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My Little Pony coat, or Barbie Halter Top--Hand Knit Pattern--by Natalie Langkilde http://www.nataliesknitting.com

This fits: vintage My Little Pony, My Little Pony as it is in Stores today, and Barbie.

(Photo is of machine pattern version in thinner yarn)

My 19 yr old collected My Little Ponies. Now my 3 yr old inherited them, and their back in style! Here's a little coat I designed to keep from having to put barbie clothes on the ponies. Easy to dress. A great little primer on how to knit shapes for the advancing beginner.

Materials: Size US 8 (5mm) of your choice in style needles
Small device to put stitches in hold with (or large safety pin, or length of string would work just as well)
Small amount Worsted Wt yarn such as scraps of "Wool Ease", Plymoth Encore, or combinations of yarn to equal worsted wt.
Some kind of fasteners for the tummy such as Velcro or snaps
Tapestry needle or device to sew in yarn end
Any embellishment you may like (take in mind the age of the person this is for) Tiny bits of fun fur scraps, or eyelash yarn make a nice collar!

Gauge: 4 st, 6 rows on size 8 US needles.

No worries, if your off gauge. It's just a reference to approximate by. Pony won't mind. Error on the smaller side would be best error.

Abreviations:
cm = centimeter
approx = approximately
st = stitch
tog = together
K2tog = knit 2 together
Psso = pass slip stitch over

Pattern

Begin at tail edge

Note: This has a ½ inch (approx. 2cm) of curled stockinette st at the edge. If you don't want the edge to curl (and don't want to steam it out and "kill" the acrylic), you will have to do a ½ inch rib section, or other stitch that does not curl, first.

Starting bottom edge stitch now, and subtract the rows from the next section that follows, before the belly strap.

Cast on for tail end: 16 st.
Knit about one 1 inches (2.5 cm) , approximately 4 rows in stockinette st
(knit one row, turn work, purl one row, repeat)
Ending after a purl one row.

Make belly strap:
Row 1. Cast on additional 4 st (Now 20 st on needle)
and knit across newly cast on, as well as body st.
Row 2. Cast on 4 stitches (Now 24 st on needle)
and purl across all st, as above.
Row 3 Knit across all stitches
Row 4 Purl across all stitches
Row 5 Cast off the first 4 st knitwise, then knit across remaining 20 st
Row 6 Cast off the first 4 st purlwise, then purl across remaining 16 st

Divide for Neck:
Note: Now we will divide the stitches in half and work on one side at a time to decrease the neck st. at the neck edge only.

Cast off Center Neckline:
Knit 9. Next st knit and then pull over second st on right hand needle (for right handers) over first st. One st bound off. Knit the next st, then bind it off as just before. Center 2 stitches are now bound off, and you have 7 st on each needle. Knit across the remaining st.

Left side of Neckline:
Row 1 Purl 7, place 7 remaining st on a holder or length of string. Turn to work on Left side of neck only.

Row 2 Slip one, knit one, psso ( to decrease one at neckline), knit across remaining st

Row 3 Purl across all st on needle

Continue to repeat rows 2 and 3 until you have 4 st remaining on needles. Cast off. This side of the neck is done.

Left side of Neckline:
Place stitches from holder on needles so that you are working next on the knit side (right side facing you). Pick up the heel of the first cast off center stitch. This will close up the gap from the cast off.

Row 1 knit all except last 2 st, K2tog, turn
Row 2 purl all st

Continue to repeat row 1 and 2 until there are 4 st remaining on needles. Cast off.

Finishing:
Sew tog 2 ends of neckline. Do not twist knitting, close so that it is one continuous knit side.Weave in all ends. Apply a fastener to belly strap such as Velcro or snap. Use a pony to measure placement. Embellish, or run and find a naked Pony or Barbie to dress it with! It looks fantastic if you crochet (or weave in) a row of fun fur or novelty yarn around inside edge of neck!

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