Chapter 3: How To Crochet A Baby Sweater
There is a great deal of choice when it comes to baby sweaters, but the main things to keep in mind are comfort and fit. One will directly influence the other, of course. If the sweater doesn’t fit the child, they won’t be comfortable. An uncomfortable baby will let you know by fussiness or crying, and you don’t want that! If you’re going to make baby clothes with crochet, there are some measurements you need to know. Keep in mind, however, that these are only averages. Babies vary in size!
If in doubt, it’s a good rule of thumb to make the garment a little bigger. Babies will always grow, so a little more room is a good thing.
In handcrafted garments, whether made by knitting or crochet, one factor that plays into how your garment will fit is called “ease.” A garment that has “negative ease,” such as socks, will have a smaller dimension than the body part wearing it. If we stick with our sock example, this means that the sock is slightly smaller than the foot it’s intended for. This is what keeps handmade socks from sliding down off the foot. In contrast, “positive ease” is larger than the body part wearing it. Going back to our baby sweater—2” of positive ease will give the baby room to wriggle and move in the sweater. You don’t want a sweater for a baby to have negative ease!
The following pattern is for a sweater that will fit most newborn babies. The sweater should have two inches of positive ease, giving lots of room for the baby to be comfortable.
Abbreviations used in this pattern:
● ch = chain
● ch # = chain # stitches, # is the specified number of stitches
● rep = repeat
● sc = single crochet
● sl st= slip stitch
● sp = space
● st(s) = stitch(es)
Materials: