Blossom Knitwear Designs - Hudson's Bay Company Baby Jacket

by Dilys Sutherland (c) 2008 

This design is based on the traditional jackets made out of Hudson's Bay Company blankets.
SIZE: 6 - 12 months
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS: Chest: 22", Length: 12", Sleeve length: 8"
MATERIALS: Worsted weight yarn:
- Main colour (MC) natural
- colour A: Blue
- colour B: Yellow
- colour C: Red
- colour D: Green
5 buttons, in a natural colour to match MC
5 mm needles
GAUGE: 17 st, 36 rows in garter stitch = 4"/10 cm on 5 mm needles

DIRECTIONS
Note: Jacket is worked in garter stitch throughout.
Stripe Pattern:
Knit first 6 rows in MC, then 4 rows in A (blue), 4 rows in MC, 4 rows in B (Yellow), 4 rows in MC, 4 rows in C (Red), 4 rows in MC, 4 rows in D (Green)

Please study the shades of these colours in the pictures. You want a natural, earthy, muted tone to duplicate the traditional blanket colours.

BACK: With MC, cast on 48 st using long-tail cast-on.
Work stripe pattern once, then continu in MC until piece measures 6 inches from cast on edge.
BEGIN ARMHOLE SHAPING: BO 2 st at beg of next 2 rows (44 st).
Continue working even until piece measures 4.5" from beginning of armhole shaping, ending with a WS row.
BEGIN NECK SHAPING
K12 st for right shoulder, cast off centre 20 st, then knit remaining 12 st for left shoulder. Work each shoulder seperately beginning with left shoulder.
Row 1: (WS) knit
Row 2: (RS) k2, k2tog, k to end
Repeat these 2 rows 2 times more (9 st)
Work WS row and place on holder. Rejoin yanr to right shoulder with WS facing
Row 1: (WS) Knit
Row 2: (RS) Knit to last 4 st, k2tog, k2
Repeat these 2 rows 2 times more (9 st)
Work WS row and place on holder.
LEFT FRONT With MC, cast on 28 st using longtail cast on. Work stripe pattern once, then continue in MC until piece measures 6" from cast on edge, ending with WS row.
BEGIN ARMHOLE SHAPING: BO 2 st at beginning of next row. continue until piece measures 7.5" from cast on edge.
BEGIN NECK SHAPING:
Row 1: (WS) bind off 4 st, knit to end
Row 2: (RS) knit
Row 3: k2, k2tog, knit to end
Row 4: knit to last 4 st, k2tog, k2.
Repeast rows 3 and 4 until 9 st remain. Work even until piece measured 5/5" from beginning of armhole shaping, ending with a WS row. Place these stitches on holder.
RIGHT FRONT As Left Front, reversing shapings. AT THE SAME TIME, make buttonhole (RS facing, knit to last 4 st, k2tog, yo, k2) on the 3rd row, and every 16 rows after, with the last buttonhole 4 rows before neck shaping.
SLEEVES (make 2): With MC, cast on 27 st using long tail cast on. Work first 6 rows of stripe pattern, then (continuing in stripe pattern) inc 1 st in each end of next and every following 4th rows until there are 49 st. Continue even until 8" from cast on edge, ending with WS row. Cast off.
FINISHING: Join shoulder seams using Three Needle Bind Off. Sew in sleeves, sew up sleeve and side seams.
COLLAR:  With WS facing, and starting 2 st from end, pickup 21 st along curve of Left Front, pickup 5 st along curved left side of neck back, knit across 22 st of back, pickup 5 st along curved fight side of neck back, pick up 21 st along curve of right front, ending 2 st from end.(74 st) Work collar in garter stitch for 1/2". Cast off. Sew buttons in place.