Elegant Child’s Sideways Jacket

Free Child Jacket Knitting Pattern

This pattern shows how to knit an elegant jacket for a girl. The sizes run from 6 to 16. The jacket is worked sideways (cuff-to-cuff) as one piece, from the left sleeve through the body and then to the right sleeve.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off;
-Increasing: make 1 (m1);
-Decreasing: knit 2 together (k2tog);
-Picking up stitches;

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

MEASUREMENTS
For chest: 25 (27, 28, 30, 32, 33.) inches [63 (68, 70, 75, 80, 84) cm]
Length of jacket: 19 (22, 24, 25, 26, 27) inches [48 (55, 60, 63, 65, 68) cm]

Materials: Rowan (affiliate link) Tapestry DK weight yarn (70% Wool, 30% Soy Silk) 131 yards (120 meters) /50 gr, color 175 – 5 (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) balls (MC)
Sublime (affiliate link) Yarns Extra Fine Merino Wool DK weight yarn (100% Merino) 127 yards (116 meters) / 50 gr – 3 balls. (CC)
6 buttons

Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) straight and long circular OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE
and US 4 (3.5 mm) straight and long circular needles for button bands, hem and neckband.

Gauge: 18 sts x 26 rows = 4” x 4” (10 cm x 10 cm) in stockinette st.

Abbreviations:
k - knit
p - purl
ssk - slip, slip, knit (left leaning decrease)
k2tog – knit 2 together (right leaning decrease)
M1 (Make 1 increase) - make a backward loop over the right-hand needle and in the next row knit (purl) it as a regular stitch.
RS – right side
WS – wrong side
w&t - wrap and turn
pu&k – pick up and knit
MC – main color
CC – contrast color


Pattern Notes

Garter stitch: All rows knit.

Stockinette in rows:
Row 1 (RS): knit
Row 2: purl
Repeat 2 rows

Selvedge/edge stitches: first st slip as if to knit, last st purl

To wrap and turn in the short rows:

With yarn in front slip 1 stitch to the right needle.
Move yarn between the needles to the back.
Slip the stitch back to the left needle.
Turn the work and bring the yarn back to the wrong side between the needles.

Short Overview of the Pattern

The jacket is knitted in stockinette stitch back and forth, sideways (cuff-to-cuff) as one piece, starting from the left sleeve, then the body of the jacket, then the right sleeve. The sides of the jacket decorated with short-row gore in CC yarn, which could be omitted. There are side-to-sleeve seams. The jacket is finished with garter stitch bands along the bottom and neck, as well as button bands in CC yarn. All the garter stitch details are worked on the smaller needles.


Jacket

Left Sleeve

With CC yarn cast on 45 (49, 46, 49, 52, 56) sts (there are 2 selvedge sts included) and work garter st for 9 rows.

With MC yarn work stockinette st for 72 (78, 86, 94, 102, 104) rows, increasing the sleeve as follows:

For size 6 increase for 1 st at the beginning and the end of the row, working m1, one time in the 16th row row and four times in every 14th row.

For size 8 increase for 1 st at the beginning and the end of the row, working m1, four times in every 16th row and one time in the 14th row.

For size 10 increase for 1 st at the beginning and the end of the row, working m1, seven times in every 10th row and two times in every 8th row.

For size 12 increase for 1 st at the beginning and the end of the row, working m1, seven times in every 10th row and three times in every 8th row.

For size 14 increase for 1 st at the beginning and the end of the row, working m1, one time in 12th row and nine times in every 10th row.

For size 16 increase for 1 st at the beginning and the end of the row, working m1, eight times in every 10th row and three times in every 8th row.

Work ten more rows, increasing for 1 st at the beginning and the end of the row, working m1, in every RS row. 65 (69, 74, 79, 82, 88) sts.


Body

Row 83 (89, 97, 105, 113, 115) (RS): work as est, at the end of this row cast on 54 (66, 74, 78, 78, 80) sts, turn, work back as est. At the end of the row, cast on the same amount of sts. These are body stitches, which form the front and the back. If you would like a longer jacket, you need to cast on more stitches (the same amount for front and for back). Total stitch count is now 173 (201, 222, 235, 238, 248) sts.

Work 24 (24, 26, 30, 30, 30) more rows as est.


Back Neck Shaping

Work first 87 (101, 111, 118, 119, 124) sts of RS row. Transfer the rest of the stitches to another pair of circular needle.

Continue to work the back stitches only. Decrease by 1 st in every RS row 3 times by working k2tog (2 sts before the selvedge st) at the end of the row. Total 6 rows.

Work 50 (52, 52, 54, 56, 60) more rows.

Increase by 1 st in every RS row 3 times by working m1 at the end of the row, before the last st. Total 6 rows. Set aside.


Left Front

Work the sts transferred to the additional needle. Decrease by 1 st in every RS row 5 times by working ssk (2 sts after the selvedge st) at the beginning of the row. Total 10 rows. 81 (95, 106, 112, 114, 119) sts

Work 36 (38, 40, 44, 46, 48) rows.

Transfer all the sts to a piece of waste yarn.


Right Front

Cast on 81 (95, 106, 112, 114, 119) sts.

Work 36 (38, 40, 44, 46, 48) rows as est.

Work 10 rows increasing by 1 st at the beginning of the RS row by working m1, after the selvedge st 5 times. Total sts now 86 (100, 111, 117, 119, 124).


Right Shoulder

Continue to work back and front parts together: Work RS row starting from back, then continue the front sts. The stitch count should be 173 (201, 222, 235, 238, 248) sts. again.

Work 24 (24, 26, 30, 30, 30) more rows as est.

At the beginning of the next RS row bind off 54 (66, 74, 78, 78, 80) sts. Knit to the end of the row. Turn. Bind off 54 (66, 74, 78, 78, 80) sts at the beginning of the row. Purl to the end of the row. These are the right sleeve sts. 65 (69, 74, 79, 82, 88) sts.


Right Sleeve

Work 10 rows, decreasing for 1 st at the beginning and the end of each RS row, working ssk at the beginning and k2tog at the end of the row.

Work 72 (78, 86, 94, 102, 104) rows, decreasing the sleeve as follows:

For size 6 decrease for 1 st at the beginning and the end of the row, working ssk and k2tog, one time in 16th row and four times in every 14th row.

For size 8 decrease for 1 st at the beginning and the end of the row, working ssk and k2tog, four times in every 16th row and one time in 14th row.

For size 10 decrease for 1 st at the beginning and the end of the row, working ssk and k2tog, seven times in every 10th row and two times in every 8th row.

For size 12 decrease for 1 st at the beginning and the end of the row, working ssk and k2tog, seven times in every 10th row and three times in every 8th row.

For size 14 decrease for 1 st at the beginning and the end of the row, working ssk and k2tog, one time in 12th row and nine times in every 10th row.

For size 16 decrease for 1 st at the beginning and the end of the row, working ssk and k2tog, eight times in every 10th row and three times in every 8th row.

Total after the decreases 45 (49, 46, 49, 52, 56) sts.

With CC yarn work 10 rows in garter st.

Bind off.

Block.

Short-Row Side Gore Front Part

With CC yarn and smaller needles, with right side facing, pick up and knit (pu&k) 60 (70, 80, 80, 80, 90) sts along the side edge of the left front, starting at the bottom. Turn. Knit 1 full row.

Short row 1: k 54 (63, 72, 72, 72, 81), w&t.
Short row 2: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 3: k 48 (56, 64, 64, 64, 72), w&t.
Short row 4: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 5: k 42 (49, 56, 56, 56, 63), w&t.
Short row 6: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 7: k 36 (42, 48, 48, 48, 54), w&t.
Short row 8: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 9: 30 (35, 40, 40, 40, 45), w&t.
Short row 10: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 11: 24 (28, 32, 32, 32, 36), w&t.
Short row 12: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 13: 18 (21, 24, 24, 24, 27), w&t.
Short row 14: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 15: 12 (14, 16, 16, 16, 18), w&t.
Short row 16: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 17: 6 (7, 8, 8, 8, 9), w&t.
Short row 18: knit to the end of the row.
Next full row pick up all the wraps and knit them together with the wrapped st. Turn.
Next row knit to the end of the row. Leave sts on a spare needle.


Short-Row Left Side Gore Back Part

With CC yarn and smaller needles, with right side facing, pick up and knit (pu&k) 60 (70, 80, 80, 80, 90) sts along the left side edge of the back, starting at the same level at the end of the Left Side Gore (see above). Turn. Knit 2 full rows.

Short row 1: k 54 (63, 72, 72, 72, 81), w&t.
Short row 2: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 3: k 48 (56, 64, 64, 64, 72), w&t.
Short row 4: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 5: k 42 (49, 56, 56, 56, 63), w&t.
Short row 6: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 7: k 36 (42, 48, 48, 48, 54), w&t.
Short row 8: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 9: 30 (35, 40, 40, 40, 45), w&t.
Short row 10: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 11: 24 (28, 32, 32, 32, 36), w&t.
Short row 12: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 13: 18 (21, 24, 24, 24, 27), w&t.
Short row 14: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 15: 12 (14, 16, 16, 16, 18), w&t.
Short row 16: knit to the end of the row.
Short row 17: 6 (7, 8, 8, 8, 9), w&t.
Short row 18: knit to the end of the row.

Next full row pick up all the wraps and knit them together with the wrapped st.

Leave sts on a spare needle.

Fold the side gores with right sides facing inwards, towards each other. Bind off the st with 3-needle bind off method starting at the bottom ends of the gores.

Repeat for the other side as est.


Finishing

Bottom Band

With CC yarn and smaller needles, pu&k stitches along the bottom of the jacket and work 16 rows in garter st (8 ridges). Bind off.

Button Bands

With CC yarn and smaller needles, pu&k stitches along the center edge of the left front of the jacket and work 14 rows of garter st (7 ridges). Bind off.

Mark the placement of 5 buttonholes along the right front, taking into consideration that the topmost button will be on a neck band.

With CC yarn and smaller needles, pu&k stitches along the center edge of the right front of the jacket and work 6 rows of garter st.

Next row work yo, k2tog at the placement of the buttonholes. Knit yo in the next row. Work total 14 rows of garter st (7 ridges). Bind off.


Neck Band

With right side facing, with CC yarn and smaller needles, pu&k stitches along the neck edge of the jacket and work 14 rows of garter st (7 ridges). In row 7 work the buttonhole as follows: sl1, k3, yo, k2tog, knit to the end of the row. In the next row knit yo. To shape the neck band work k2tog 3 times in every RS row, distributing the decreases evenly. Bind off.

Sew on the buttons.

Enjoy!