluster stitches are thick and the missed stitch does not show).

Also because this stitch pattern shows up best on the "wrong side" I am working one more sc row with the G hook before starting the fancy stitches and will work a row of sc in between each fancy row.

When working the sleeves it helps to count the stitches as they are worked on each sc round.

FINISHING: Weave in loose ends. Add ribbon or crocheted ties at neck and at last sc row before body of garment. Button loops and buttons can be used in place of ties.

Baby Boy Crochet Matinee Jacket Pattern

This little jacket is prettier in person than in the photo. This was created for a baby boy in our family circle and was inspired by matinee jackets I have knit. Ribbon ties can be used in place of the crocheted ones. I often use either the Bernat Baby Softee DK wt. yarn or the Red Heart Baby Soft which is a baby sport wt. Both are soft, come in a good variety of colors and are in a price range that is considerate of those of us who must really pinch our pennies, nickles and dimes. These are excellent quality acrylic yarns. Also, they are locally available and can be ordered on line as well.

Here is my recipe. You are invited, as always, to make your own changes.

Bernat Baby Softee DK wt.baby yarn
Size G & F Hooks

G hook is for the yoke, body and sleeves.

F hook is for the sleeve edging, ties and neck edging.


With G hook Chain 41

ROW 1 :sc in 7, 3sc inc, sc in 4; 3 sc inc., sc in 14., 3sc inc., sc in 4, 3 sc inc., sc in last 7

ROW 2: sc across working 3 sc increase in center st of ea previous 3 sc inc,

ROW 3: Chain 2 and then DC in ea sc making a 5 DC inc. in center st of ea 3 sc inc. on previous row

ROW 4: Chain 2 and then Dc in ea DC making a 3 DC inc. in center DC of ea 5 dc inc. group.

ROW 5 to 8 : Chain 2 and then DC in ea DC making a 3 DC inc. in center of each 3 DC inc. group.

ROW 9: Arm hole row; Chain 2 and then Dc in each DC to first 3 DC inc; work 2 DC in center stitch; skip shoulder stitches; work 2 DC in center stitch of 3 DC inc.; DC in ea Dc to next 3 DC inc.; again work 2 DC in center stitch; skip over the shoulder stitches; work 2 DC in center of 3 DC inc.; DC to end of row.

BEGIN BODY OF GARMENT:

ROW 10 to 19: Chain 2 and then Dc in each DC to end of row. Do not fasten off at end of last DC row. Turn and chain one to start edging.

(OR repeat ROW 10 until desired length.)

Scalloped edging:
Chain one; sc in first stitch; “chain 2 and miss next stitch; sc in next”.
Repeat between “and “.
Fasten off. Weave loose end in neatly on wrong side.

TIES AND NECK EDGING:
Change to a size F crochet hook.

Chain 36. (leaving a 4-inch tail)
Attach chain to bottom of first DC below the 2 sc at the neck.
Work 4 sc up to the corner (place end of hook through sides of stitches and not around them).
Work 3 sc in first beginning chain loop to turn the corner.
Sc in each chain loop around neck; working 3 sc in last chain loop.
Work 4 sc down side and one in bottom of first DC.
Chain 36 and fasten off, again leaving a 4-inch tail (OR chain 37; slip stitch in second chain from hook and in each chain; sc in each sc around neck and slip stitch in each chain) fasten off, knot ends and trim.

SLEEVES:

Join yarn with a slip stitch bottom of sleeve opening; chain one; 3 sc in side of DC and sc in each st around;3 sc along remaining edge; join with ss in first sc;(28 stitches; just be sure to have the same number of stitches on each sleeve)

Chain 3 for first DC and DC in each sc around; join with ss in 3rd chain of first sc; Continue to chain 3 and work DC rounds until there are 7 rounds on the sleeve. Join and turn as before; chain one CHANGE TO F HOOK and sc in each stitch around. Fasten off.

Work second sleeve the same way.

NOTE: I use a lot of plain vanilla DC and agree with my daughter who proclaimed DC to be a 'very pretty' stitch all by itself. Double crochet compliments both plain colored yarn or a print, speckled or multi color yarn.. and is a stitch that helps to show off the yarn. Also, a well made DC hat, cardigan, jacket, vest and so on will show off the baby rather than the garment. It is the baby who should first receive the compliments and attention :-)

How to create a basic neck down crochet raglan

A FROM SCRATCH SQUARE YOKE (INFANT Size)

This neck-down yoke works for a variety of layette garments including cardigans, jackets, kimonos, vests and dresses.

When making a neck down yoke the basic idea is to work increase rows until the shoulder section measures to equal
the proper armhole depth or sleeve/armhole opening width (circumference).

I have chosen to use an F hook and soft, DK wieght yarn (Bernat Softee Baby). The smaller hook produces a neater,
daintier stitch which looks more in keeping with how small young infants are.

begining chain
1- 7- 1- 4- 1- 14- 1- 4- 1- 7

(total of 41 chain stitches)

The 1 at the bginning represents the chain that will be gobbled up when the first sc is made. (I decided to begin
the yoke with a nice, neat sc row.)

There are 7 chains for each front; 4 for each shoulder, and 14 for the garment back.

Each 1 in between the numbers represents a chain where a 3 sc increase will be worked.

Basically the back needs to be double the size of the front, and each shoulder is about half the size of each front.

Because I need this to have a soft feel and also need it to work up more quickly I have chosen use double crochet as the main stitch.

For a nicer looking edge the chain 2 at the beginning of each row will not be worked into or counted as stitch.

(This also creates a fabric edge that is more stable and easier to work stitches into if need be.)

A 3 DC increase is worked in the center sc of each 3 sc increase group.

NOTE ABOUT INCREASES:
I prefer the 3 dc group as I end up with a more tailored look and a slightly sloping shoulderline which fits nicely
- and there are no holes which at times will detract from the design. Using the 3dc increase is more organic ;
meaning it blends in and grows naturally within the fabric.

When working single crochet rows one may use different types of increases; for example a group of 3 sc; or 5 sc or sc - chain 1 - sc.

On double crochet increase rows you might choose to use a group of 3 or 5 DC; or a shell of 2 DC - chain 1 - 2DC;
or DC -chain 1 - DC.

You might sometimes place an even row worked ( with no increasing) in between the increase rows.

And then another time you might begin with, for example, a 5 DC increase and then change at some point to a 3 DC increase.

The closed group increases produce a more solid raglan line while the open shell decreases will result in a raglan line defined by a slanting row of holes or eyelets.

Garment body:

When it comes time to begin the body; chain 2 as usual and DC across to the first 3 DC increase group. Work 2 DC in
the center stitch; skip over the shoulder stitches and work 2 DC in the center stitch of the next increase group;
Dc across back working 2 DC in the center stitch of the next 3 DC group; again skip the shoulder stitches and work
2 DC in the center stitch and then DC to end.You will notice that this row will ( in this case) add about one inch
to the sleeve opening circumference.

I worked 8 increase rows on yoke of this little sweater and then began the body portion.

Needed to work 12 rows on the body and then one row of sc at the hem ( on right side).

SUGGESTED NECK FINISHIING & TIES:Chain 33 and then sc around neck edge ( sc in each begining chain loop); skip one loop on either side of each
shoulder section; chain 34; slip stitch in second chain from hook and in each chain; slip stitch in each sc along
neck edge and then in each of the first 33 chains, fasten off. Knot ends and trim. If desired a second set of ties
can be made on the edges of the 8th or 9th DC row down from the neck edge.

SLEEVE SUGESTIONS:

FOR VEST: attach yarn on right side at bottom of arm hole and work one round of single crochet (27 sc in this case)

FOR SAQUE OR CARDIGAN: work sc as above and then work rounds of DC for desired sleeve length. Decrease on last
round by working a decrease at the begining or end of the round. Edge with a round of single crochet. Join and turn
each new round so that the sleeve will retain the same alternating row texture as the yoke and body.

OTHER FINISHING SUGGESTIONS:
When making a cardigan I sometimes work a single crochet button band on one side of the front and a corresponding
sc button hole band on the other.
Crocheted or purchased appliques can be sewn on.

NOTE ABOUT JACKETS:
When crocheting a jacket or vest meant to be worn as an outer garment keep in mind that these will need to be loose
enough and with arm holes and sleeves that will fit comfortably over clothing. A regular cardigan or vest can be
made to fit more closely.

Using different hook sizes or a different yarn ( perhaps baby, sport or worsted weight will result in a different
look and will affect the finished size.) Also, if your tension is tighter or looser than mine this will also
produce a different gauge.Using an F hook and DK wt. baby yarn my gauge here is: 5 DC rows per 2 inches and 5 DC
stitches per one inch.

Anyway, this is basically how I work out basic, plain DC "neck down" raglan garments of all sizes... with
variations on the theme (of course!).
If you are unsure of yourself you might wish to begin by creating vests, cardigans and jackets for a baby doll.

***************************

I copied and pasted the above notes from Notepad on my pc and they came out a bit odd. Need to remember to use Word Pad instead!

Simple Crochet Baby Sweaters..

Usually I crochet basic little baby, toddler or child's cardigans or jackets 'from scratch' based on a basic double or single crochet yoke. I decided to go looking on line for patterns that look similar to my own recipes and found quite a few. All appear to be very nice, basic patterns. I have used only two of them.

I used one (SLK saque) to crochet a cute, short sleeve cardigan for one of our great nieces. I used an H hook and Bernat Softee Baby - which is DK weight and slightly thicker than the recommended sport weight - as I needed a larger garment. Added a few rows to the body of the garment and chained 32 in place of 50 for the ties. Basically this is very like many other double crochet sweaters (cardigans..etc.). The instructions are clear and decreases are well placed for shaping the short sleeves and garment body. I did need to sew up gaps left at each underarm. Good beginner pattern.

SLK BABY SAQUE
http://susan.kraus.net/pages/pattern4.html

Here are a few more free patterns for simple, basic baby sweaters:

CUTE AS A BUTTON BABY SWEATER
Has photo.
Beginner pattern.
J Hook
Sport Yarn
Size 3 to 6 months (can be increased)
http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/patterns/cute_as_a_button_baby_sweater.php

BABY IT's COLD OUTSIDE
Has photos; including how to assemble photos.
Adapted from an older knit pattern
Lion Brand Homespun Chunky Yarn
2 buttons
H hook
http://www.crochetme.com/Feb_Mar_2005/patt_baby_sweater.html

BETH'S BABY SWEATER
Has photo.
Worsted Weight yarn
Size H crochet hook
http://bundlesoflove.org/CrochetedBabySweater

DONNA'S CROCHETED SWEATER
(I have used this pattern and rate it as an advanced beginner pattern. This makes a small infant size sweater.)
Has photo
Baby yarn
G hook
http://www.touchinglittlelives.org/donnasweater.html

DONNA'S NEWBORN BABY SWEATER
Has photo
F hook
Baby yarn
http://www.touchinglittlelives.org/donnasweater1.html

LIL' DARLIN BABY SWEATER
Has photo
3 to 6 months size
H hook
Caron Simply Soft
http://bythehook.blogdrive.com/archive/185.html

Child or Infant Crocheted Hat or Cap

This is my own crochet recipe and I have used it many times. The hats can be made plain following the instructions exactly - or you may add your own details and make any changes your heart desires. However, it will help to first make one or more plain vanilla hats ( which are very nice on thier own). Using different types of yarn or wool will create different looks. The instructions are meant for 4 ply worsted wieght yarn such as the Red Heart Classic or any yarn with a similiar thickeness. These practical hats work up fairly quick and look cute on the little ones.

Simple Double Crochet Cold Weather Caps
(Infant and Child's Sizes)

I hook and 4 ply worsted weight yarn

Last 3 or 4 or so DC rounds are turned up to form a ear warmer cuff.

Starting at crown of hat:

*Form ring by wrapping yarn twice around index finger and then pulling a loop of the working yran through with your crochet hook. **Chain 2 and then work 18 DC in the ring. Join in the top of the first Dc with a slip stitch and then chain 2 to begin the second round. Pull yarn tail to tighten circle. The ch 2 is not used or counted as a stitch.

(*Or chain 4 or 5, join to form a ring , chain 2 and work 18 DC in the ring.)

(**If you prefer you have my permission to chain 3 for the first DC rather than 2.)

Second Round: DC in same place as the ch 2 and then increase by making 2 DC in the next stitch; Dc in next and inc in next around. Join as before and chain 2. (=26 Dc)

Third Round: DC in two and increase in next stitch around. Join as before. Chain 2. (=36 DC)

Fourth Round: DC in 3 and increase in next around. Join and chain 2.
(=45 stitches )

Stop here for infant's cap (15 inch circumference). Continue to work even for ten more rounds (or until desired length).

Fifth Round: DC in 4 and increase in next stitch around. (=55 stitches)

Stop here for toddler's size ( 18 inch circumference) cap. Continue to work even for 10 or 11 more rounds on 55 stitches.

Edging: sc in 3, increase in next around.

A few knit baby socks

The socks in this photo were made from an easy, two needle tube sock pattern and self-striping cotton yarn.


newborn knit cap and socks(no photo)

basic baby socks(has photo)

super quick baby socks(worsted wt yarn/has photo)