My family and I are outdoorsy people. Camping has always been a part of our lives and a much-loved way of experiencing our surroundings. So, when I had my first child a few years ago I knew we would want to continue our family tradition, and go camping! But camping with a baby is a whole new ball game. I was going to need different supplies and need to be prepared in a whole new way.

I had a few concerns: temperature, rain, fire safety. How was I going to keep my little one warm and dry? Blankets come off too easily and are cumbersome. A lot of commercially available outdoor baby clothes are made entirely of synthetic materials. I needed something that would be breathable and safer around a campfire. Enter the Camping Pants!

Camping Pants are knit to be thick and dense. This, coupled with wool yarn, not only blocks out dampness, but also protects against campfire sparks. Synthetic materials melt and fuse when they come in contact with fire embers, which is a potentially very dangerous situation for baby.

Camping Pants are knit seamlessly in the round from the bottom up. Knit with wool sock yarn held triple these pants work up very quickly, and are an excellent stash buster.

The drawstring or elastic waist gives the added convenience of a snug but comfortable fit that can be adjusted as your little one grows. These have been constructed to provide ample room to accommodate diapers and clothing underneath. As knitwear stretches with use, these pants will give you plenty of wear and longevity.

We have two little ones now and we use our Camping Pants all the time, and not just for camping. Walks in the stroller, hikes using a baby carrier, and in the car seat in fall and winter. And they are a great gift! Anytime a blanket is needed, Camping Pants are an excellent, safe alternative.

Skills
Knit in the round using magic loop, purl, increase, decrease, German short-rows, Judy’s magic cast-on, cast-off, sew waistband.

Materials
Yarn: the pattern is meant to use scraps/leftovers, so please use what you have and have fun mixing colours. The pattern is
written to use 3 strands of fingering weight yarn held together so that you can achieve the faded and marled effect seen in the photos.

For example: the blue in-progress sample is a large and used 3 balls Patons Kroy Sock yarn, 152m/166yds per 50g/1.75oz, 75% wool, 25% nylon, and 2 balls Knit Picks Stroll Tweed yarn, 211m/231yds per 50g/1.75oz, 65% fine superwash merino, 25% nylon, 10% Donegal.

Yardage: 400m/438yds (620m/678yds, 820m/897yds) fingering weight yarn held triple

Needles: 5mm/US 8 circular needles, 80cm/32” length AND 6mm/US 10 circular needles, 80cm/32” length or size(s) needed to obtain gauge. Plus an extra circular needle for holding leg stitches (instead of scrap yarn).

Notions: darning needle, 4 stitch markers, waistband elastic OR elastic cord and toggle drawstring.

Gauge
16 sts/10cm or 4” and 23 rows/10cm or 4” in stockinette stitch, with yarn held triple, using 6mm/US 10 needles or size needed to get gauge.

Size
Small (newborn to 6 months), Medium (6-18 months), Large (18-36 months)

Measurements after blocking
Waist circumference: 18” (22”, 24”)
Seat circumference: 20” (24”, 26”)
Leg length from crotch: 8” (9”, 11”)
Length from back of waist to crotch: 7” (9”, 10”)
Total length: 15” (18”, 21”)

Notes:
-regarding yarn choice: if fire safety is your first concern, use a fingering weight wool yarn with no nylon. You will have to hand wash, but 100% wool is the safest option.
-I use magic loop to knit these pants. They would also be well suited to using the 2-circular method of knitting in the round. A good resource here: https://blog.tincanknits.com/2013/10/03/magic-loop/
-you will need to use Judy’s Magic Cast-on for the crotch gusset. Go here for instructions if needed: http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATmagiccaston.html
-German short-row method here: https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=...

This pattern has been professionally tech edited by Snooptiggercrafts and test knit.