Esme Coat - Knitting Pattern for Kids in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran - Downloadable PDF

Esme Coat – Knitting Pattern for Kids by Debbie Bliss

The Esme Coat is a charming children's knitting pattern designed by Debbie Bliss, available as a downloadable PDF. This classic, structured coat is worked in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarn and is sized to fit children aged 2–3, 4–5, and 6–7 years, making it a versatile pattern that can grow with your child or be knitted as a gift across a range of ages.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a full children's coat featuring set-in or shaped sleeves with turn-back cuffs, shoulder shaping, and a neat button fastening. The finished chest measurements range from 77 cm (30¼ in) to 86 cm (33¾ in), with lengths to shoulder ranging from 48 cm (19 in) to 60 cm (23¾ in). Sleeve length with the cuff turned back measures 22 cm to 32 cm depending on size, giving a tidy, polished look suited to everyday wear or special occasions.

Construction and Techniques

The Esme Coat is constructed using a bottom-up, worked flat approach, meaning the pieces are knitted from the lower edge upward and then seamed together for a clean, structured finish. Seamed construction is a traditional method that gives garments excellent shape retention and durability — particularly important in a coat intended for active children. The flat working method means each piece is knitted back and forth on straight needles rather than in the round.

• Bottom-up construction: Work begins at the cast-on edge and progresses toward the shoulder, allowing easy length adjustments.
• Seamed finishing: Individual pieces are joined using mattress stitch or similar seaming techniques to create a professional, structured coat.
• Buttonhole technique: The pattern includes instructions for creating neat buttonholes to accommodate the button band closure.
• Shoulder shaping: Stitches are cast off in stages at the beginning of rows to create a shaped, angled shoulder line — a hallmark of well-tailored knitwear.
• Turn-back cuffs: The sleeves are designed with cuffs that fold back, adding a decorative detail and allowing for a little growing room.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern throughout the Esme Coat is moss stitch (also known as seed stitch), which creates a beautifully textured, non-curling fabric — ideal for a coat where flat, stable edges are essential. Moss stitch is formed by alternating knit and purl stitches across each row, with the stitches offset on subsequent rows to create a pebbly, reversible texture. The pattern also references stocking stitch (st st) in certain sections, and uses standard shaping techniques including:

• Knit (k) and Purl (p) — the foundational stitches forming both moss stitch and stocking stitch sections.
• skpo — slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over; a left-leaning decrease used in shaping.
• k2tog / p2tog (tog) — right-leaning decreases for shaping armholes, shoulders, and other areas.
• y2rn — yarn round needle twice, used to create a double yarn-over, likely incorporated into the buttonhole construction to produce a larger, neater opening suited to the 3 large buttons specified.
• Increases (inc) and Decreases (dec) — used throughout for sleeve shaping and garment silhouette.
• Slip stitch (sl) — used as part of the skpo decrease technique.

Materials Required

The Esme Coat is knitted in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, a luxuriously soft yarn that blends merino wool with cashmere and microfibre for a fabric that is gentle against children's skin, warm, and beautifully draping. Two shades are used:

• 8 (9:10) x 50g balls of Debbie Bl