Play Suit Pattern #540

Size 6 Years

Materials: J. & P. Coats Knit-Cro-Sheen, 2 balls of a light color and 4 balls of a dark color. Milward's Casein knitting pins, 1 pair No. 2 (2¾ mm. size). Milward's steel crochet hook No. 5. 7 buttons ½ inch in diameter.

Gauge: 8 sts make 1 inch; 10 rows make 1 inch.

Thread is used double throughout. The shorts and halter are made individually and then buttoned together at waistline.

SHORTS

Right Front. Starting at lower edge, with dark color cast on 75 sts. 1st row: P 2, * k 1, p 6, repeat from * across, ending row with p 2. 2nd row: K 2, * p 1, k 6, repeat from * across, ending row with k 2. These 2 rows constitute the pattern. Repeat these 2 rows alternately until work measures 2½ inches.

To Shape Crotch. Bind off 4 sts at beginning of next k row. Then, decrease 1 st at beginning of every p row (inner edge) until 52 sts remain. Work straight until work measures 10½ inches in all. Next row: Starting at inner edge, work in pattern across 1st 16 sts, bind off 3 sts (a buttonhole), continue in pattern across next 24 sts, bind off 3 sts (another buttonhole), and continue to end of row. Following row: Work in pattern across, casting on 3 sts to replace those bound off. Work straight for ½ inch. Bind off tightly.

Left Front. Work to correspond with right front, reversing shapings.

Right Back. Starting at lower edge, cast on 82 sts and work as for left front up to shaping of crotch.

To Shape Crotch: Bind off 8 sts at beginning of next k row and work in pattern across. Hereafter continue in pattern, binding off 4 sts at beginning of each k row, 3 times (62 sts remain). Decrease 1 st at decreased edge every 3rd row until 56 sts remain. Work straight until work measures 7½ inches in all, ending with a k row. Then cast on 7 sts (thus starting an extension piece), and continue in pattern for 2½ inches, keeping these 7 sts in garter st (k these 7 sts). On next row, decrease 1 st in each stockinette section. Work in pattern for 5 rows. On next row, decrease 1 st in each stockinette section. Hereafter continue in pattern straight, at the same time, when work measures 3½ inches from 7 sts cast on, make a buttonhole as before, 22 sts in from edge of extension piece. Then work straight until extension piece measures 4¼ inches. Bind off tightly.

Left Back. Work to correspond with right back, reversing shapings. Sew up leg and crotch seams. Sew up side seams to within extension piece, then, sew lower edge of each extension piece across front to hold in place.

HALTER

Starting at bottom, with light color cast on 140 sts and work in stockinette st (k 1 row, p 1 row) for 2 inches. Then decrease 1 st at end of each row until 56 sts remain. On next row, k across 1st 22 sts, bind off 12 sts (thus starting neck shaping) and k across remaining sts. Hereafter decrease 1 st at neck edge every row, continuing with usual decreases at opposite side, until all sts are worked off. Break off. Attach thread at opposite side of neck edge and work to correspond.

Collar. Starting at neck edge, with light color cast on 52 sts and work in stockinette st for 2 inches. Bind off. Make another piece same as this. Sew collar to neckline. With crochet hook, work 2 rows of s c around collar and around halter. Sew on buttons 2 inches above lower edge of halter to correspond with buttonholes of shorts. Fasten collar at back with a ch-8 loop. With a needle and dark color thread (single), work polka dots in chain stitch around and around, giving solid effect as shown image.