BABY

How to Knit a Baby Jacket with Bee Embroidery: Step-by-Step Guide

Byhaitam
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This adorable baby cardigan features a sweet embroidered bee and is knitted from the top down in one piece. This detailed guide breaks down every step to make the pattern easy to follow.

Pattern Overview

Skill Level: Intermediate
Construction: Top-down raglan, worked flat with button bands
Special Features: Embroidered bee motif, seamless sleeves

Sizes and Measurements

SizeHeightChestLength
0/1 months48-52 cm (19-20″)44 cm (17¼”)24 cm (9½”)
1/3 months56-62 cm (22-24″)50 cm (19¾”)28 cm (11″)
6/9 months68-74 cm (27-29″)54 cm (21¼”)30 cm (11¾”)
12/18 months80-86 cm (31-34″)58 cm (22¾”)33 cm (13″)
2 years92 cm (36″)62 cm (24⅜”)36 cm (14¼”)
3/4 years98-104 cm (39-41″)66 cm (26″)40 cm (15¾”)
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Materials You’ll Need

Yarn

  • 100-150g Baby Merino (blush color) – main yarn
  • Small amounts for bee: black, mustard, and off-white yarn

Needles

  • 3mm (US 2.5) circular needle, 80cm long
  • 2.5mm (US 1.5) circular needle, 80cm long
  • Double-pointed needles in both sizes (or use magic loop)

Other Supplies

  • 5-6 buttons
  • 4 stitch markers
  • Tapestry needle
  • Waste yarn or stitch holders

Gauge

24 stitches × 32 rows = 10 cm (4″) square in stockinette stitch on 3mm needles

This is crucial! If your gauge is off, your jacket won’t fit properly.

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Step-by-Step Instructions

STEP 1: Cast On and Neckband

What you’re doing: Creating the neck edge and ribbed collar

  1. Using 2.5mm needle, cast on:
    • 75 (81, 85, 91, 95, 99) stitches
  2. Row 1 (wrong side): Purl across, but keep the first and last 6 stitches in garter stitch (knit every row)
  3. Start ribbing pattern:
    • Knit 6 (button band)
    • Knit 1, purl 1 repeat across middle stitches
    • Knit 1
    • Knit 6 (button band)
  4. Continue ribbing for 2 cm (¾”)
  5. Switch to 3mm needle
  6. Place a marker after the first 6 stitches – this marks where you’ll measure the yoke length

STEP 2: Set Up the Yoke

What you’re doing: Increasing stitches and placing markers for raglan shaping

Increase Row (right side):

  1. Knit 6 (button band)
  2. Knit across middle stitches, increasing evenly:
    • Add 9 (11, 7, 13, 13, 17) stitches spread out across this section
    • New total: 84 (92, 92, 104, 108, 116) stitches
  3. Knit 6 (button band)

How to increase evenly: Divide the middle stitches by the number of increases needed. Work that many stitches, then make 1 stitch (M1), repeat across.

First Buttonhole: When 3 stitches remain, yarn over, knit 2 together, knit 1

Next Row (wrong side) – Place Your 4 Markers:

  1. Knit 6 (band), purl 11 (13, 13, 16, 17, 19)
  2. MARKER 1 in next stitch (right front raglan line)
  3. Purl 12
  4. MARKER 2 in next stitch (right sleeve raglan line)
  5. Purl 22 (26, 26, 32, 34, 38)
  6. MARKER 3 in next stitch (left sleeve raglan line)
  7. Purl 12
  8. MARKER 4 in next stitch (left front raglan line)
  9. Purl 11 (13, 13, 16, 17, 19), knit 6 (band)

STEP 3: Raglan Increases

What you’re doing: Increasing at 4 points to shape the yoke

Every right-side row:

  • Knit to marker
  • Yarn over
  • Knit the marked stitch
  • Yarn over
  • Continue to next marker and repeat

Do this at all 4 markers = 8 stitches increased per row

On wrong-side rows: Purl the yarn overs through the back loop (twisted) to prevent holes

Number of increase rows: 12 (14, 16, 17, 18, 19) times

Total stitches after increases: 180 (204, 220, 240, 252, 268)

Continue until yoke measures: 9 (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) cm from marker

STEP 4: Buttonhole Placement

Place buttonholes evenly down the right front band:

  • 1st buttonhole: At 2 cm from neck
  • Remaining 4-5 buttonholes: Every 5-7 cm (2-2¾”) depending on size

Spacing: 5 (6, 6½, 7, 6½, 7) cm between buttonholes

How to work buttonhole: Yarn over, knit 2 together, knit 1 (last 3 stitches of right-side row)

STEP 5: Divide for Body and Sleeves

What you’re doing: Separating sleeves from body

Division Row (right side):

  1. Knit 6 (band)
  2. Knit 23 (27, 29, 32, 34, 37) – right front
  3. Place next 38 (42, 46, 50, 52, 54) stitches on holder – right sleeve
  4. Cast on 6 new stitches for underarm
  5. Knit 46 (54, 58, 64, 68, 74) – back
  6. Place next 38 (42, 46, 50, 52, 54) stitches on holder – left sleeve
  7. Cast on 6 new stitches for underarm
  8. Knit 23 (27, 29, 32, 34, 37) – left front
  9. Knit 6 (band)

Body stitches: 116 (132, 140, 152, 160, 172)

STEP 6: Work the Body

What you’re doing: Working straight down to the hem

  1. Continue in stockinette stitch with 6 garter stitch button bands on each side
  2. Work until body measures from division:
    • 10 (13, 14, 16, 18, 21) cm
  3. Increase row (right side):
    • Add 13 (13, 15, 15, 17, 19) stitches evenly across (not in bands)
    • Total: 129 (145, 155, 167, 177, 191) stitches
  4. Switch to 2.5mm needle
  5. Work ribbing for 3 cm:
    • Knit 6 (band)
    • Purl 1, knit 1 across middle
    • Purl 1
    • Knit 6 (band)
  6. Bind off all stitches

STEP 7: Knit the Sleeves

What you’re doing: Working each sleeve in the round from armhole down

For each sleeve:

  1. Place 38 (42, 46, 50, 52, 54) held stitches on 3mm double-pointed needles
  2. Pick up 6 stitches from the underarm cast-on
    • Total: 44 (48, 52, 56, 58, 60) stitches
  3. Place marker in the middle of the 6 picked-up stitches (center underarm)
  4. Knit in the round in stockinette stitch
  5. Start decreasing after 1 cm:
    • Work to 3 stitches before marker
    • K2tog, K2 (marker between)
    • SSK (slip 1, slip 1, knit together)
  6. Decrease every:
    • 2½ (2½, 1½, 2, 2, 3) cm
    • Total times: 3 (4, 6, 7, 7, 7)
    • Remaining: 38 (40, 40, 42, 44, 46) stitches
  7. When sleeve measures 8 (11, 12, 15, 18, 23) cm:
    • Increase 4 (4, 4, 4, 6, 6) stitches evenly
    • Total: 42 (44, 44, 46, 50, 52) stitches
  8. Switch to 2.5mm needles
  9. Work rib (K1, P1) for 2 cm
  10. Bind off
  11. Repeat for second sleeve

Embroidering the Bee

Positioning

  • 3 cm below neckline
  • 4 cm from button band
  • On the right front piece

Bee Body (Black and Mustard Stripes)

Use single strand and flat stitch (like satin stitch)

JACKET

Black stripe 1 (tail):

  • 2 flat stitches close together
  • 0.5 cm (⅛”) long
  • Diagonal, slanting up toward button band

Skip 0.5 cm diagonally

Black stripe 2 (middle):

  • 4 flat stitches close together
  • 1 cm (⅜”) long
  • Parallel to first stripe

Skip 0.5 cm diagonally

Black stripe 3 (head):

  • 2 flat stitches close together
  • 0.5 cm (⅛”) long
  • Parallel to other stripes

Mustard stripes:

  • Fill the gaps between black stripes
  • 4 flat stitches in each gap
  • Same length as adjacent black stitches
  • Creates 2 yellow stripes

Bee Wings (Off-White Chain Stitch)

Each wing is one chain stitch, 1-1.5 cm long

Right side wings:

  • Both start from the same point on the bee’s middle
  • One chain stitch angling up and back
  • One chain stitch angling up and forward

Left side wings:

  • Repeat the same on the opposite side
  • Total of 4 wings (2 pairs)

How to work chain stitch:

  1. Bring needle up where wing starts
  2. Insert needle back in same hole
  3. Bring tip up 1 cm away, keeping yarn under needle
  4. Pull through to form loop
  5. Secure end with a tiny stitch

Final Assembly

  1. Sew buttons onto left front band, aligned with buttonholes
  2. Weave in all yarn ends securely
  3. Block gently by laying flat, pinning to measurements, and misting with water
  4. Allow to dry completely

Troubleshooting Tips

Problem: Gauge is too tight (too many stitches per 10cm)
Solution: Use larger needles

Problem: Gauge is too loose (too few stitches per 10cm)
Solution: Use smaller needles

Problem: Holes at raglan increases
Solution: Make sure to purl yarn overs twisted on wrong-side rows

Problem: Buttonholes too large
Solution: Use a smaller yarn over or reinforce with stitching

Problem: Sleeves too tight
Solution: Cast on 8 stitches at underarm instead of 6

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