Bloomers for Kiki the Monkey (or American Girl Doll) copyright 2014 KimmyZ

Materials:

Sizes 5 circular needles (3.75 mm) or DPN’s for waistband ribbing

Size 7 circular needles (4.5 mm) or DPN’s for everything else

I always use 2 circular needles, but you can use Magic Loop method and one long needle, if desired.

Worsted weight yarn

Gauge: 4.5 sts x 6 rows per inch in stockinette (18 sts x 24 rows = 4 inches/10cm)

Narrow ribbon or small amount of contrasting yarn for provisional cast-on

Tapestry needle for sewing center crotch seam

Stitch marker

Abbreviations:

K – Knit

P – Purl

K2tog – Knit 2 together

M1 – Make one stitch by picking up the yarn between 2 stitches with the left needle and knitting it through the back loop with the right needle

Construction:

Bloomers are knit in two pieces (right and left identical) from the top down, starting with a provisional cast-on. There is one seam that goes from center front, down around the crotch and up to the center back. There are no side seams. After seaming left and right sections together, you pick up the provisional stitches at the waistline, and knit the waistband in the round, casting off loosely at the top. (Use Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off.) Leg portions are knit in the round with no seams. Bottom of bloomers has a picot cast-off.

Instructions:

With size 7 circular needles (4.5 mm), provisionally cast on 36 sts. I use a narrow ribbon for this, since it’s easy to pull out later. An alternative is to knit a few extra rows at the beginning with your regular yarn, and then just (very carefully!) cut those extra rows off when the time comes to pick up and knit the provisional stitches. I sometimes use this method, but it involves carefully weaving the knitting needle through the top row of stitches before doing any cutting above that row/round. Cast on one extra stitch if you use this method.

Row 1: Purl across

Row 2: Knit across

Row 3: Purl across

Repeat Rows 2 & 3 four (4) more times

Increase Row A: K1, M1, K1, M1, Knit across to last two stitches, M1, K1, M1, K1

Row B: Purl across

Repeat Rows A & B two (2) more times (48 sts)
Join, and start knitting leg in the round. Place a stitch marker at end of round.

Round 1: Knit around. At the end of the round, remove the marker and knit the last two (2) stitches together (47 sts). Replace marker.

Repeat the previous round five (5) more times (42 sts)

Now you’ll start to decrease:

Round 7: ^(K4, K2tog). Repeat from ^ around (35 sts)

Round 8: Knit all stitches

Round 9: ^(K5, K2tog). Repeat from ^ around (30 sts)

Round 10: Knit all stitches

Round 11: ^(K3, K2tog). Repeat from ^ around (24 sts)

Round 12: Knit all stitches

Round 13: Purl all stitches

Round 14: ^(K1, P1). Repeat from ^ around.

Round 15: Purl all stitches

Round 16: ^(K2, M1). Repeat around until last two sts, K2 (35 sts)

Rounds 17, 18, 19: Knit all stitches on these 3 rounds

Round 20: Picot Bind-Off:

^(Cast on 2 sts with cable cast-on, bind off 4, slip stitch on right hand needle back to left hadn needle). Repeat from ^ until end. Video on how to do this, though you can skip the 2-stitch bind-off at the beginning of the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf9STC2OBf0

Repeat the above instructions for the other half of the bloomers which are exactly the same. Once both sides are finished, seam the crotch together from center front to center back with right sides facing. You are now ready to pick up and knit the provisional stitches around the waistline, and knit the waistband (1 x 1 ribbing).

Using size 5 needles (3.75 mm), pick up the 72 provisional stitches held at waistline.

Round 1: ^(K2, K2tog). Repeat from ^ around (54 sts)

Next 7 rounds: ^(K1, P1) Repeat from ^ around for ribbed waistband.

Round 9: Bind off using Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off. Be sure to do this in pattern (K & P). Cat Bordhi demonstrates here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abBhe-JYmgI

Block, making sure that the picots are pinned down during drying.