Reversible child's jumper (8 years +)

This jumper should fit any child of 8 years+ for some time, as it has good elasticity. It can be made fully reversible. Of course it can be made in three colours of your own choice.

To achieve reversibility, please also look at my posts about weaving-in and seams. If you can decide which side you want on the outside all the time, then you can neglect these posts, and the Kw-stitches for weaving-in given in the charts.

! Please note, that the patterned parts are knitted with only one thread of yarn, for the garter stitch parts you have to knit with two threads.


These are the measurements of the finished jumper:


Materials and tools I used:

Round needle size 6 mm, 60 cm long,
round needle size 5 mm, 40 cm long

The white and light pink yarns were 500g balls of Stylecraft Aran with Wool. I used approximately 300 g of each.

The black was 100g of King Cole’s Fashion KC Aran.


Gauges:

My gauge for garter stitch, knitted with two threads of yarn, was 14 stitches and 26 rows to the 10 cm square.

The gauge for the patterned part was 28 stitches and 48 rows to the 10 cm square.

(The yarn labels give a gauge of 18 stitches and 24/25 rows for stocking stitch)

Garter stitch: knit each row for flat knitting, knit one row, purl one row for knitting in the round.

Charts for the patterns:

! Please note: Each stitch for the pattern repeat indicated in the chart is to be worked twice.

The meaning of R is explained here.


Body

! When knitting in the round, cross threads after every second row.

Cast on 216 stitches with pink yarn.

Work in rounds according to Chart 1 A, following the colour sequence twice.

Now follow Chart 1 B, where black stands for the pink yarn (the darker yarn), once.

After that you have finished the patterned part of the body.

! In the following row, using two threads of pink yarn, knit together every two stitches. You should end up with 108 stitches.

Then knit in garter stitch until you have worked 4 ribs in garter stitch.
(When you knit every row in the opposite direction, you don't have to purl. Wrap the yarn around the first stitch of the last row before turning.)


Now start knitting the back of the jumper only (54 stitches) in garter stitch.

Work straight until you have done 25 ribs of garter stitch.

Shape back neck


Knit 20 stitches, turn, knit 19 stitches turn
Knit 19 stitches, turn, knit 18 stitches, turn
Knit 4 more rows, and then cast off.

Knit 3 more rows over the 18 stitches, and then cast off.
Join yarn on other side of neck opening, leaving 14 stitches un-knit on needle.

Knit 20 stitches, turn, knit 20 stitches, turn
Knit 19 stitches, turn, knit 19 stitches, turn
Knit 18 stitches, turn, knit 18 stitches, turn

Knit 4 more rows over the 18 stitches, and then cast off.

Put the remaining stitches on a stitch holder or a spare thread.

Front of jumper

Knit in garter stitch until you have 22 garter stitch ribs.

Shape neck as for back, but after the shaping rows on each side of neck-opening work more rows until front fits back. (28 or 29 ribs of garter stitch from bottom of pink part.)

Join shoulder seems.

Collar

With 5 mm needle and one thread of pink yarn only, pick up 96 stitches around neck opening for collar.

! Please note that each double-thread-stitch on stitch holders shall become two stitches now.

You should have 36 double-thread-stitches; these make 72 new stitches. Pick up 16 more stitches at front, and 8 more at back. (72 +16 +8 = 96)

Work 20 rounds in 2k,2p rib. Then work according to Chart 1 A. Follow the colour sequence once.

Cast off using the pink yarn.

Sleeves

Turn jumper inside out.

With round needle 6mm and two threads of pink yarn, pick up 52 stitches around armhole. Then knit flat in garter stitch. This is somewhat awkward first, but will get easier after some rows done. A second round needle, if available, can help for the first few rows.

After you have worked 3 garter stitch ribs, decrease 1 stitch at each edge.

After 4 garter stitch ribs, work with two threads of white yarn. Decrease one stitch at each edge after every 4 garter stitch ribs, until you have 32 stitches left on needle. Work another 2 ribs.

Then, with one white thread only knit next row, making 2 stitches out of most, not all double thread stitches. You should arrive at 54 stitches.

Now work according to chart 2, following the colour sequence twice.
In last row cast off: treat the stitches as given for the last pattern row. That means you just draw the slipped stitches over each other.

Work the other sleeve in the same way.

Join sleeve seams and darn in loose ends.