Help with pattern for baby jumper

Hello

I hope someone can help me. I wanted to knit this jumper for my little boy but having never knitted a top down jumper before I’m struggling to interpret the patter.


I’m knitting the 6/9 month size. So far I’ve cast on but then am I knitting it straight in the round or turning back on myself, if its in the round I can’t see how I’ll be able to get his head through. I know how to garter stitch but then can’t understand this bit ‘until there are 6 stitches left, knit 2 and 4 stitches in garter stitch’
If anyone could help that would be great thanks!

This is a darling little sweater! Thanks for the pattern link and size.
Just before the cast on there is a helpful paragraph describing the overview of the pattern. There is going to be a split at the back with garter stitch bands and buttonholes.
Knit back and forth from the mid back until the split or opening at the back is finished. (This happens after increases when the sweater measures about 4cm.) Then the sweater will be joined in the round. The opening at the back will make it easy to get the sweater over the baby’s head (and we all know how much babies hate tight necks).
The split at the back has 4-stitch bands of garter stitch on either side. One of the bands has buttonholes. When the pattern describes the k2p2 rib, it wants you to work k2p2 to the last 6sts then finish the rib with k2. The remaining 4sts are the garter band and are knit. This is my rewrite:
(knit 2, purl 2), work from until there are 6 stitches left, knit 2 and then knit 4 stitches in garter stitch.

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Thank you so much! Could I ask another question? When increasing it says (do not increase over the bands on each side), what are the bands? I’m realising whilst I can knit a lot of different patterns before this one is a new challenge!

The bands are the buttonhole and button bands that are at the beginning and end of row. They are the 4 stitches in garter stitch (knit every row). After the rib, the sweater is knit back and forth in stockinette stitch (knit one row, purl one row) and that’s where the increases should be placed, in the first knit row.

For the 6/9 months size you have 82sts. Since you won’t dec in the buttonhole and button bands that leaves you 74sts on the knit row for increases. To increase 14sts you need to increase about every 5 sts, depending on how you work the increases (Make 1 between sts or knit front & back in a stitch). There are calculators out there but it’s really not necessary to use them. Approximately even increases across the row will distribute the increases nicely.
https://www.worldknits.com/knitting-calculators

That’s the great thing about new patterns and new design sources, a new challenge around every page. You’re increasing skills each time. Enjoy working this cute sweater and come back with any questions.

Hello sorry me again, for the markers do I count the stitches after the band for marker 1? and then count from marker 1 for the next one and so on?

Yes, start counting at the mid back including the band and place marker 1 then count from marker 1 and place marker 2 and so on. You’ll have 18sts from mid back to marker 1, another 14sts to marker 2 (sleeve), another 32sts to marker 3 (back), another 14sts to marker 4 (sleeve) leaving 18sts for the other side of the back (96sts total).