Sleeveless Sweater Pattern #5047

SIZE 2-3

MATERIALS: Chadwick's Red Heart Baby Wool, 2 balls (1 oz. balls) of any color.
Milward's Phantom Knitting Pins, 1 pair No. 1 (2½ mm. size).
6 pearl buttons.

Gauge: 9 sts make 1 inch; 12 rows make 1 inch.

Work starts at bottom of Back, continues up to the shoulders and down the front in 2 sections—Left and Right Fronts.

BACK … Cast on 86 sts and work in ribbing of k 2, p 2, for 1½ inches. Change to stockinette st (k 1 row, p 1 row) and work for 5 inches, ending with a p row. Next row: K across. Following row: K 6 (garter st border), p across to within last 6 sts, k 6 (garter st border). Repeat last 2 rows alternately 2 more times.

TO SHAPE ARMHOLES … Keeping the 6 border sts at both ends in garter st, dec. 1 st (just inside border) at both ends of next row and every other row thereafter until 68 sts remain. Work straight, keeping border pattern, until piece measures 11½ inches in all, ending with a p row. Next row: K across. Following row: K 6, p 10, k 36, p 10, k 6. Repeat the last 2 rows alternately 3 more times. Next row: K 22 (right shoulder), bind off 24 sts loosely for back of neck, k 22 (left shoulder). Following row: K 6 (armhole border), p 10, k 6 (front border); mark this point with a colored thread.

LEFT FRONT … Keeping armhole edge straight and continuing border pattern at both ends, inc. 1 st inside front border on next row and every 4th row thereafter until 15 sts in all are increased at front edge; but, when piece measures 3½ inches from colored thread, inc. 1 st inside armhole border every other row 9 times in all (46 sts). Work armhole border to correspond with Back armhole border. Then, keeping both edges straight and continuing front border for remainder of piece, work to correspond with Back. Bind off.

RIGHT FRONT … Attach yarn at opposite neck edge and work to correspond until armhole border is completed. Then make a buttonhole 2 sts in from front edge on next row and every 1¼ inches thereafter until 6 in all are made—to make a buttonhole, on one row bind off 2 sts; on next row, cast on 2 sts to replace those bound off. Complete Right Front as for Left Front, having last buttonhole in front border when ¾ inch of ribbing is done.

Press through damp cloth. Sew up underarm seams. Sew on buttons.

This pattern was originally published in Spool Cotton #138, Woolies for Infants and has passed into the public domain: the source states these designs "are no longer protected by copyright and you are free to do whatever you would like to do with them." It is reproduced here verbatim, including original vintage terminology, abbreviations, and measurements, which may differ from modern conventions. You can view the original transcription at freevintageknitting.com.