How to size down

TxCynDoll · 01-30-2008, 06:41 PM

Ok, I can't seem to find many cardigans for 0 to 3 mos and style for boys...I don't want to do just the st st style...this is what I want to do, I want to take a pattern I have for a 6 month old and size it down to a 0 to 3 mos...my new grandson is a week old and if I make it for 6 mos, it will be to hot here in Texas...it calls for sport weight yarn and size 4 and 5 needles...I want to use Bernat softee baby and maybe go down on needle size...My question is, will this work? Any options or suggestion would be helpful...

Thank you in advance...

cam90066 · 01-31-2008, 02:00 AM

You could ascertain size increments. If 6 mos is CO of 100, 9 mos is 110 and 12 mos is 120, the diff is 10. Try CO 80 or 90 and check for size. Infant sweaters are fairly unstuctured so it's just a matter of circumference.

ETA: DROPS has quite a few cardis for babies in that size. Such as these:
here and here and here

HTH,
cam

March_girl16 · 01-31-2008, 02:09 AM

i do agree with cam, you a different size for it and also i had trouble for that and what i did was take the needles and twist it, what i did was turn it the other way and put the yarn back and it actually did work

dont really know how it worked

but i really wouldnt do what i just said because it might not work and it would mess up the project, good luk!

-thanks me if i helped- -march-

TxCynDoll · 01-31-2008, 02:25 AM

Originally Posted by March_girl16

i do agree with cam, you a different size for it and also i had trouble for that and what i did was take the needles and twist it, what i did was turn it the other way and put the yarn back and it actually did work

dont really know how it worked

but i really wouldnt do what i just said because it might not work and it would mess up the project, good luk!

-thanks me if i helped- -march-

What?

Cam, thanks, but it has me casting on 133 and the yarn I am using is thinner than the sport weight, that is why I thought maybe it I just went down on needle size it would work up smaller...it also has 2 different patterns in this sweater...but it doesn't give me the pattern count so I don't know what to cast on for less sts. One is the twist stitch and the other looks like basket weave...I will go and see if LeisureArts has this book and post link so you can see pic. Here is the link...its the one on the cover...blue one

http://www.leisurearts.com/customer_...s%20to%20knit#

cam90066 · 01-31-2008, 02:33 AM

A link and pic would be helpful. Altho I think you already have a sense of what you need to do. Does the pattern give a schematic so you could compare your gauge and measurements to its smallest size to get a sense at to how much smaller your garment would be?

If you wander thru the infant cardis over at garnstudio, and do a Search by the gauge of your desired yarn, you might get a sense as to how many sts they use for a CO at size 1-3 mos. Would let you know if you're in the ballpark. Just a thought.

cam

TxCynDoll · 01-31-2008, 02:51 AM

Originally Posted by cam90066

A link and pic would be helpful. Altho I think you already have a sense of what you need to do. Does the pattern give a schematic so you could compare your gauge and measurements to its smallest size to get a sense at to how much smaller your garment would be?

If you wander thru the infant cardis over at garnstudio, and do a Search by the gauge of your desired yarn, you might get a sense as to how many sts they use for a CO at size 1-3 mos. Would let you know if you're in the ballpark. Just a thought.

cam

I have been to that site already and really didn't care for some of the stuff and the last link you gave was nice, but to girly...link is posted in my last post...but I will go back and look at the co for size to get an idea...don't know if that will help with the pattern...

suzeeq · 01-31-2008, 04:26 AM

In case you forgot, he'll probably be wearing a six month size at 3 months, so that's still spring... I wouldn't make it too small, he might outgrow it in just a few weeks.

cam90066 · 01-31-2008, 07:06 AM

TxCynDoll, the links were just to show that they had patterns in the smaller sizes for the sake of CO and gauge comparisons. I agree with Sue.....they grow SO fast!

cam

miss_molly · 01-31-2008, 08:10 AM

I get confused with the US knitting terminology and yarn weights, as I'm in Australia and more familiar with the UK terminology and weights. However, I have knitted with Bernat Softee and had thought it IS a sportweight yarn.

From memory its tension (or gauge?) is 22st to 10cm. The important thing is to knit your garment according to the recommended tension. Using a thinner needle that gives a tighter tension and therefore a smaller garment really isn't the answer. This is because a yarn is designed to hang properly when knitted at a certain tension, and definitely looks better too. If you go down a size or so in needles you would certainly decrease the size of the garment, but the knitted fabric would not look or feel as nice as it should. It would probably lack drape and be rather firm in texture. Not something you want for a small baby.

If ever I want to make something smaller than the size a pattern gives me, I use a different, finer, yarn. I make sure that the gauge the yarn knits to is the one recommended on the ball band, but because the yarn is finer than in the pattern, the garment will be smaller. I then ensure the body and sleeve lengths are appropriate for the size baby I am knitting for.

So.... I definitely don't recommend knitting Bernat Softee with a gauge that has more stitches per 10cm than 22st.

Better idea... find another pattern. There are many lovely patterns for baby boys, that is if you don't mind buying one. Look at the Sirdar leaflets. I think their range can't be matched. Not their old fashioned styles, but all the modern current ones.

TxCynDoll · 02-01-2008, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by suzeeq

In case you forgot, he'll probably be wearing a six month size at 3 months, so that's still spring... I wouldn't make it too small, he might outgrow it in just a few weeks.

No I haven't forgotten as he is my seventh grandchild...but when he out grows it, we will still have it for future ones and or for my granddaughters dolls...but I am doing the pattern as it is...thank you though for your reply...