Why We Love This Knit Ballet Wrap Pattern
This adorable toddler ballet wrap is rather easy to knit, though even knitters with intermediate skills will find it a bit of a challenge. Simply follow the pattern and work it step-by-step. It will begin to make sense as you knit. This knitting pattern uses a few basic stitches to create an eyelet and the cardigan is knit in five pieces: back, two front panels, and two sleeves. The eyelet pattern is a quatrefoil lace, which has a set of four delicate holes set against a stockinette background. It’s not a very holey or loose eyelet so it won’t catch on everything your ballerina passes by. You will also learn how to do a provisional cast on with this pattern. It’s very simple and uses a waste yarn to keep the cast on stitches “live” while you work up the sweater. As you finish each piece, you will not bind-off, either. Instead, the remaining stitches are placed on a holder (again, waste yarn works well). All of these live stitches are used when finishing the sweater. It’s a very fun project on a small scale (2T through 4T), so it will give you a lot of practice with some of these new skills.
Materials Needed
About 270 (280, 310) yards or two (2, 3) skeins medium-weight yarn, preferably cotton or linenWaste yarn in a contrasting color Size 8 US (5 mm) knitting needles or size needed to obtain gaugeOne extra needle for three-needle bind-offSize 8 US (5 mm) circular needlesTwo size 8 US (5mm) double-pointed needles or an additional circular needleSize 8 (5 mm) crochet hookThree stitch holdersTape measure, scissors, and yarn needle
Pattern Gauge and Size
Gauge: Four stitches and six rows per inch in Stockinette Stitch. Size: Finished sweater is 9 (9.5, 10) inches long in back and measures 21 (22, 24) inches around the chest. For 2T (3T, 4T). Instructions are given for smallest size first with larger sizes in parentheses. Pattern Stitch: Quatrefoil Eyelet
Row 1: Knit. Row 2 (and all WS rows): Purl. Row 3: K4 (5, 7) *yarn over, slip, slip, k, K6. Rep from * to last 6 (7, 8) sts, yo, ssk, K4 (5, 7). Row 5: K2 (3, 5) *knit 2 together, yo, K1, yo, ssk, K3. Rep from * to last 0 (1, 3) sts, K0 (1, 3). Row 7: Repeat row 3. Row 9: Knit. Row 11: K8 (9, 11) *yo, ssk, K6. Rep from * to last 10 (11, 13) sts, yo, ssk, K8 (9, 11). Row 13: K6 (7, 9) *K2tog, yo, K1, yo, ssk, K3. Rep from * to last 4 (5, 10) sts, K4 (5, 10). Row 15: Repeat row 11. Row 16: Purl. Repeat these rows for pattern.
Casting On
Using a crochet hook, crochet a chain of about 60 stitches with your waste yarn (this is called a provisional cast on). Fasten off. With the main yarn and a crochet hook, pick up 42 (44, 48) stitches in the horizontal bumps along the back of the chain. Transfer stitches from the hook to a needle as you go.
Knitting the Back
The Left Front Panel
The Right Front Panel
Knitting the Sleeves
Remember that you need to make two sleeves. Simply work this section twice or knit them simultaneously on circular needles with two balls of yarn.
Finishing the Ballet Wrap
Join shoulder seams using the three-needle bind off, then sew in sleeves. Unzip crocheted waste yarn edges – live stitches should be exposed easily. With right sides facing, transfer 42 (44, 48) stitches along the bottom of Right Front, then 42 (44, 48) stitches along the bottom of Back, then 42 (44, 48) stitches along the bottom of Left Front to a size 8 circular needle. Set aside. With a very short (12- or 16-inch) size 8 circular (or two size 8 double-pointed needles) cast on five stitches and keeping RS facing. Work an I-cord for approximately 16 inches. Transfer the five stitches to the circular needle that is holding the Back, Left Front, and Right Front stitches, placing them before the Right Front held stitches. Continue to work the I-cord, but on each row ssk the last stitch of the I-cord with the next stitch at the bottom edge of the wrap, thus working an attached I-cord. Continue until all the stitches at the bottom edge of the Right Front, Back and Left Front have been worked into the attached I-cord. Continue to work the I-cord by itself for another 16 inches. Bind off. Sew sleeve and side seams, weave in ends and block to measurements on the schematic.
