faux cable sleep sack :: a pattern

wool sleep sacks are wonderful for new cloth diapered babies and make night time diaper changes a breeze! this faux cable pattern creates a lovely thick and stretchy fabric, perfect for diaper covers. i have been knitting sleep sacks in preparation for our new baby and thought i would share this pattern that i have developed. enjoy!

you will need ::
16 inch circular needles in sizes US 5 and US 8
1 stitch marker
crochet hook (optional for drawstring)
100% wool yarn- i like to use nice, sturdy yarn. wool that will work well for this pattern are cestari merino (terra cotta sleep sack in photo), araucania nature wool (lavender sleep sack in photo), cascade eco, or something similar. if you are using a thinner weight yarn you may need to use a smaller needle size. approx. 200 yards is needed.

abbreviations ::
co = cast on
k = knit
p= purl
sl1= slip 1 stitch knitwise
psso = pass the slipped stitch over the last 2 sts that you knit
yo = yarn over

the pattern ::

co 80 stitches using size 5 needles, place marker and join in the round being careful to not twist your stitches. knit 2 x 2 ribbing for 1.5 inches.
eyelet row- *k2tog, yo, p2* repeat from * to end of row.
continue to knit 2 x 2 ribbing for another 1.5 inches.

switch to size 8 needles and knit the faux cable pattern as follows ::
row 1: *k3, p2*repeat from * to end of row.
row 2: *k3, p2* repeat from * to end of row.
row 3: *sl1, k2, psso, p2* repeat from * to end of row.
row 4: *k1, yo, k1, p2* repeat from * to end of row.
continue knitting these 4 rows until your piece measures 11 inches from the co.

switch back to your size 5 needles and knit 2 x 2 ribbing for 2 inches. cast off loosely- you might want to cast off with your larger needles to ensure the bottom of the sleep sack is stretchy enough to pull up for diaper changes.

drawstring :: you can use any preferred method to make your drawstring. i like to make a crochet chain holding 2 strands of yarn together. using 2 different colors makes a fun drawstring!

now you are ready to wash, lanolize and use your sleep sack on your sweet baby!

notes :: if you would like to modify this pattern to make a smaller or bigger sleep sack, no problem! first of all your cast on number should always be an even number for the 2 x 2 ribbing. then, you need to divide that number by 4 and make sure that again, you get an even number- this will be the number of drawstring eyelets you will end up with. if you have an odd number of eyelets you will not be able to thread your drawstring properly.
to knit the faux cable pattern your number of stitches has to be divisible by 5. you can simply make increases after your ribbing to make sure you have the proper amount of stitches, then you will need to decrease the same number of stitches before knitting the bottom ribbing. here is a quick example for a smaller sleep sack ::
co 72 sts (72 divided by 4 is 18)
after the top ribbing increase 3 sts evenly spaced around the sleep sack.
now you will have 75 sts and are ready for the faux cable pattern.
after the faux cables, decrease 3 sts evenly around the sleep sack.
now you have 72 sts on your needles and are ready for the bottom ribbing.