This exquisite matinee jacket knitting pattern was first issued by Patons in 1982 to celebrate the birth of Prince William, and we’re delighted to bring you an updated version to mark the birth of the Prince’s second child with the Duchess of Cambridge. With its diamond lace yoke and crown motifs, this matinee jacket is fit for a little prince or princess. It would be perfect for a christening and is sure to become a family heirloom. If you are looking for patterns for even tinier babies, try our premature baby knitting patterns article.
This matinee jacket pattern is written in UK metrics but it's really easy to convert, just check out our yarn weight conversion chart and guide to knitting needle sizes. If you need help with the lace panel have a look at our lace knitting tutorial, or see our guides on how to increase a stitch in knitting and how to decrease in knitting. You can also find this pattern in the Mini Collection from The Knitter issue 83.
To make this matinee jacket you will need:
- Patons Fairytale Soft 4ply (55% polyamide, 45% acrylic; 235m/257yds per 50g ball) 3 x 50g balls of Snow White (4300) Can't find this yarn? Try buying Patons Fairytale Fab 4Ply from Lovecrafts
- A pair of 3mm (US 3) knitting needles Buy from Lovecrafts
- A pair of 3¼mm (US 3) knitting needles Buy from Lovecrafts
- Stitch holder or spare needle Buy from The Knitting Network
- 4 buttons Buy from The Knitting Network
Matinee jacket knitting pattern
Tension
28 sts and 36 rows to 10cm over stocking stitch on 3¼mm needles
Abbreviations
MB Make bobble – (K1, P1, K1) all into front of next st, turn, K3, turn, P3, turn, K3, turn, P3tog.
See our knitting abbreviations for other terms used in this pattern.
Measurements
For age 6-12 months
To fit chest 46cm (18in)
Actual length 24cm (9½in)
Sleeve seam 14cm (5½in)
Panel pattern
Row 1 (WS) P8, K15, P8.
Row 2 K8, P15, K8.
Row 3 P8, K15, P8.
Row 4 K9, (P1, K1) 6 times, P1, K9.
Row 5 P8, (K1, P1) 7 times, K1, P8.
Row 6 K9, (MB, K1, P1, MB, P1, K1) twice, MB, K9.
Row 7 P8, (K1, P1) 7 times, K1, P8.
Row 8 K9, (P1, K1) 6 times, P1, K9.
Row 9 P14, K1, P1, K1, P14.
Row 10 K7, (K2tog, yfwd) 3 times, K2, MB, K2, (yfwd, sl1, K1, psso) 3 times, K7.
Row 11 P6, (P2tog tbl, yrn) twice, P4, K1, P1, K1, P4, (yrn, P2tog) twice, P6.
Row 12 K5, *(K2tog, yfwd) twice, K1*; rep from * to * once more, P1, **K1, (yfwd, sl1, K1, psso) twice**; rep from ** to ** once more, K5.
Row 13 P4, (P2tog tbl, yrn) twice, P15, (yrn, P2tog) twice, P4.
Row 14 K3, (K2tog, yfwd) twice, K2, (K2tog, yfwd) twice, K1, yfwd, sl2, K1, p2sso, yfwd, K1, (yfwd, sl1, K1, psso) twice, K2, (yfwd, sl1, K1, psso) twice, K3.
Row 15 P2, (P2tog tbl, yrn) twice, P19, (yrn, P2tog) twice, P2.
Row 16 K1, (K2tog, yfwd) twice, K3, (K2tog, yfwd) twice, K2, yfwd, sl2, K1, p2sso, yfwd, K2, (yfwd, sl1, K1, psso) twice, K3, (yfwd, sl1, K1, psso) twice, K1.
Row 17 & every alt row to Row 25 Purl.
Row 18 K2, yfwd, sl2, K1, p2sso, yfwd, K2, (K2tog, yfwd) twice, K3, yfwd, sl2, K1, p2sso, yfwd, K3, (yfwd, sl1, K1, psso) twice, K2, yfwd, sl2, K1, p2sso, yfwd, K2.
Row 20 (K2, yfwd, sl2, K1, p2sso, yfwd, K1) 5 times, K1.
Row 22 K3, MB, K4, (yfwd, sl2, K1, p2sso, yfwd, K3) 3 times, K1, MB, K3.
Row 24 K9, MB, K4, yfwd, sl2, K1, p2sso, yfwd, K4, MB, K9.
Row 26 K15, MB, K15. These 26 rows form panel patt.
Matinee jacket sleeves
Cast on 33 sts using 3mm needles. Work in garter stitch for 4 rows.
Inc row (WS) K2, (M1, K2) 15 times, M1, K1. [49 sts.]
Change to 3¼mm needles. Starting with a K row work in st st for 2 rows, ending with RS facing for next row.
Work in border patt as folls:
Row 1 (RS) K3, *yfwd, sl1, K1, psso, K4; rep from * to last 4 sts, yfwd, sl1, K1, psso, K2.
Row 2 & every alt row Purl.
Row 3 K1, *K2tog, yfwd, K1, yfwd, sl1, K1, psso, K1; rep from * to end.
Row 5 K2tog, yfwd, *K3, yfwd, sl1, K2tog, psso, yfwd; rep from * to last 5 sts, K3, yfwd, sl1, K1, psso.
Row 7 K6, *yfwd, sl1, K1, psso, K4; rep from * to last st, K1.
Row 8 Purl.
These 8 rows form border patt. Starting with a K row, work in st st until Sleeve meas 14cm, ending with RS facing for next row.
Shape armholes
Rows 1 & 2 Cast off 2 sts, work to end. [45 sts.]
Row 3 K1, K2tog tbl, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. [2 sts dec’d.]
Row 4 K1, P to last st, K1.
Rep last 2 rows twice more, then row 3 again. [37 sts.]
Slip these sts onto a stitch holder or spare needle.
Matinee jacket back and fronts
(Worked in one piece to armholes.)
Cast on 183 sts using 3mm needles.
Work in garter st for 4 rows.
Inc row K3, (M1, K16) 11 times, M1, K4. [195 sts.]
Change to 3¼mm needles.
Starting with a RS row, work in st st for 3 rows, ending with WS facing for next row.
Cont in st st placing panel patt as folls:
Row 1 (WS) P2, work 31 sts as row 1 of panel patt, P129, work 31 sts as row 1 of panel patt, P2.
Row 2 K2, work 31 sts as row 2 of panel patt, K129, work 31 sts as row 2 of panel patt, K2.
Rows 3 to 26 As rows 1 and 2, 12 times more, working appropriate rows of panel patt.
Cont in st st on all sts until work meas 13cm, ending with WS facing for next row.
Divide for armholes
Next row P47, cast off 4 sts, P to last 51 sts, cast off 4 sts, P to end. [187 sts.]
Right front
Cont on first 47 sts only as folls:
Next row (RS) K44, K2tog, K1, leave rem sts on a holder. [46 sts.]
Next row K1, P to end.
Next row (RS) K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. [1 st dec’d.]
Next row K1, P to end. Rep last 2 rows once more, then first row again. [43 sts.]
Slip sts onto a stitch holder or spare needle.
Divide for back
With RS facing, rejoin yarn and work across centre 93 sts only as folls:
Next row (RS) K1, K2tog tbl, K87, K2tog, K1, leave rem sts on a holder. [91 sts.]
Next row K1, P to last st, K1.
Next row (RS) K1, K2tog tbl, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. [2 sts dec’d.]
Next row K1, P to last st, K1.
Rep last 2 rows once more, then first row again. [85 sts.]
Slip sts onto a stitch holder or spare needle.
Left front
With RS facing, rejoin yarn to rem 47 sts.
Next row (RS) K1, K2tog tbl, K to end. [1 st dec’d.]
Next row P to last st, K1.
Rep last 2 rows twice more, then first row again. [43 sts.]
Slip sts onto a stitch holder or spare needle.
Yoke
With 3¼mm needles and WS facing, work across all sts as folls: P4, (P2tog) 17 times, P5 from Left Front, P37 from first Sleeve, P11, (P2tog) 32 times, P10 from Back, P37 from second Sleeve, P5, (P2tog) 17 times, P4 from Right Front. [179 sts.]
Work in patt as folls:
Row 1 (RS) K5, *yfwd, sl1, K1, psso, K6; rep from * to last 6 sts, yfwd, sl1, K1, psso, K4.
Rows 2, 4, 6 & 8 Purl.
Row 3 K3, *K2tog, yfwd, K1, yfwd, sl1, K1, psso, K3; rep from * to end.
Row 5 K2, *K2tog, yfwd, K3, yfwd, sl1, K1, psso, K1; rep from * to last st, K1.
Row 7 K1, K2tog, yfwd, *K2, MB, K2, yfwd, sl1, K2tog, psso, yfwd; rep from * to last 8 sts, K2, MB, K2, yfwd, sl1, K1, psso, K1.
Row 9 K1, P1, K1, *yfwd, K1, sl1, K2tog, psso, K1, yfwd, K1, P1, K1; rep from * to end.
Row 10 P1, *K1, P7; rep from * to last 2 sts, K1, P1.
Row 11 P3, *K1, yfwd, sl1, K2tog, psso, yfwd, K1, P3; rep from * to end.
Row 12 K3, *P5, K3; rep from * to end.
Row 13 P4, *K1, yfwd, sl1, K1, psso, P5; rep from * to last 7 sts, K1, yfwd, sl1, K1, psso, P4.
Row 14 K4, *P3, K5; rep from * to last 7 sts, P3, K4.
Row 15 (Dec) P4, *sl1, K2tog, psso, P5; rep from * to last 7 sts, sl1, K2tog, psso, P4. [135 sts.]
Row 16 K4, *P1, K5; rep from * to last 5 sts, P1, K4.
Keeping rib correct as set on last row, work straight until Yoke meas approx 7cm from start of Yoke, ending with RS facing for next row.
Dec row P1, P2tog, P1, *K1, P2tog, P1, P2tog; rep from * to last 5 sts, K1, P1, P2tog, P1. [91 sts.]
Keeping rib correct, work straight until Yoke meas approx 9cm from start of yoke patt, ending with WS facing for next row.
Dec row K1, (K2tog, K1, K2tog) 18 times. [55 sts.]
Change to 3mm needles. Work in garter st for 4 rows. Cast off evenly.
Making up the matinee jacket
Do not press. Join armhole shapings, then join sleeve seams.
Button border
Using 3mm needles, cast on 6 sts. Work in garter st until strip, when slightly stretched, fits up to top of neck edge, sewing in position as you go along. Mark the position of buttons on Button Border with pins, top one to come 3 to 4 rows down from top edge, with remainder spaced at 10 row intervals below.
Buttonhole border
Work as for Button Border with the addition of 4 buttonholes to correspond with pins. To make a buttonhole:
Next row: K2, cast off 2 sts, K1.
Next row: K, casting on 2 over those cast off. Sew on buttons. Block to size and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to dry. (See our guide on how to block knitting projects for more details.)
More baby knitting patterns
Keep baby cosy with our free premature baby knitting pattern and find more baby knits in our round-up of the best baby knitting patterns. Plus find yarns to use with our guide to the best yarn for baby blankets and clothes. Why not knit some toys too, with our free elephant knitting pattern and free knitted dog pattern?
Find more to knit in our knitting patterns collection, and see our how to knit guides for tips and tutorials to get you started.
