Oh, handsome Winter-sweater

The first Oh, handsome (you can find the pattern for it if you scroll down a bit) sweater has been used frequently, until the Dad in the house put it in the washing machine… Ah well, it was after all a Summer sweater, and Summer has left the building. Here´s the Oh, Handsome Winter-sweater, and we think it´s even more handsome than the first. We´ve used a double strand of the gorgeous Pickles Baby Merino, that feels soft on the skin and gives the kids better movement than the silk/wool yarn. The Oh, handsome sweater is inspired by a male version, and is not as wide as normal kids´ clothes. Also, it has very long sleeves, so that you can fold the rib up.

Sizes
2 y

Yarn
2 strands of Pickles Baby Merino, Winter sky
5 balls for sizes 1 & 2 y, 7 balls for sizes 3 & 4 y.

Needles
US 8 circular needles and double pointed needles

Gauge
4 inches = 17 stitches

Body piece
Knit in the round using two strand of the Baby Merino.
Cast on 92 stitches using the circular needles. K2, P2 for 1.6  inches.
Keep on in stockinette until the body piece is 9.4 inches.
Cast off for sleeves and neck like this:
When you´re two stitches away from a completed round, knit like this:
Cast off 4, K 15 for the left front piece, cast off 12(for the neck), K 15 for the right front piece, cast off 4 stitches for the sleeve, K 42 for the back piece.

Turn, and knit the back piece in stockinette.
On the second row you knit like this: K2tog, knit until 2 stitches remain, K2tog.
Keep on in stockinette until the body piece is 15 inches. Cast off loosely.

Start knitting one of the front pieces in stockinette.
On the second row you knit like this: K2tog, knit until 2 stitches remain, K2tog.
Keep on until the body piece is 15 inches.
Cast off loosely.
Knit the other front piece.

Sleeves
Knit in the round.
Cast on 32 stitches.
K2, P2 for 1.6″. Start knitting and increase one stitch on each side of the two stitches right under the sleeve when you have knitted 1.2 inches. Keep on increasing like this every 1.2 inches 6 times in total = 44 stitches.
Knit until the arm is 10.2 inches.
Cast off the 2 first and the 2 last stitches on the next round = 40 stitches. From here you’ll knit back and forth.
Row 1: K2tog, purl until 2 stitches remain, K2tog
Work in stockinette for another 2 rows. Cast off loosely.
Knit another arm.
Assemble loose ends and sew the shoulders together before you start knitting the neck.

Neck
Pick up 74 stitches around the sides and neckline. Leave the opening at the bottom; you will later attach the neck to this edge. Knit a rib K2, P2 back and forth for 3.1 inches. Try to see if what you are knitting fits the opening at the bottom. Cast off loosely, and if you are a tight knitter, make sure the opening fits the kid’s head. Sew the to overlapping neck bits to the edge at the bottom of the neck.
Assemble the sleeves, if you haven’t already done it.