Blizzard-Proof Baby Romper

Free Baby Romper Knitting Pattern

If you're looking to make a nice, thick, woolen romper, this is the pattern for you. Knitted with garter stitch, it feels very solid and is excellent for cold weather. The shoulders are raglan-style for a smooth, comfortable fit.

A note on knitting rompers for babies: the crucial dimension for fit is the length of the body (center neck back to crotch). Make this slightly longer than needed so as to ensure the romper fits all season long -- kids at this age grow fast!

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
-Increasing: yarn over (YO), make 1 (m1)
-Decreasing: knit 2 together (k2tog), slip-slip-knit (ssk)
-Working in the round on double pointed needles
-Picking up stitches

Sizes: 6 (12, 18, 24)

Shown in size 24 with 3 inches of positive ease.

Finished Measurements
Chest: 26 (28, 29.5, 31) inches [65 (70, 74, 78) cm]
Length: 13 (14.5, 16, 16.5) inches [33 (36, 40, 41) cm]
Sleeve: 6.5 (7.5, 8, 8.5) inches [16 (19, 20, 21) cm]
Inseam: 8 (9, 10, 11) inches [20 (22.5, 25, 28) cm]

Materials:

100 % wool DK weight yarn (238 yards (220 meters)/100 gr – 3 (4, 4, 4) balls
9-11 small buttons

Notions: Yarn needle, 9-11 small buttons, sewing needle and thread to attach buttons

Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) circular needles OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE.
For the sleeves, I use the “magic loop” method and 32” circular needles. You can also use dpn.

Gauge for garter st: 16 sts x 40 rows = 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm)

Abbreviations:

k - knit
p - purl
k2tog - knit 2 together
ssk – slip, slip, knit
pu&k- pick up and knit
yo - yarn over
m1 - make 1 increase - I used the increase described by Elizabeth Zimmerman: make a backward loop over the right-hand needle and in the next row/round purl/knit as a regular stitch.
RS - right side
WS - wrong side

Pattern Notes

Garter St in rows:
All rows – knit

Garter st in rounds
Round 1: knit
Round 2: purl
Repeat 2 rounds

Rib 1x1 in rounds multiple of 2
*K 1, p 1 - repeat from * around



Romper: short overview of the pattern

The romper is worked top-down in garter st. The yoke is worked back and forth with raglan sleeves.

The body is worked back and forth, and then in the round. The sleeves and the legs are worked in the round.

Raglan increases are worked with M1 increases before and after the marked raglan stitches first in each right side (RS) row, then in every other RS row, thus the number of stitches in these RS rows is increased by 8.

Selvedge/edge stitches are worked in the following way: slip the first stitch in a row, purl the last one.


Yoke

Cast on 51 stitches and knit 1 foundation row.

Check the stitches and place markers:
1 selvedge – 10 left front + button band - 1 raglan (place a marker before this st) - 6 left sleeve - 1 raglan (place the second marker before this st) – 13 back- 1 raglan (place the third marker before this st) - 6 right sleeve - 1 raglan (place the forth marker before this st) - 10 right front + button band - 1 selvedge

Row 1 (RS, raglan increase row):sl1, *knit to the marker, m1, sm, k1 (raglan st), m1, - repeat frpm * 4 times, knit to last st, p1. = 59 sts

Row 2 (WS) and all WS/even rows: knit to last st, p1.
Work 40 (44, 46, 48) rows as established. Work raglan increases 4 (4, 5, 6) times in every RS row. Then work raglan increases 8 (9, 9, 9) times in every other RS row.

AT THE SAME TIME work button holes on the right front for girls and on the left front for boys as follows:
Starting from row 5, work 3 button band sts: k1, yo, k2tog. Work next button hole every 16 rows (8 ridges).

Total number of sts before division = 147 (155, 163, 171) sts


Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Row 41 (45, 47, 49): work left front sts + raglan st, transfer left sleeve sts to a piece of waste yarn, cast on 4 sts for underarm, work 1 raglan st + back sts + 1 raglan st, transfer right sleeve sts to a piece of waste yarn, cast on 4 sts for underarm, work 1 raglan st + right front sts. Continue to work in garter st back and forth.


Body

Work 80 (92, 104, 108) rows.

Next row: Work this row as established, till the last 4 stitches, transfer the last 4 sts of the button band to a spare needle, position it over the beginning 4 sts of the button band (for girls; for boys, position it under it), left and spare needle in left hand. Insert the right needle in the first stitch on the spare needle, then in the first stitch on the left needle and knit both sts together. Repeat with the remaining 3 sts. Place a marker, that will be a beginning of the round. Place another marker in the middle of the button band - there should be 2 button-band sts before the marker, and 2 sts after the marker. Count the stitches you have on your needle now, and place another marker halfway. This will be the back center st.


Continue to work garter st in rounds: one round knit, the next round purl.

Increase round: in every knit round make M1 increase on both sides of front and back center sts (4 increases per round) as follows: knit till the marker, *m1, sm, k1, m1, knit till the next marker, repeat from * one more time. Work the increase round a total of 5 times (10 rounds: 5 knit with the increase, 5 purl).


Divide for legs

Starting from the front center stitch work to the center of the back (stop before the back center st), transfer the rest of the stitches to a length of yarn, cast on 3 (3, 5, 5, 7) sts with single cast-on, join with the front center st and continue to work one leg in rounds on DPN or circular needles (using "magic loop" method). Place marker after the 1st cast-on st, this will be the beginning of the round.

Work 70 (78, 88, 98) rounds or to desired length, keeping in mind that the last 12 rounds of 1x1 rib, will add about 2” (5 cm) to the length of the leg.

AT THE SAME TIME decrease by 1 st by working alternatively k2tog and ssk in every 6th round at the marker. Work decreases till the beginning of the rib.
The last round before the 1x1 rib work as follows: *k1, k2tog - repeat from * to the end of the round.

Work 12 rounds of rib 1x1. Bind off.

Second Leg

Transfer stitches from the length of yarn, cast on 3 (3, 5, 5, 7) st with single cast on, join and continue to work the leg in rounds the same way as the first leg.


Sleeve

Transfer sleeve sts to circular needles, pu&k 4 sts underarm. Place marker between the underarm sts to mark the beginning of the round.

Work 66 (76, 80, 86) rounds. Decrease by 1 st by working alternatively k2tog and ssk in every 6th round at the marker. Total 5 times.

If you would like to change the sleeve length, do it at this point, keeping in mind that the last 12 rounds of 1 x 1 rib will add about 2” (5 cm) to the length of the sleeve.

The last round before the 1x1 rib work as follows: *k1, k2tog - repeat from * to the end of the round.

Work 12 rounds of rib 1x1. Bind off.


Collar

Pu&k 51 st along the neckline and work 22 rows of 1 x 1 rib. If you would like to button the collar, make button holes in rows 9 and 17, by working yo, k2tog on the same side as the button holes on the body of the romper. Bind off.

Finishing

Weave in ends. Sew on buttons.

Have fun!

Click image to enlarge