Everyone knows how quickly babies grow, and consequently how soon they grow out of their precious handknits. With that in mind, I set about designing this cute vest which would shrink to hug a tiny little body, but expand to fit the baby as they grow.

Worked in one piece to the underarm and with picked-up sleeve stitches, the only stitching to do after cast off is the short underarm and sleeve seams. The buttonbands are knitted as you go, with instructions for boy and girl buttonholes, and to avoid the difficult task of measuring such an elastic fabric the pattern quotes the number of rows to work at each stage.

You will need 1 (2: 2: 2: 3) x 50gm BC Garn Bio Balance, which is a great yarn for kids’ clothes - the wool/cotton blend is really comfortable to wear and we have found that it washes really well on a delicate cycle in the washing machine.

The photographed model has been trialled over two months - it still looks great and there’s still a few more weeks’ wear in there! It has been the perfect Summer cover-up for cooler afternoons in the garden and an extra layer in air conditioning. Best of all, it was quick to make, has lasted ages and is still nice enough to pass on to another new baby!