Child’s Seamless Raglan Sweater

Free Child's Sweater Knitting Pattern

This simple raglan sweater is worked seamlessly from the top down, making it easy to knit without much finishing. The pattern includes sizes for children from 2 to 16 years old. It can be made with different yarns to create various looks, from casual to dressy. The design is great for trying out new colors or textures. With clear instructions, this project is suitable for knitters who want a reliable, go-to sweater pattern.

The sweater is worked top-down, first, back and forth, to shape the neck, then in-the-round, without seams. The sleeves are worked in-the-round, without a seam, on double pointed or circular needles.

Sizes: 2 (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16)

Finished Measurements:

Chest: 21 (23, 25, 26.5, 28, 30, 31.5, 32.5) inches [53 (58, 64, 67, 71, 75, 79, 82) cm]

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
-Increasing, decreasing
-Working in the round on double pointed needles
-Picking up stitches

Materials: Wendy Guernsey 5 ply 100% wool, sport weight yarn 245 yards (224 meters) / 100 gr - 3 (3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6) balls

Needles: circular US #4 (3.5 mm) 24" (60 cm) long and a set of 4-5” long double pointed needles of the same size for sleeves, or circular 16" long of the same size OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge in stockinette stitch: 22 st x 28 rows = 4" x 4" (10 x 10 cm)

Notions:
- Stitch markers
- 2 pieces 20” long of contrasting color waste yarn to hold stitches
- Yarn needle

Abbreviations:
dpn – double pointed needles
K – knit
P – purl
St – stitch
Sts - stitches
pu&k - pick up and knit
k2tog – knit 2 together, left slant decrease
ssk – slip, slip, knit, right slant decrease
co – cast on
RS – right side
WS – wrong side
m 1 - make 1 increase - I used the increase described by Elizabeth Zimmerman: make a backward loop over the right-hand needle and in the next row/round purl/knit it as a regular stitch.
pm – place marker
sm – slip marker


Pattern Notes

Waving Rib Pattern in rounds:
multiple of 6

Rounds 1 - 4: K4, p2. (6 sts)
Rounds 5 - 8: K1, p2, k3.

Waving Rib Pattern in rows:
multiple of 6

Row 1 (RS): K4, p2. (6 sts)
Row 2 (WS): K2, p4.
Rows 3 - 4: Repeat rows 1 - 2.
Row 5: K1, p2, k3.
Row 6: P3, k2, p1.
Rows 7 - 8: Repeat rows 5 - 6.

1x1 Rib in rounds: multiple of 2
*k1, p1 - repeat from * across the round. Repeat the round.

The selvedge/edge stitches are worked as follows: slip the first stitch and purl the last one.

Raglan increases: in every right side (RS) row, work till 1 st remains before the marker, m1, k1, slip marker (sm), k1, m1. There are 4 raglan lines, repeat on each raglan line, thus the number of sts in each RS row will increase by 8.


Short Overview of the Pattern

The sweater is worked top-down, first, back and forth, to shape the neck, then in-the-round, without seams in Waving Rib pattern. In the first 10 rows work the pattern as described for rows, starting from row11/round 1 work the pattern as described in rounds. (It will be a good idea to transfer all your work to a couple of long circular needles and from time to time try it on to check how it fits.) The sleeves are worked in-the-round, without seam, on double pointed or short circular needles. The bottom of the body and the sleeves and the neck are finished with the 1x1 rib.


Sweater

Cast on 42 (44, 44, 48, 48, 48, 52, 54) sts and purl 1 foundation row. Count the stitches and place 4 markers as follows:

1 edge st, 1 st (left front), 2 sts (1st raglan line, pm between the stitches), 6 (6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8) sts (left sleeve), 2 sts (second raglan line, pm between the stitches), 18 (19, 19, 21, 22, 22, 23, 25) sts (back), 2 sts (third raglan line, pm between the stitches), 6 (6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8) sts (right sleeve), 2 sts (fourth raglan line, pm between the stitches), 1 st (right front), 1 edge st.

Row 1 (RS, increase row): sl1, m1, k1 (this is the 1st row of the Waving Rib pattern in rows), *m1, k1, sm, k1, m1 (raglan line), work Waving Rib pattern till 1 st remains before the next marker, repeat from * 3 times, m1, k1, sm, k1, m1 (forth raglan line), k1, m1, p1. +10 sts 52 (54, 54, 58, 58, 58, 62, 64) sts.

Row 2 (WS) and all WS rows: sl 1, work Waving Rib pattern in rows, purl raglan stitches and include increased stitches into the Waving Rib pattern.

Rows 3-10: Repeat rows 1-2 four more times. 92 (94, 94, 98, 98, 98, 102, 104) sts.

Row 11/Round 1 (RS, 1st increase round): work Waving Rib pattern in rounds to the first marker, *m1, k1, sm, k1, m1 (raglan), work Waving Rib pattern till 1 stitch remains before the marker, repeat from * 3 times, m1, k1, sm, k1 , m1 (raglan), work Waving Rib pattern to the end of the row. At the end of the row cast on 4 (5, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 11) sts, join into the round and continue to work in rounds. Work Waving Rib pattern till 1 stitch remains before the marker. Now the beginning of the round will be at the 1 stitch before the left front raglan marker. 102 (107, 107, 113, 114, 114, 119, 123) sts.

Round 2 and all even rounds: work Waving Rib pattern in rounds, knit raglan stitches and include increased stitches into the Waving Rib pattern.

Round 3: (2nd increase round): *m1, k1, sm, k1, m1 (raglan), work Waving Rib pattern till 1 stitch remains before the next marker, repeat from * 3 more times. 110 (115, 115, 121, 122, 122, 127, 131) sts

Repeat 2nd increase round 13 (15, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 25) more times. 214 (235, 259, 273, 290, 306, 327, 331) sts.


Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Knit the first st. before the raglan marker, rm. Transfer left sleeve sts (all stitches between the first and the second raglan markers, rm) to a piece of waste yarn, cast on 6 sts for underarm, work Waving Rib pattern on all sts of the back, till the next raglan marker, transfer the right sleeve sts (all stitches between the third and the forth raglan markers, rm) to a piece of waste yarn, cast on 6 sts for underarm, work Waving Rib pattern on all the front sts. Place a marker after the 3rd underarm st to mark the beginning of the round. Slip marker while working. 128 (138, 150, 158, 168, 176, 186, 190) sts.

Work in Waving Rib pattern 56 (66, 74, 82, 86, 94, 94, 96) more rounds or to desired length, taking into consideration, that there will be 10 rounds of 1x1 rib.

Next round: *k1, p2tog, repeat across. If the amount of stitches is odd, don’t work the last p2tog.

Next round *k1, p1, repeat across. Repeat this round ten (10) more times. Bind off.


Sleeves

Sleeves are worked in rounds on double pointed needles or circular needles 16" long.

Transfer sleeve sts from the waste yarn to the needles and pick up 6 sts over the 6 underarm sts. Place marker after the 3rd underarm st to mark the beginning of the round. 54 (58, 64, 67, 71, 75, 80, 80) sts

Slip the marker while working. Work Waving Rib pattern for 60 (74, 82, 88, 96, 106, 112, 116) rounds or to desired length, taking into consideration, that there are 10 rounds of 1x1 rib.

To narrow the sleeve, decrease by 2 sts on both sides of the marker in every 12th round as follows:

Decrease round: sm, ssk, knit all sts to the last 2, k2tog.

Next round: *k1, p2tog, repeat across. If the amount of stitches is odd, don’t work the last p2tog, just p1.

Next round *k1, p1, repeat across. Repeat this round ten (10) more time. Bind off.


Crew Neck

Starting with the central back st, pick up sts on dpn or circular needles along the neckline and knit 10 rounds of 1x1 rib. Bind off.


Finishing

Weave in all yarn ends. Block.

Enjoy!