A jacket for Barbie

I know, I know, posts deserve wittier titles, but it's Sunday morning...

Anyway, I thought I'd share with you my pattern for a jacket for Barbie. At one time I was disturbed that Barbie even existed, but a daughter who loved her soon put paid to that. And she does have her good side - for a start she's unlikely to complain about the colour or the fit or ask if you could just make the cables a shade less standy-outy, or check if her bum looks big in this. Barbie's bum doesn't look big in anything.


Okay, so you need some scraps of 4 ply and some single point 3mm and 3.25mm needles. (The latter mostly still referred to by Three Bags Full customers as 10s.)

BARBIE JACKET AND HEADBAND

Abbreviations
tk - knit the second stitch on the left hand needle (keeping it on the needle) then knit the first stitch on the left hand needle and let them both drop off the needle together.
c6b - put the next 3 stitches onto a cable needle and hold to the back of the work. Knit the next 3 stitches on the left hand needle, then knit the three from the cable needle.
co - cast off

Method
Back and fronts together:
Using 3mm needles, cast on 42 stitches.
Work 4 rows of 2x2 rib
Change to 3.25mm needles and proceed as follows:
Row 1: k2, p2, tk, p2, tk, p4, tk, p2, c6b, p2, tk, p4, tk, p2, tk, p2, k2
Row 2: p2, k2, p2, k2, p2, k4, p2, k2, p6, k2, p2, k4, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2
Row 3: Work as row 1, except for the central 6, where you should knit 6
Row 4: Work as row 2

Repeat these 4 rows a further 4 times.

Next row, divide at armholes: pattern 9 stitches, co2, pattern 19 (20 on needle since last cast off), co2, pattern to end

Continue to work on first 9 stitches (left front) only for a further 10 rows, without shaping, in pattern as set
Next row: co2 at start of row
Next row: k2 together at end of row
Next row: co remaining 6 stitches

Rejoin yarn to next set of 20 stitches (the back) and work on these only, working pattern rows 2-4, then 2 full 4-row patterns, then row 1.
Next row: co6 at beginning of this row
Next row: co6 at beginning of this row

Rejoin yarn to last set of stitches (right front) and work these to match the left front, but work 9 rows without shaping rather than 10.

Armhole edging: with 3 mm needles, pick up 20 stitches around each armhole and work 3 rows of 1x1 rib. Cast off.

Front edging: Pick up 22 stitches down each front.
Left side: work 4 rows 1x1 rib.
Right side: work 2 rows 1x1 rib.
Next row: work in 1x1 rib, making a buttonhole by casting off 2 stitch in a fairly central position (it's not crucial where - Barbie's not going to whinge about it.)
Next row: work in 1x1 rib, casting on one stitch where you cast it off on the previous row
Next row: work in 1x1 rib
Cast off.

Sew up the shoulder seams and ribbing around the armholes.

Collar: with right side facing, pick up 28 stitches along the top of the front ribbing, front piece, back piece, second front, then the top of the ribbing at the other side. Work 12 rows 1x1 rib, then cast off.

Sew on a button to correspond with the position of the buttonhole, and sew in all ends.

Headband: you could doubtless work this out for yourself...cast on 28 stitches, work 2 rows of 2x2 rib, then cast off and sew up. Easiest thing ever, but it finishes off the outfit nicely.

I'm hoping there aren't any mistakes in this but if there are, please let me know. And if you make it successfully and would like to send me a photo I'd love to see your version.