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Knit Picks CotLin

Juju is a pair of seamless cabled trousers for babies and toddlers. 

Working top-down makes it easy to customize length and short-row shaping in the seat adds plenty of room even for cloth diapers. Flared cuffs eliminate the need to remove shoes during changing.

The cotton/linen blend yarn provides great stitch definition for the XOXO cables down the sides, and can be machine washed and dried!  Juju requires minimal finishing and includes a phoney inseam to help them hang evenly. As the child grows, length may be easily added by unraveling the bind off edge, and adding a few more rows to each cuff.

These trousers were created for and named after a dear friend's daughter. Because everyone should have a little Juju in their lives.

 

model: Libby photos: Alisa Sivak, Kendra Nitta

SIZE
6mo[12mo, 18mo, 24mo] (shown in size 18mo)
 
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Waist circumference (before elastic insertion): 20.25[21, 21.75, 23.25] inches
Side length: 12.5[14, 15.5, 17] inches

 
MATERIALS

Knit Picks CotLin [70% Tanguis cotton, 30% linen; 123yd/112m per 50g skein]; color: #23993 Fiesta Pink; 3[3, 3, 4] skeins

Recommended needle size:
1 set US #5/3.75mm double-point needles
1 16-inch US #5/3.75mm circular needle
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]

Stitch markers
Cable needle
Waste yarn
Crochet hook (used for making phoney seam)
Tapestry needle
1 package waistband elastic, 1 inch wide
Sewing needle and thread
Large safety pin

GAUGE
22 sts/26 rows = 4 inches in stockinette st

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here]

C4B: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work, k2, k2 from cable needle.

C4F: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work, k2, k2 from cable needle.

Directions for working a phoney seam may be found here.

Instructions for grafting can be found here.

DIRECTIONS

Waistband
Using circular needle, CO 112[116, 120, 128] sts. Do not join.

Rows 1-8: [K2, p2] to end.

Row 9 [RS]: P all sts. This row forms a turning ridge for waistband elastic casing.

Place marker and join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist.

Rounds 10-17: [K2, p2] to end.

Round 18: P6, place marker, p44[46, 48, 52], place marker, p12, place marker, p44[46, 48, 52], place marker, p6; remove end-of-round marker, k4, p2. You are at the first marker. This point will now be end of round; replace marker with end-of-round marker.
Waistband is complete.

Rounds 19-20: [K to marker, p2, k8, p2] twice.

Shape seat using short rows as follows:
Row 1 [RS]: K26[27, 29, 31]; W&T.

Row 2 [WS]: P8[8, 10, 10]; W&T.

Note: When working short rows that follow, work wraps together with wrapped sts.

Row 3 [RS]: K11[11, 14, 14]; W&T.
Row 4 [WS]: P14[14, 18, 18]; W&T.
Row 5 [RS]: K17[17, 22, 22]; W&T.
Row 6 [WS]: P20 [20, 26, 26]; W&T.
Row 7 [RS]: K23 [23, 30, 30]; W&T.
Row 8 [WS]: P26 [26, 34, 34]; W&T.
Row 9 [RS]: K29 [29, 37, 38]; W&T.
Row 10 [WS]: P32 [32, 40, 42]; W&T.
Row 11 [RS]: K35 [38, 43, 45]; W&T.
Row 12 [WS]: P38 [38, 46, 48]; W&T.
Row 13 [RS]: [K to marker, p2, k8, p2] twice.

Begin Cable Pattern:
Next Round: [K to marker, work first row of chart over next 12 sts] twice.
From this point, work each set of 12 sts between markers in cable pattern as set, maintaining all other sts in stockinette st.

Continue in pattern until work measures 5.5[6, 6.5, 7] inches from lower edge of waistband. Be sure to measure length of piece along side edge, NOT along back; back will be longer than front and sides because of short row shaping.

Shape Crotch:
Next Round: [K22(23, 24, 26), m1, k to marker, work in pattern to next marker) twice. 114[118, 122, 130] sts.
Work 1 round in pattern.

Divide for Legs:
Next Round: Using double-point needles, k21[22, 23, 25], place next 60[62, 64, 68] sts on hold on waste yarn, place marker to indicate inseam, work remaining 33[34, 35, 37] sts in pattern. 54[56, 58, 62] sts. Redistribute sts between needles as needed.

First Leg:
Work in pattern as set until work measures 3[4, 5, 6] inches from crotch, or until leg is 2.75 inches less than desired length. Transfer sts to waste yarn and try pants on child at this point to determine desired length.

Increase Round: K1, m1, k to 7 sts before inseam marker, m1, k14, m1, k to 1 st before next marker, m1, work in pattern to end. 58[60, 62, 66] sts.

Work 5 rounds in pattern.

Repeat these 6 rounds once more, then work Increase Round once more. 66[68, 70, 74] sts.

Work 2 rounds in pattern.

Next Round: K to 1 st before inseam marker, drop next st from needle and allow it to unravel back to 2-3 rows before crotch, work phoney seam (see link in Pattern Notes) back up to current round; continue in pattern as set to end of round.

Cuff:
P 1 round.
K 1 round.
Repeat these 2 rounds twice more.

Loosely BO all sts purlwise.

Second Leg:
Leaving first and last 3 held sts on waste yarn, transfer 54[56, 58, 62] held sts to needles for second leg, placing markers at inseam and on either side of cable panel. Position needles so that beginning of round is located at left edge of cable panel; rejoin yarn at beginning of round.

Note: The 3 sts at center front and center back of crotch will be grafted together during finishing.

Work as for first leg, EXCEPT work phoney seam in st after inseam marker.

FINISHING

Slip 3 held sts of front crotch to one double-point needle, and held sts of back crotch to a second needle. Graft together.

Waistband:
Fold waistband along turning ridge to WS of work. Use tapestry needle to sew CO edge to inside of waistband, taking care not to sew too tightly.

Insert elastic into casing using large safety pin. Try pants on child to determine correct length of elastic, overlapping ends and pinning them together. (Note: If you are unable to try pants on child, cut elastic to 19[20, 21, 22] inches before insertion.)

Use sewing needle and thread to sew overlapped ends of elastic together securely. Trim, leaving approx. 1 inch of overlap. Sew waistband casing closed.

Weave in all ends. Machine wash pants following directions on ball band. Dry pants, removing from machine before completely dry. Lay flat to finish drying, blocking lightly to shape.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Kendra Nitta knits, works, plays with her 11-year-old Shepherd mix, and knits some more at her home in Southern California.  It took her almost 40 years to realize that her name is also her vocation. 

This is her first published pattern.