The first time I knit this sweater I was an expectant Mama, keeping my hands busy while trying to still my mind. It was in a wee size - just a little 3 month sweater that my baby boy grew out of in a minute. Wanting to try my hand at writing knitting patterns, I knit it again, this time grading it and publishing it on my blog as a free pattern. I had no idea the response that this little piece would get. I have truly enjoyed watching more and more of these sweaters pop up on Ravelry. (I even spotted one in someone’s Instagram feed!) It seems that many agree - this is a sweet and quick knit for your little ones.

As of March 2015, this pattern has received a facelift! I’ve tweaked the sizes just a bit (there is less ease in the body now and more in the sleeve), and made the instructions clearer and more consistent with my other patterns. AND, it is still a free pattern! Consider it my gift to all you Mamas-to-be out there.

This is a great first sweater for those of you looking to move on from hats and scarves. It will give you an idea of how a seamless bottom-up sweater is constructed, while also giving you the satisfaction of a quick knit. The cables are nestled on a lovely textured background, two of my favorite stitches of Aran cabled sweaters. The piece is knit from the bottom up, joined at the underarms and the raglan yoke is worked seamlessly. The only finishing required is grafting the underarm stitches, sewing on a button and weaving in the ends.