Marie Grace Designs

Tess Knitting Pattern

Its been a while since I've indulged myself with a top-down raglan so here ya go... a summer cardigan for the girls.

So many of the little dresses I've sewn for my girls over the years have had square necklines so I decided to let this raglan keep its inherent character by not shaping the neckline at all. Just cast on the required number of stitches, work some easy garter stitch trim, and start shaping the raglan seams. You will be rewarded with a classic neckline requiring no effort at all.

Since the entire piece is worked from the neck down you can customize the finished length. Older girls might like a slightly shorter cropped version that hits just at the waist while little ones will benefit from a longer more traditional fit.

I chose soft colors for stripes and natural wooden buttons to keep with the relaxed feel of sunny summer days but I can also imagine some brighter color combinations or even a solid color with just contrast trim.

Sized to fit all the girls from 2 to 14 this is a pattern you can use over and over again and it just doesn't get any easier than a top-down raglan!

Sizes:
2 (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14) years.

Finished Measurements:
Chest:23 (25.5, 27, 28.5, 30, 32, 33.5) inches.
Length: 10 (11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18) inches.

Yarn:
Blue Sky Alpaca’s Skinny Organic Cotton
100% organic cotton

65 grams/ 150 yards per hank.

Main color 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3) hanks.

Contrast color 1 (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) hanks.


Needles:
US#5 (3.75 mm) circular needle.
US#5 (3.75 mm) double point needles.

OR the size needle you need to obtain appropriate gauge.

Extras:
Waste yarn for holding stitches, stitch markers, tapestry needle, 5 buttons (.5 inch).

Skill level:
Easy+

Skills Needed:
Raglan shaping, using double point needles.

Gauge:
20 sts/28 rows = 4 inches over stockinette stitch.

Price: $5.50
Your printable pattern will be immediately downloadable in Adobe PDF (v5.0 or later) format

The one that got way...

So last weekend was my birthday and I suppose it has me in a well... not a funk... more like a tantrum but quieter.

See, I do my duty. I wash the dishes and I wash the clothes and I wash the floor and I wash the front porch.

I bite my tongue and I keep my cool (most days).

I pay the bills and I budget the numbers and I make sure everybody has shampoo and the toothpaste they like.

But damn, its a tough job being a grown up and with every passing birthday it becomes clearer and clearer that this is what I have become.

With all the typical stigmas that come with being a wife and a mom and a homeschooler well what am I supposed to do?

So I've been rebelling quietly.

I didn't do housework over the weekend but rather suggested we go fishing (we caught pathetically dinky fish and had a blast).

I've been walking barefoot and around here that means my feet are dirty and I just don't care.

I called Mac Daddy at work and suggested we grill outside for dinner and would he bring home some beer (on a Tuesday). Its no big deal really except that he usually brings the beer and I never ask and the burger I bought to grill wasn't in a big lump with a "family pack" sticker on it. I bought the already seasoned already shaped-like-a-burger ones that cost twice as much and taste twice as good.

I ate marshmallows out of the bag and didn't watch to see how many of them the kids ate.

See this grown up always-play-fair stuff takes a lot of energy. Energy that I think some days I'd rather use to kick the pile of laundry aside (cause you know it will be there tomorrow anyway).

Next up in knitting...

A sweet button up cardi for all the girls...