Knit Striped Button-Front Pants for a 2–3 Year Old
The pants that go with the leftover-yarn hoodie: striped legs knitted bottom-up, a button-front opening for little ones out of diapers, and a drawstring waist.
In my last video we made a multicoloured hoodie for a 2–3 year old. These are the matching pants. When a child starts walking and doesn't need diapers any more, a front opening makes life easier, so these open at the front with buttons. They're knitted flat from the ankle up, one leg at a time.
What you'll need
- Black yarn for the base, plus leftover colours for the stripes. My wool is quite fine
- Knitting needles to suit your yarn
- Buttons to match your stripes, and yarn for an i-cord drawstring
Step 1: The first leg
- Cast on
54 stitches in black. I use the Old Norwegian cast on.
- Border
20 rows of 1x1 rib. On black it hardly shows, but it keeps the cuff stretchy.
- Next row
Increase 4 stitches across (knit 6, knit into the 7th stitch twice, and so on). You now have 58.
- Stripes
Work stockinette: 10 rows of the base colour, then 8 rows of a new colour, and repeat. I changed colours 4 times.
- Shaping
Increase 1 stitch at each end on every 5th knit row.
I knitted 72 rows and had 84 stitches. The leg measured 10 inches. For a different size, keep adding two stitches as you change colours and knit to the leg length you need.
Step 2: The crotch
The crotch is shaped with cast-on stitches so it's roomy and comfortable, with space for a diaper if needed.
- Cast on 1 stitch at the start of a right-side row, knit it and the rest of the row. Cast on 1 at the start of the wrong-side row and purl across. Knit the new stitch itself, or a little hole forms.
- Then cast on 2 stitches at the start of the next two rows, and 2 more at the start of the two rows after that. Keep the new stitches firm.
- That's 5 extra stitches each side: 94 in all.
Step 3: The front edge and the second leg
- On the first leg only, make a neat edge for the button opening: on right-side rows knit 1, purl 5, then knit to the end. On wrong-side rows purl. Put a marker on this side so you remember.
- Knit until the leg measures 6 inches from the crotch.
- Knit the second leg exactly the same, but without the 5-stitch edge.
Step 4: The drawstring waistband
- Join the legs
Work the first leg in 2x2 rib (knit 2, purl 2). At the end, purl 1, slip the next stitch, and purl it together with the first stitch of the second leg. Then continue 2x2 rib across the second leg.
- Rib
Work 6–8 rows of 2x2 rib.
- Eyelet row
In each pair of knit stitches, knit 1, bring the yarn forward, then knit the second knit stitch together with the next purl stitch through the back loop. Purl 1, knit 2, purl 2, and make the next eyelet. Continue to the end.
- Finish
Work 4 more rows of rib, then bind off in rib.
Step 5: The button band
- Pick up
Along the front opening, pick up 5 stitches, then cast on 1, and repeat. Garter stitch is loose, so an extra stitch after every 5 is enough. For a rib band you'd add one every 2–3 stitches. I had 48 stitches.
- Garter
Purl the first stitch (it's the wrong side), then knit across. Knit 4 more rows, giving 3 ridges.
- Buttonholes
Slip 1, knit 3, yarn forward, knit 2 together through the back loop. *Knit 11, yarn forward, knit 2 together through the back loop.* Repeat, and knit the last few stitches. That gives 4 buttonholes.
- Finish
Knit 2 more ridges, then bind off knitwise, leaving a tail for sewing.
Step 6: Sew up
Sew the back seam from the waist down to the crotch. Then sew each inside leg seam from the crotch to the ankle, one stitch from each side at a time, lining up the stripes as you go. Sew on the buttons, and thread an i-cord through the eyelets for a drawstring.
- baby pants knitting
- toddler pants
- kids knitting pattern
- striped knitting
- leftover yarn
- hand knitted baby clothes
- drawstring waist
- handmade
