Monday, July 20, 2009

Snuggle


Since Roo is a Christmas baby, I've got lots of warmth to knit. My house gets pretty cold in the Winter, and since we'll likely be doing a fair amount of stroller-riding during the first few months, I wanted to make something toasty and snuggly and protective. A beer cozy, but for babies. A Baby Cozy.

Materials:

US 10.5 24-in. circular. US 11 dpns.
2 skeins Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky
Tapestry needle
stitch markers
4 size 18mm buttons
1 size 20mm button

Gauge:

For snuggle: 18 sts and 20 rows = 4 inches.

For hat: 12 sts and 16 rows = 4 inches.

Snuggle Pattern:

Using circular needle, CO 32 sts. Work 2 rows in garter stitch.

K2, yo, k2, *m1, k2. Repeat from * to end. (47 sts).

Knit 5 rows.

K2, yo, k4, m1, *k3, m1. Repeat from * to last 2 sts, end k2. (62 sts).

Knit 5 rows.

K2, yo, k6, m1, *k4, m1. Repeat from * to last 2 sts, end k2. (77 sts).

Knit 5 rows.

K2, yo, k8, m1, *k5, m1. Repeat from * to last 2 sts, end k2. (92 sts).

Knit 3 rows.

BO 5 sts at the beginning of the next row, knit to end. Do not turn.

Join to begin working in the round. Place marker for round at center back. Work in stockinette until piece measures 17 inches. Work 4 more inches in garter stitch.

Work 2tog, work 21 sts, place marker, work 43 sts, place marker.

Sew together all sts between markers using kitchener stitch (if you have to fudge and move stitches around the markers a little, it's okay--the idea is just to have the snuggle lie flat). Weave in ends. Sew smaller buttons opposite buttonholes; they will move increasingly away from the edge.


Hat Pattern:

Using dpns, CO 4 sts. Work i-cord for one inch. Divide sts onto 4 needles, k f&b into every stitch (8 sts).

Knit 1 rnd.

K f&b into every stitch (16 sts).

*Knit 1 rnd.
(Knit to end of needle, m1 in space between needles) around.

Repeat from * until there are 48 sts.

Work even for 1 inch.

CO 4 sts. Purl 1 row. Turn. Do not join. Purl 1 row.

Next row: p2, yo, p2tog, purl to end.

Work in garter stitch until garter section measures 1 inch. BO loosely.

Weave in ends. Sew larger button opposite buttonhole.


90 comments:

Jodi Meadows said...

So cute!

Anonymous said...

OMG, you have a cat! What a beauty. I know I'm supposed to comment on your knitting but the kitty caught my eye

montague said...

very very cute!

KatieKate said...

What a beautiful and simple pattern. Nice job :) And your color picks were absolutely perfect.

Kelly said...

Hi Nikki, I love this pattern and have one on the needles right now to donate to a local hospital. I was wondering if it would be ok if I made a couple and sold them at a local craft fair? Thanks!!!
Kelly

Nikki Van De Car said...

Sure, and good luck! All I ask is if you get inquiries, give credit where it's due...thanks!

Kelly said...

Great! thank you!!

Robes Sleepwear said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
wmcallister said...

This is really cute and I am working on it right now, but I have cast on 3 times and after the 2 rows of kniting I can never come up with 47 stitches. I always comes up 43. Am I doing something wrong or is the pattern wrong? Please let me know.

Nikki Van De Car said...

Hmm...well, I wouldn't be shocked if there was an error in the pattern...I've gone over the math, and it seems to work. Are you repeated from the asterisk or from the beginning of the row? There should only be one yarnover; the rest are all m1s (forgive me if this is a stupid question, I'm just trying to see how it would work.)

This may seem like knitting heresy, but if you're still having problems, I would suggest casting on a few extra stitches and working from there.

Best,

Nikki

wmcallister said...

Thanks so much for responding. I still came up with 43 stitches so I called a fellow knitter and ask her to work the same thing. She got 47, we figured out I did not make a M1 right. I was going into the front and back of the stitch. She told me to pick up the bar instead to M1 and when I did, I got the right number. Thanks so much for fellow stitchers.

Knee Deep In Lovely said...

this is fabulous...I'm knitting it for my almost-born nephew. I'm at the very end and I'm wondering...is the whole bottom supposed to be sewn up? I'm confused...

Nikki Van De Car said...

Yes--the entire bottom is sewn up!

Knee Deep In Lovely said...

thanks for the fast response! That makes more sense. What are the stitch markers for, then? (SOrry if this is a stupid question. Obviously I am NOT a knitting expert!!) :)

Nikki Van De Car said...

It's just to mark how to sew it--the end of round marker is in the center of the back, not on either edge.

thriftyredhead said...

What does m1 mean?

Nikki Van De Car said...

It means "make one" and there's a video tutorial here: http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/increases

Tammy♥ said...

Adorable...got get this cast on. Thank you for sharing.

Ange said...

THanks for the link! You are ACE! I'm so making one for a friend. I LOVE your blog!

sutarts said...

This is a very cute pattern. The instruction call for US 10.5 needles but then gives two very different gauges, one for the snuggle and one for the hat. They are quite different. Right now with the bulky yarn I'm using, I am not coming close to either one so am hoping you can clarify which one I should be adjusting for. Thanks

Nikki Van De Car said...

The hat uses the size US 11 dpns specified in the materials list--that's the gauge differnce.

holli said...

Hi Nikki, I found this pattern on ravelry.com and just fell in love with it!! I am not a knitter and so my grandma is making it for me. She is on her eighties and she is having a little trouble with some of the abbreviations.
F&b ( she assumes this means front and back)
I-cord
M1 ( I saw there is a tutorial for that)
BO loosely
Thank you so much!!

Nikki Van De Car said...

Hi Holli,

There are tutorials for most of those online...An i-cord is knit using two double-pointed needles (and is totally optional, she could just bind off without making the i-cord).

F&B is indeed front & back, and M1 is make one (it's an increase), and BO just means bind off or cast off, and you do it loosely by just not pulling too tightly.

Best,

Nikki

Kylie Jensen said...

Just wondering if I can make and sell this item... im a stay at home mum. thanks

Anonymous said...

One more question. My first grandchild was just born a preemie. She is about 3.5 lbs. I was wondering what the dimensions of this finished is. I am trying to figure out how to "shrink" it to adapt it to her. I am thinking it shouldn't be wider than 6" (flat) and maybe 10-12" long.She is 17" but seldom stretches out her legs. I made 2 newborn sized cocoons but would like to make a preemie size.

love the buttons at the neck; most don't have that. It looks so much cozier.

Nikki Van De Car said...

Hmmm...well, I would probably stop increasing at 77 sts (or 62 if you think that's enough as you're knitting), and then yes, only knit in stockinette for six inches or so before working the garter stitch hemline.

My very best wishes for your grandchild....

Sandie with an 'i e' said...

I used to knit baby buntings out of doubled 'baby yarn' - they were way too heavy for Texas babies...Now I knit for great-grandbabies. I think I will adapt the bottom edge with buttons and buttonholes - to make diaper changes easy & quick. I'll send a pic when I finish it.

Anonymous said...

Hi LUV the pattern Im doing it up in a varigated yarn and it looks AWESOME!!!!!

Luana said...

I love this pattern! I'm due in December and have been looking for a great pattern for the baby. I like the idea of having buttons on bottom but have no idea how to adjust the pattern. Can you poorest advise. Thanks for such an awesome pattern.

Anonymous said...

This is a great pattern! The yarn listed was initially a bit misleading though, since the pattern says Wool of the Andes Bulky, and Wool of the Andes yarn is actually a worsted weight yarn. I was relieved, since I wasn't getting proper gauge on my bulky weight yarn and didn't know why. If anyone else is having gauge issues, that could be the reason.

Anonymous said...

This is a great pattern! The yarn listed was initially a bit misleading though, since the pattern says Wool of the Andes Bulky, and Wool of the Andes yarn is actually a worsted weight yarn. I was relieved, since I wasn't getting proper gauge on my bulky weight yarn and didn't know why. If anyone else is having gauge issues, that could be the reason.

Anonymous said...

This is a great pattern! The yarn listed was initially a bit misleading though, since the pattern says Wool of the Andes Bulky, and Wool of the Andes yarn is actually a worsted weight yarn. I was relieved, since I wasn't getting proper gauge on my bulky weight yarn and didn't know why. If anyone else is having gauge issues, that could be the reason.

Anonymous said...

Oy, I am really sorry for the repeat post there. I thought my comment hadn't submitted because the screen stayed the same.

Pussyfoots said...

Can you really get a baby inside the sack from the top?

Nikki Van De Car said...

You can--I've done it--but in my forthcoming book the pattern has been rewritten to include an opening at the bottom as well.

Pussyfoots said...

Mine looks too small to top load so I'm knitting a squared-off, overlapping flap at the bottom, fastened with a button. It's just darling and I like this pattern better than other ones I've found. =)

Anonymous said...

The baby cozy is adorable! I think we should make them in adult sizes too. I am always freezing in winter.

Anonymous said...

My daughter bought the book What to Knit when you are Expecting. I am the Grandma with lots of knitting experience and love the book. However, some of the patterns say they offer three sizes but the instructions are only in one size. I have made the baby cosy but I knitted it with ordinary needles as I dont like using the circular ones and it came out fine. Would like instructions for bigger sizes though please. Also can you please expaling why the Summer Sky Blanket calls for circular needle.
Many thanks.

Nikki Van De Car said...

Hi there,

It's true, many of the patterns come in three sizes, but some, like the baby cozy and the booties are only one size, since booties and baby buntings are usually only used for very small babies that aren't moving around yet. The hats, too, are only in two sizes. I could give you some advice for sizing up if you like.

The Summer Sky blanket calls for a circular needle because the edging picked up along the outside can be quite long and tough to fit on a straight needle.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for that, its just that at the start of the pattern it states 0-3 (3-6) (6-12)which confused me. Thanks anyhow the cosy looks really good.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I'm just trying your baby cosy and I'm a bit stuck. I've completed the icord but what does kf&b into every st. 8 sts mean? Do I pick up one stitch on every needle as I go around until I have 8 on each? Sorry never used dpns before. Thanks

Nikki Van De Car said...

Kf&b means knit into the front & back of the stitch--you knit into the same stitch two times, into the front loop as usual, and then before dropping the stitch, knit into the back loop as well. So when you've knit front & back into every stitch you'll have twice as many stitches as you started with.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Nikki, do I keep knitting on the same dpn until I have 8 stitches and then move onto the next dpn?

Anonymous said...

1649I am confused about how to end this: Work 2tog, work 21 st place marker, work 43 stitches, place marker. Do I do that more than once or just continue to knit after the last marker? I am going to be a first time grammy and can't wait for her to come. This is beautiful and I'm hoping that mine will be too. Like the idea of the bottom with buttons but not smart enough to figure that out, not an experienced knitter.

Nikki Van De Car said...

Hi there,

You just do that the one time, and then you sew the two edges together. If you would like to work the bottom hem with buttons, I provide instructions for doing so in my book...

Anonymous said...

Hi there! I have just finished making the cozy but I am finding the hat a little hard to understand! Please help! I am new to knitting and have never had to knit with 5 needles in the round. How do you start off once you have the 4 sts on the 4 needles. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! Angharad

Nikki Van De Car said...

Well, dpns are a little hard to explain in words--there are lots of tutorials online though! Essentially, you knit each stitch on each needle--it's not that tricky once you know how to do it. I'd suggest taking a look at this: http://www.purlbee.com/double-pointed-needles-tutoria/

It's using four needles instead of five, but the principle is the same, and it's well-explained. There are also lots of videos on youtube.

Unknown said...

If I wanted to make this for a slightly larger baby. My friend's child was born to large for newborn sizes. Also I could only fine a 29 inch instead of a 24 inch at the store. Any pointers?

Nikki Van De Car said...

Well, if you've got a longer needle, that shouldn't be a problem if you want to make a larger snuggle. I would work one more increase round than the pattern calls for, and then work a few inches longer in stockinette, and you should be fine.

Unknown said...

Wow that was so fast. thank you for the quick feed back. I am really super excited by this. My little one is almost a year but my friend had hers last month and i just found the pattern.

a friend sujested going up to a size 11 also. which would you sujest?

Nikki Van De Car said...

I'm sure that would be fine as well!

sand said...

Hi, Just love this book and the snuggle sack and hat. However, the hat is for me a dilly! I have never used dpns before but I can make an I-cord on them - then when I put 1 st on each of the 4 needles they either fall off or get mixed up in order. I know how to knit f&b I just can't get this started and the nearest yarn shop is an hour away. The dpns videos only show one thing or the other any suggestions? Thank you for any help I will not give up. Debbie

Nikki Van De Car said...

Well...if you're familiar with the magic loop method, you could try that, but otherwise, I would suggest pulling the yarn very tight to keep it on the dpns. Or you could work in rows, and sew it up after.

Anonymous said...

I want to knit the baby cosy for 3-6 months the pattern only has one size. Do you have the info for that size.

Nikki Van De Car said...

The snuggle is written only for one size, but is intended to fit 0-6 months, so you should be just fine.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the info I look forward to knitting this.
Thanks sue

Anonymous said...

Ibrought your book with the baby cosy and it looks like the pattern has a mistake. After every pattern row it says knit garter stitch for 2 rows,on your website it says 5 rows which makes more sense.
sue

Nikki Van De Car said...

Yes, that's an error in the type. Please see the errata page--http://www.whattoknitwhen.com/p/errata.html

Anonymous said...

I went to the "Errata Page", but could not find anything except a statement that there were errors in the pattern adn links to your blog. There are no corrections there. Am I doing something wrong?
Linda

Nikki Van De Car said...

As far as I can tell, some browsers are not displaying that page correctly--I'm working on the problem, but honestly, I'm not sure how to fix it. Is there a question I can answer for you?

Unknown said...

Hi! I have a quick question. I am just learning how to knit and I learned 2 different ways to make a stitch. since I don't know much about what a stitch is just by looking at the finished product, when you say M1 is it R or L.

THanks!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nikki Van De Car said...

Hi Rachel,

I'm actually not specifying a slant--I normally do M1R because that's what's most comfortable for me, but you could do an M1 without a twist, or M1L--whatever's easiest for you! It won't matter here.

Unknown said...

Hi Nikki
I'm wondering if there's access to your pattern that has the instruction for making the bottom flap with buttons?
(besides your whole book)

Thanks for this pattern! it's looks great

Nikki Van De Car said...

Hi there,

I'm afraid the version with the flap is exclusive to the book--sorry about that!

Nikki

Anonymous said...

Hi Nikki,
this may be a stupid question(cause it seems no one had a problem before!), but I'm just started to knit body part-working in round, and I don't understand why 'PM after 68 sts'?? What would I do with other 20sts? (Cause there were 88sts just before this.)
Thanks!!

Nikki Van De Car said...

They're still there; you're just moving the end of round to the back of the snuggle--you'll still be working with all 88 stitches.

Brenna Mae Thomas-Googins said...

This is such a wonderful pattern! I made the snuggle a few months ago for my to-be little one (due in January) and just decided to make the hat. I've been struggling with baby hats in general... but wanted a bit of clarity on your instructions.
When making the increases are you knitting a round, and then knitting around m1 at each space between the needle, then knitting a round, then one more with the increases? Or simply increasing each round? I hope my question makes sense!
Thanks so much for the wonderful pattern!

Nikki Van De Car said...

Hi Brenna,

You're knitting a plain round in between the rounds with increases. So glad you like the pattern!

Anonymous said...

Hey quick question, I am making the hat, and I am having a total brain fart:
CO 4 sts. Purl 1 row. Turn. Do not join. Purl 1 row.
I understand everything in that- but i can't figure out the "turn" part... I am not sure what to do, I am a visual person, is there a tutorial somewhere? Thanks!

Nikki Van De Car said...

No worries--this seems very counterintuitive, but it's quite simple. All you do is turn as you would when knitting rows--you haven't joined to work in the round yet, is all, and I wanted to specify that. Just work in rows!

Unknown said...

Hi Nikki, I have successfully made one snuggle - from the book version of the pattern. In the meantime I am in temp accommodation, and have put my book into the box which went into storage - big mistake, as I am in the middle of makeing a new snuggle!!
The pattern on the website doesn't have the same bottom - it's stitched together, but I really like the bottom with the buttons (like my book has) - would you be able to post the instructions for the flap and button holes? Thanks kindly, Gail

Nikki Van De Car said...

Hi Gail,

I'm sorry, but I'm sure you can understand why I can't publish the book version here--I have to reserve that version for those who purchased it. I'm so sorry you're in a bind!

November_Rain said...

Hi Nikki,
Question: how wide was your cozy when it was finished? I started with size 11 needles and a bulky yarn and I may be half way done with the world's biggest baby cozy!

Nikki Van De Car said...

Mine was about 14 inches wide, but it depends on your gauge, of course--if it's feeling too wide, decrease a few stitches on either side. Of course, wider means the baby has more room to wiggle, which may not be such a bad thing...

sissi said...

Hello there,
How would I adjust this pattern to a larger size that looks proportional? My baby is due in August and it will be too hot for the yarn I'm using, so I'd like to make it in a 3-6 months size...thanks:)

Nikki Van De Car said...

Well, the cozy is sized for 0-6 months, but you can always make it longer....

Nkulkarni said...

Hi Nikki,

I would like to make it for my baby niece but i'm looking for 3-6 months or 6-9 month size.

Nikki Van De Car said...

Hi, I'm sorry; the pattern is only available in a 0-6 month size.

peachykath said...

Hi Nikki,
I love this pattern and have made it several times as baby gifts for my friends. I am now making another one for my nephew who is due at the end of the month. I was hoping to make this snuggle just a tad bit bigger so he can wear it into May and be able to use it the whole time. I noticed the repeats were 8 stitches and the cast one was in multiples of 8. If I increased the cast on to 40 stitches do you think I will get the same results just a tad bit larger?

Thank you
Katherine

Nikki Van De Car said...

Yeah, I think that would work great! Just remember to work the stockinette section a little longer too.

Anonymous said...

Hi Nikki, I bought the book and I am finishing it up. I love it, but I have a question for you. In the book, you have buttons at the bottom. I love the detail. Frustratingly, I have lost the book, and I was wondering if you could post the end of the pattern if you are using buttons?
Many thanks,
Colleen.

1250blogger said...

If Sandie with "ie" could comment on how her snuggle turned out in Oct. 2011, it would be great. Want to make one for grand#12. Baby will live in Tx. also. Opening at the bottom is such a good idea.





busnannah1250

Anonymous said...

Hi Nikki I'm new to knitting and I love this pattern but I have a question. After 17 inches in stockinette how do you do Garter stitch in the round for 4 inches

Nikki Van De Car said...

So working garter stitch in the round is really easy! You just purl one round and then knit the next one!

Charlotte said...

What is icord pleade

Anonymous said...

Hi. Love the pattern thanks, could you just confirm do I do stocking stitch for 17" from cast on row or 17" from when I start in the round with stocking stitch then another 4" ie 21" finished length or approx 24" finished length.

Nikki Van De Car said...

Hi! You should do stockinette stitch from when you start working in the round, so 24" finished length...

michelle nelson said...

Hi I just wanted to ask how to download this pattern can`t seem to see where it is TIA

Unknown said...

How many skeins in oz, per above is it 4,6,8 or maybe 24 oz skeins?