Pink Basket Weave Singlet Top

This one of my favourites! Not sure if its because of the yummy possum merino blend wool I used or the colour of the funky basket weave stitch. Either way, it's certainly getting worn a lot.

The basic pattern is pretty much the same as the Rainbow vest, except a couple of tweaks to allow for the basket weave stitch which uses more wool.

Infants Basket Weave Vest

size 6months -12 months

Stitches are in NZ (UK) terminology

You will need:

4mm crochet hook
5mm Crochet hook
8 ply wool of your choice... I have used a Possum Merino Blend from Shepherd
2 buttons for decoration if you want


Foundation:
using your 5mm hook, chain 90, sl st the ends together and ch 3. Switch to 4mm hook.

Row one:
The ch 3 from foundation counts as your first stitch, now go back across your foundation chain and treble (tr) in each. Sl st to join to first Ch3. You should have 90 stitches (it is important for this pattern to have exactly multiples of 10 stitches to make the basket weave work)

Row two:
Chain 3 and tr in each stitch around, again totalling 90 stitches.

Row 3:
Ch2, (tr front) 4 times, * (tr back) 5 times, (tr front) 5 times, rep from * to initial chain, sl st (you should have 18 blocks.

Repeat Row 3- 4 times (so 5 rows total of same thing)

Row 8:
Ch2, (tr Back) 4 times, * (tr front) 5 times, (tr back) 5 times, rep from * to initial chain, sl st (you should have 18 blocks.

Repeat Row 8- 4 times (so 5 rows total of same thing) then go back and repeat from Row 3 again.

You will see your basket weave pattern emerging now. Make 6 blocks of basket weave rows. (total of 25 rows)

Row 26:
chain 2, half treble (htr) in each stitch. Sl st (makes a total of 90 stitches including the chain)

Row 27:
Chain 2, skip first stitch then htr in each stitch but every 10th htr 2tog (Half treble 2 together to make a reduction on stitches), slip stitch. You should have reduced down to 80 stitches.

Row 28:
chain 2, half treble (htr) in each stitch. Sl st (makes a total of 80 stitches including the chain)



BACK:
Row 29:
Where each of your rows have ended, this is now your side seam. From where you have ended, count off 3 stitches and join a new thread, ch 2 (counts as first htr), htr 33.

Row 30:
ch2 and turn work, 33 htr across, including in last founding ch2. You should have 34 stitches including the turning ch.

Row 31-35:
repeat row 30.

Row 36:
ch2 and turn work, 9 htr across (total of 10 st including turning chain)

Row 37-51:
repeat row 36
This will have created a shoulder strap on one side. Fasten off .
To create the shoulder strap on the other side, go back to Row 36 (the first row of the completed strap) and count across missing 14 stitches, join yarn in 15th stitch and ch2, 9 htr. This should give you 10 stitches including the ch and should return you to the edge of Row 35.

now Row 37-51:
repeat row 36 (makes second shoulder strap). Fasten off.

Front:
go back to the last stitch on row 29. Count across and miss 6 stitches. On 7th stitch, join a new thread, ch 2 (counts as first htr), htr 33.

Row 30:
ch2 and turn work, 33 htr across, including in last founding ch2. You should have 34 stitches including the turning ch.

Row 31-33:
repeat row 30.

Row 34:
ch2 and turn work, 4 htr across, ch2, skip 2 stitches, 20 htr, ch2, skip 2 stitches, htr 5. You should have 34 stitches including the turning ch. (this has created your button holes)

Row 35:
ch2 and turn work, 33 htr across, including in last founding ch2. You should have 34 stitches including the turning ch. Fasten off


To finish, I have dc around edges starting at where Row 28 finished (top of the body piece... which should be sitting under the arm). Work your way around all the edges and back to sl st start.


Hand sew the buttons in place to match up with button holes.

Sew in loose ends.

I like to block my work by giving it a brief hand wash in wool wash and laying out in shape to dry.