The Seamless Baby Hoodie is a zippered cardigan with hood for baby sizes 6 months, 12 months, 18 months and 2 years. The original pattern was a classically made cardigan with seams from a 1979 Mon Tricot Pattern Book for Babies from 3-24 months. I originally made 2 of these Hoodies for my son when he was a toddler. (He is now 34 years old!) I eventually modified the pattern so I wouldn’t have to do as many seams, which are my least favorite part of knitting. The main body of the sweater is knit as one piece up to the armholes and then the back and two fronts are knit separately. The sleeves are knit in the round using double point needles. The only seams left are to attach the sleeves and the hood to the body. (4/4/14 - I tried picking up sleeve stitches from the arm hole after seaming the shoulders and then knitting down to the cuff… and it worked! I had to figure out my gauge and start decreasing at the right length to do the 5 decreases and end up with the correct length sleeve. Sounds complicated but it’s actually easy and 2 less seams.)

I usually make the sweater in an inexpensive yarn like Lion Brand Wool-Ease Worsted Weight or Red Heart Super Saver Acrylic Worsted Weight. I can make a size 12 month sweater with 2 1/2 skeins of yarn at 197 yds/skein. The 2 year old sweater takes 3 skeins plus part of a 4th skein. The most expensive part of the sweater is the custom cut-to-fit zipper. I suppose the pattern can be modified for buttons but I really like the ease and look of a zipper.

I have made at least a dozen of these Hoodies and have given them away as baby gifts. Moms and dads just love the sweater. It’s easy to put on a squirming baby or toddler and warm enough for going between the house and the car. I’ve made it with a contrasting color for the ribbing around the body, sleeves and hood, and I’ve added a cable to the front and around the hood for a ‘fancier’ look. I usually make it in a beige tweedy yarn so it is neutral enough for a girl or boy. I never get tired of making this pattern because it’s so easy to do and I can knit it while watching TV without worrying about making mistakes! BTW, I’ve seen people knit it with the ribbed side out but the bumpy side is actually the “right” side.

Happy Knitting!