I prefer knitting in the round, so I modified the pattern. I followed the pattern until a row or two after the sleeve stitches were put on holders. At that point, I shuffled stitches at the “button band” and knitted the four stitches from the front together with the four stitches from the back so that the bands overlapped. Then I knitted in the round, keeping the four band stitches in garter stitch. About two inches from the bottom, I split the sweater again: I worked KFB in each of the four band stitches; on the next row, I put every other stitch of the band onto separate needles so that I was again knitting flat. (Just be careful at the underarm and then at the bottom: make sure your flaps are overlapping in the right direction.)

In the photographs, the top three buttons are functional buttons fastening the sweater. The lower two buttons are strictly for show, to continue the illusion that the sweater is a cardigan rather than a pullover.

I’m sending the new mom three long-sleeved white onesies for the baby to wear under the sweater.