There’s something about providing the warmest of woollies that expresses our love and welcome for a new baby like no other act. And this unisex cardigan is the cosiest, most deeply cosseting and enveloping number you could hope for. It is a very versatile knit - the slip stitch pattern can be worked in a contrast colour for extra zing and the top down construction makes it easy to add button holes (or other fastners) if you prefer them to a zip. Its also great for the baby yet to come: work it up in advance and add a bright zip in a gender appropriate colour when the sex is known.

Construction:
Top-down raglan with a patterned raglan seam. It is started at the top of the hood and is totally seamless with the hood and body worked flat in one piece to the bottom hem. Stitches for the sleeves are divided from the body and worked in the round to the cuff.

Skills
knitting flat and in the round. Slipping stitches. Links to tutorials provided for suggested cast on methods.

Sizes
Sizes given are finished chest circumferences of the garment. This garment is intended to have positive ease of approx. 20-25% compared to actual chest:
0-3 months: 48.5cm/19in
6 months: 53cm/21 in
12 months: 56cm/22 in
18 months: 61xm /24 in

Notions:
circular needles the correct size to achieve gauge. Chunky zipper correct size for your cardigan or fasteners of your choice. Stitch markers.

Yarn choices
I used Adriafil Hita Hat, which is washable and felt-resistant. Any chunky yarn in wool and wool/acrylic mixes (with or without the small admixture of alpaca in the Hita Hat) with which you can achieve gauge will be fine here. Holding DK/light worsted yarn double is also an option, and if you use two different coloured yarns you will get fun effects with the slipped stitches. As mentioned above it is also an option to use a contrast colour for the slipped stitch rows to make them really pop.