A sneaky raccoon is designed in honor of the classic children’s story “The Kissing Hand.” The sleeves feature a little detailed heart made with embroidery stitches. It serves as a sweet reminder of that kiss of love that stays on your little one’s hand all day long and forever.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Sizes: Finished Chest Size 20 (21, 22¾, 24, 26¼, 28, 30)” to fit chest 17 (18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26.5)”
6 months (12 months, 18 months, 2, 4, 6, 8) years
roughly 3” positive ease recommended.
Shown in size 4 years.
Gauge: 14 sts and 20 rows = 4” [10 cm] in St st on larger needles, after wet blocking
Materials
Yarn:
Stitch Sprouts Crater Lake (100% Superwash Merino; 110 yards [101 meters]/100 grams): The Old Man (MC), 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5) skeins; Merriam Cove (CC1), 1 (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3) skeins; Phantom Ship (CC2), 1 skein.
Needles: US size 9 (5.5 mm): 24” circular needle and DPN; US size 7 (4.5 mm): 24” circular and DPN.
Notions: Markers; waste yarn for provisional cast-on; tapestry needle; three 1” black buttons for eyes.
Special Stitches
K2, p2 Rib
Rnd 1: *K2, p2; rep from * to end of rnd.
Rep Rnd 1 for pattern.
Pattern Notes
It’s a seamless knit with big stripes on the sleeves and a fun color block stripe across the body, just perfect for making your raccoon face come alive with buttons. The hood is worked to be fitted and features a ribbed band casing with an I-Cord closure to help keep the fall chill out of your little one’s ears. Big, bright pompoms on the ends of the I-Cord ensure that it won’t get lost or pulled out. The hood is topped with little raccoon ears to complete the look.
Pattern
With larger circular needles and MC, using the waste yarn, provisionally CO 26 (26, 26, 26, 32, 34, 34) sts.
Set-up Row (WS): P2 (Front), pm, p4 (4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 6) (Sleeve), pm, p14 (14, 14, 14, 16, 18, 18) (Back), pm, p4 (4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 6) (Sleeve), pm, p2 (Front).
Row 1 (RS): K1, *kfb, sm, kfb, knit to 1 st before m; rep from * 3 times more, knit to end – 8 sts inc’d; 34 (34, 34, 34, 40, 42, 42) sts.
Row 2 (WS): Purl across all sts, slipping all markers as you come to them.
Row 3: Kfb, *knit to 2 sts before m, kfb, k1, sm, k1, kfb; rep from * 3 times more, knit to last st, kfb – 10 sts inc’d; 44 (44, 44, 44, 50, 52, 52) sts.
Row 4: Purl across all sts.
Work last 2 rows 2 (2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4) more times – 64 (64, 74, 74, 80, 82, 92) sts.
Joining Row
Row 5 (RS): Kfb, *knit to 2 sts before m, kfb, k1, sm, k1; rep from * 3 more times, knit to last st, kfb, using the backwards loop method, CO 2 (2, 0, 0, 2, 4, 2) sts – 72 (72, 80, 80, 88, 92, 100) sts.
Cut yarn.
Row 6: Slip the sts from the left needle to the right needle until you reach the left back sleeve m, the st following the left back st raglan m will now be the start of round m, rejoin yarn and continue working in the rnd.
Rnd 1: Knit.
Rnd 2 (Inc): *Kfb, knit to 1 st before m, kfb; rep from * 3 more times – 8 sts inc’d; 80 (80, 88, 88, 96, 100, 108) sts.
Rnd 3: Knit.
Repeat last 2 rnds 3 (4, 5, 6, 5, 6, 6) more times – 104 (112, 128, 136, 136, 148, 156) sts.
Next Rnd: Knit to m, remove marker, slip 22 (24, 28, 30, 30, 32, 34) Sleeve sts to waste yarn, CO 8 (8, 6, 4, 6, 6, 6) sts, remove marker, knit to m, remove marker, slip Sleeve sts to waste yarn, CO 8 (8, 6, 4, 6, 6, 6) sts, sm – 120 (128, 140, 144, 148, 160, 168) sts.
Knit for 1 (1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3)”.
Switch to CC1, knit for 1½ (1½, 2, 3, 4, 4, 4)”.
Switch to MC, knit for 2 (3, 3½, 3¾, 2¾, 2¾, 3)”.
Switch to CC1, knit for 1 rnd.
Switch to smaller needles, work K2, p2 Rib for 1”.
BO all sts knitwise.
Sleeves
Move 30 Sleeve sts to larger DPN.
Knit around, pick up and knit 3 sts, pm, pick up and knit 3 sts – 36 sts.
Rnds 1-2: Knit 2 rnds.
Rnd 3 (Dec): K1, ssk, knit to 3 sts before m, k2tog, k1 – 2 sts inc’d; 34 sts.
Working in the following stripe pattern, AT THE SAME TIME, work Dec Rnd every 6 rnds 4 (4, 5, 4, 5, 5, 6) more times – 26 (26, 24, 26, 24, 24, 22) sts.
Work in MC for ½”.
Work in CC2 for ½ (½, 1, 1, 1½, 1½, 2)”.
Work in CC1 for 1 (1, 1, 1, 1½, 1½, 1½)”.
Work in CC2 for 1 (1, 1, 1, 1½, 1½, 2)”.
Work in CC1 1 (1, 1, 1, 1½, 1½, 2)”.
Work in CC2 for 1 (1, 1, 1, 1½, 1½, 2)”.
Work in CC1 for 1 (1, 1, 1, 1½, 1½, 1½)”.
Work in CC2 for ½ (½, 1, 1, 1½, 1½, 2)”.
Switch to CC1, work in K2, p2 Rib for 1”.
BO all sts knitwise.
Hood
Starting at right front CO edge, pick up and knit 3 sts, carefully remove provisional CO and knit 26 (26, 26, 26, 32, 34, 34) sts, pick up and knit 3 sts along left front CO edge – 32 (32, 32, 32, 38, 40, 40) sts.
Purl 1 row.
Inc Row: K1, M1L, knit to last st, m1R, k1 – 34 (34, 34, 34, 40, 42, 42) sts.
Repeat Inc Row every RS row 9 more times – 52 (52, 52, 52, 58, 60, 60) sts.
Work in St st until Hood meas 10 (10, 11, 12, 12, 13, 13)”
Turn work inside out and work 3-needle BO across all sts as follows: divide sts in half with an equal amount of sts on each needle, turn work inside and using a separate needle, *knit 2 sts together as 1 st, (1 st from each needle), knit the next 2 sts together as 1 st, pass the first worked st over the second st and off the needle; rep from * to last st, cut yarn and pull tight through remaining st.
Rib Edge
With CC1 and smaller needles, starting at hood edge, pick up and knit 2 sts for every 3 rows across, making sure to end with a multiple of 4 sts, pm, join to work in the rnd.
Rnds: 1-3: K2, p2 Rib.
Rnd 4: *K2tog, yo, work in K2, p2 Rib to opposite corner edge, yo, k2tog.
Rnds 5-6: K2, p2 Rib.
Rnd 7: Purl 1 rnd.
Rnds 8-14: K2, p2 Rib.
BO all sts knit wise.
Fold in half at Purl Ridge. Whipstitch bound off edge to edge where you picked up sts for the hood.
Ears
With CC1 and DPN, leaving a 16” long tail, CO 14 sts, pm, join to work in the rnd.
Knit for 2”.
Next Rnd (Dec): *K2tog, k3, k2tog; rep from * once more – 4 sts dec’d; 10 sts.
Next Rnd: Knit 1 rnd.
Next Rnd (Dec): *k2tog, k1, k2tog; rep from * once more – 4 sts dec’d; 6 sts.
Next Rnd (Dec): *K3tog; rep from * once more – 4 sts dec’d; 2 sts.
Cut yarn and pull tight through remaining sts.
Ties
With CC1 and DPN, CO 3 sts.
Work I-Cord for 40”.
BO all sts.
Thread I-Cord tie through yo opening on Hood edging.
Pompoms (make 2)
With CC, make a 3” pompom with 40 wraps. Trim as desired. Sew to ends of I-cord tie.
Finishing
Weave in all ends. Wash and block to measurements. Sew the black buttons to the front of the sweater for raccoon face, using photo as a guide. Using CC2, sew on facial features using backstitches and photos as a guide. Using MC and backstitches, embroider heart shapes on the underside of the sleeves. Sew the 2 ears to the top of the hood, (tip: it is easier to try on the hood and then use removable markers to place where you would like the ears to be positioned).
I am an experienced knitter and I cannot figure out this pattern. Why use waste yarn? I am totally confused how to begin. It appears something is missing.
Hello Mary Ann! I’ve reached out to the designer for advice and she or I will reply as soon as possible. Thanks! – Nicola, Editor