Middlemore Tabard

My husband is a keen historical re-enactor and so we took our 3-month-old son to his first ever re-enactment event this summer at Tewkesbury Medieval Festival. My husband and father-in-law tell me that the appropriate authentic costume for a baby involves him being up to his neck in a hessian sack. Luckily neither of them wanted to put my little darling in a sack so I didn't need to put my foot down about that one!

My husband and the other officers of his group all have livery coats in the group colours and the other group members who take part in the battles have tabards in the group colours. I decided to make a little tabard for my son so that his daddy could show off baby's first costume.

This cute little tabard is not authentic costume for a baby but it is adorable. It buttons on one shoulder which makes it easier to get over baby's head and the sides are only partially seamed so it fits nicely over a nappy and doesn't restrict a wiggly baby's movement.

Size
3-6 months

Measurements
To fit chest: 20" (approx)

Materials
4.5mm needles (or size required to obtain guage)
approx 300 yards of DK weight yarn - 150 yards in colour A and 150 yards in colour B
1 button (1" in diameter)

Gauge
20 st x 32 rows = 4" in stocking stitch

Directions
Right Front
Using colour A, CO 25 sts.
Work 8 rows garter st.
Row 1: K all sts.
Row 2: K5, p to end.
Repeat these two rows a further 10 times.
Work 40 rows stocking st.
Row 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, &11: K all sts.
Row 2: BO 3, k to end.
Row 4: BO 2, k to end.
Row 6, 8 & 12: K1, k2tog, k to end.
Row 10: K all sts.
Work 4 rows garter st.
Row 1: BO 3, k to end.
Row 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, &12: K all sts
Row 3: BO 2, k to end.
Row 5, 7, 9 & 11: K1, k2tog, k to end.
Work 8 rows garter st.
BO all sts.

Left Back
Follow directions for right front.

Right Back
Using colour B, CO 25 sts.
Work 8 rows garter st.
Row 1: K all sts.
Row 2: P to last 5 sts, k5.
Repeat these two rows a further 10 times.
Work 40 rows stocking st.
Row 1: BO 3, k to end.
Row 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, &12: K all sts.
Row 3: BO 2, k to end.
Row 5, 7 & 11: K1, k2tog, k to end.
Row 9: K all sts.
Work 4 rows garter st.
Row 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, &11: K all sts.
Row 2: BO 3, k to end.
Row 4: BO 2, k to end.
Row 6, 8, 10 & 12: K1, k2tog, k to end.*
Work 8 rows garter st.
BO all sts.

Left Front
Work as for right back until *
Work 10 rows garter st.
Row 1: K3, BO 2, k3.
Row 2: K3, CO 2, k3.
Work 2 rows garter st.
BO all sts.

Finishing
Sew left front and right front together.
Sew left back and right back together.
Sew side seams together leaving the garter stitch edges open.
Sew button to left shoulder.


If anyone is interested in seeing this pattern in multiple sizes, please do let me know and I'll see what I can do.