Mixed Knits Cowl Neck – Boy’s Week

Even though it’s boy’s week at Project Run & Play and I don’t have a boy, I decided to make something for the sew along.  Good friends have a little boy just a few days older than Bean so I had him in mind when putting the outfit together. 

Since I normally don’t sew boy’s clothes I thought I had better use a pattern instead of self drafting.  I was lucky enough last summer to test sew the Clean Slate Pants from Blank Slate Patterns by making a pair of shorts for Bean.  I have been wanting to make the pants so this was a great excuse. 

It’s a great pattern and my favorite part is that Melissa walks you through adding a functional zipper and button closure to a pair of pants.  This was a first for me so I was surprised how simple it was once broken down. 

The pants were made with welt pockets (again: functional!) in back and contrasting fabric for the inside of the front pockets.  The pattern gives options for no pockets, but I think for a pair of boys pants you need all the little details you can in order to make them special.

For the hem I decided to use the same fabric from the pockets to make a cuff.  These are size 2T, but the way I made the cuff there’s a little extra length to play with for a growing boy versus hemming.  The cuff can be made bigger or eventually no cuff if the pants still fit at the waist.

Now on to the top.  I’ve been looking at the Varsity Cowl Neck Pullover from Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop for awhile now and I thought that’d be perfect for this week.  I am definitely making at least one more of these for Bean this weekend.  It is a super easy pattern and can be made in very little time with a serger, which makes for a great nap time project.

Of course, using the pattern as is would have been too easy, hehe.  I decided to take two favorite knits from my sweaters that I don’t wear any more pile and sew them together in stripes to “make” a new patterned knit.  The blue/navy stripes look great in contrast to the solid green. 

I serged three inch rows of the two knits together until I had a big enough section to cut out the back and front from the pattern.  Then I serged two inch rows for the sleeves.  I like how the smaller stripes in the sleeves mixes it up a little bit.  A greenish blue ribbed knit for the cowl, sleeves, and bottom band tied the look together.  I’m so pleased with how it turned out. 

Here you can see the inside of the pullover.  So many seams! Hehe.

Since I didn’t have a boy to model the finished look, Bean did her best boy impression.  She seriously looks so much like a little boy in these pictures.  So cute.  Below you can see the back of the pants has a little elastic band to keep them on an active toddler.  Very smart.

Doesn’t this outfit look so boyish?  The oversized pullover with slouchy leg pants.  From the back she is totally a boy here, hehe.

Who am I kidding?  She looks like a boy from the FRONT in these pics too, hehe.

Maybe that’s why she got this worried look on her face.

Here’s a half smile:

The pullover looked so comfortable on her that I almost didn’t want to take it off.  I can’t wait to see one in girl colors.  From the looks of it, neither can Bean, hehe.

As usual, linking up to: