Child’s Breeze Sweater

Free Sweater Knitting Pattern

The Child’s Breeze Sweater gives a comfortable fit and a classic look. The pattern works the sweater from the top down in one piece. You knit everything in the round with no seams to sew. The round yoke uses a textured stitch pattern. Bands of color create contrast on the yoke and the bottom of the sweater. The design uses 2 strands of sport-weight yarn, which can be substituted with 1 strand of aran-weight yarn and works for different child sizes.


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

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
For chest: 27 (28.5, 30, 32, 33.5) inches [67.5 (71, 75, 80, 84) cm]

Skills Required/Techniques Used

-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
-Increasing, decreasing
-Invisible Ribbed Bind Off
-Working in the round on circular needles
-Working small circumferences in the round on DPNs/with magic loop
-Short rows
-Picking up stitches


Materials: Garnstudio Drops Alpaca sport weight yarn (100% alpaca), 182 yards (166 meters) /50 gram, color Medium Grey - 6 (6, 8, 10, 10) skeins (MC)
Garnstudio Drops Alpaca sport weight yarn (100% alpaca), 182 yards (166 meters) /50 gram, color Light Grey - 2 skeins (CC2)
Garnstudio Drops Alpaca sport weight yarn (100% alpaca), 182 yards (166 meters) /50 gram, color Off White - 2 skeins (CC1)

NOTE! The sweater is knitted using two strands of yarn. It could be made in aran-weight yarn.

Needles:
circular US #7 (4.50mm) 21” (52 cm) and 24” (60 cm) OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE
US #7 (4.50mm) double-pointed needles OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Notions: yarn/tapestry needle, stitch markers

Gauge for stockinette st: 16 sts x 24 rows = 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm)


Pattern Notes:

Embossed Moss Stitch in rounds (EMS)

Each strip is 4 sts. The number of reverse stockinette sts described in the sweater instructions.

Round 1: k1, p1, k2. (8 sts)
Round 2: Repeat round 1.
Round 3: k2, p1, k1.
Round 4: Repeat round 3.

Repeat rounds 1-4

Embossed Moss Stitch in rows (EMS)

Each strip is 4 sts.

Round 1: k1, p1, k2. (8 sts)
Round 2: p2, k1, p1.
Round 3: k2, p1, k1.
Round 4: p1, k1, p1.


1x1 Rib in Rounds:
All rounds * knit 1, purl 1 – repeat from *

Reversed Stockinette St in Rounds
All rounds: purl

Reversed Stockinette St in Rows
RS row: purl
WS row: knit

To wrap and turn in the short rows:
With yarn in front sl 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

Abbreviations:
k – knit
p – purl
st, sts – stitch, stitches
yo - yarn over
ssk - slip, slip knit. This is a left-slanting decrease.
k2tog - knit 2 tog. This is a right-slanting decrease.
s2kp2 - slip 2 sts as if to k2tog (knit 2 tog), k 1, p2sso (pass 2 slip sts over). This is a centered double decrease
co - cast on
RS - right side
WS - wrong side
pu&k - pick up and knit
dpn – double-pointed needles
M1 (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 knit (purl) it as a regular stitch.
w&t – wrap and turn
EMS - Embossed Moss Stitch


Sweater

The sweater is worked top-down, seamlessly, in-the-round on circular needles. The sleeves are worked in the round on dpn or 16” circular needles.

With CC1 yarn and circular needles (16” or 21”), cast on 50 sts. Place a marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist.


Yoke

Round 1: *EMS, p1, from * repeat 10 times.

Round 2: repeat round 1.

Round 3 (increase round): *EMS, m1, p1, from * repeat 10 times. 60 sts

Round 4: *EMS, p2, from * repeat 10 times.

Round 5: *EMS, p2, from * repeat 10 times.

Round 6 (increase round): *EMS, p2, m1, from * repeat 10 times. 70 sts.

Round 7: *EMS, p3, from * repeat 10 times.

Round 8: repeat round 7.

Work 9 (10, 11, 12, 13) more times as established (EMS + reverse stockinette st) making 1 st increases in reversed stockinette columns in every 3rd row: rows 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, etc. 160 (170, 180, 190, 200) sts.

Work 3 (4, 3, 4, 3) more rounds as established (EMS + reverse stockinette st) without increases.

Yarn color placement:
work CC1 – 12 (14, 14, 16, 16) rounds;
work CC2 – 12 (14, 14, 16, 16) rounds;
work MC – till the bottom of the tunic.


Divide for sleeves and bodice:

Divide the stitches into the following portions, starting from the marker at the beginning:
32 (34, 34, 36, 38) sts for the left sleeve, place a marker
48 (51, 51, 54, 57) sts for the back, place a marker
32 (34, 34, 36, 38) sts for the right sleeve, place a marker
48 (51, 51, 54, 57) for the front, place a marker



Back Neck Shaping with Short Rows

Work EMS and reverse stockinette st as established, but in rows.
Short row 1: sl 1, k 4, k 104 (111, 118, 125, 132), w&t.
Short row 2: p 98 ( 105, 112, 119, 126), w&t.
Short row 3: knit until 6 sts before w&t of previous RS row, w&t.
Short row 4: purl until 6 sts before w&t of previous WS row, w&t.
Repeat short rows 3-4 two more times. In the last short row work to the marker at the beginning of the round
Next round: work full round, picking up the wraps and working each wrap together with the stitch it was wrapped around.


Bodice

Transfer the left sleeve stitches to a length of a waste yarn, cast on 6 sts for the underarm, work back stitches as est., transfer the right sleeve stitches to a length of a waste yarn, cast on 6 sts for the underarm. The end of the round is in the middle of the left underarm stitches. Total sts after division = 108 (114, 120, 126, 132) sts.

Next round: work as est; work the underarm sts as follows: p1, EMS, p1 (working EMS at the place of the side seam).

Work as est for 16 (24, 30, 34, 34) rounds.

Next round (increase round): work m1 at the beginning of each reverse stockinette stripe.

Work 5 more rounds as est.

Next round (increase round): work m1 at the end of each reverse stockinette stripe.

Work 5 more rounds as est.

Repeat these two increase rounds (12 rounds) two more times. Total 36 rounds.

Yarn color placement:
MC – 16 rounds
CC2 – 10 rounds
CC1 – 10 rounds + 8 rounds of garter st.

At this point you can continue repeating these increase rounds to make a dress instead of a tunic.

Work 8 rounds of garter stitch. Bind off.


Sleeve

Sleeves are worked in the round, on dpn or circular 16” (40 cm) needles. You can also use longer circular needles and “magic loop” method. Sleeves are worked as est.

Transfer sts from a waste yarn to dpn, distribute the stitches evenly. Pick up and knit 6 sts underarm. = 38 (40, 42, 44, 46) sts.

The end of the round is in the middle of the underarm stitches.

Next round: work as est; work the underarm sts as follows: p1, EMS, p1 (working EMS at the place of the side seam).

Work total 70 (76, 82, 90, 96) rows or to desired length, taking into consideration, that there will be a 1” (2.5 cm) garter st.
To narrow the sleeve, decrease by 1 sts on both sides of the underarm EMS in every 12th round as follows: p2tog, EMS, p2tog.

Work 8 rounds of garter stitch. Bind off.


Finishing

Weave in the ends of the yarn. Block the piece.

Have fun!