Arden Jumper - Knitting Pattern For Babies in MillaMia Naturally Baby Soft by MillaMia

Arden Jumper – Baby Knitting Pattern by MillaMia in Naturally Baby Soft Yarn

The Arden Jumper is a charming, beginner-friendly knitted baby jumper (sweater) designed by MillaMia and worked in their signature MillaMia Naturally Baby Soft yarn. This pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is sized to fit babies and toddlers from 0–3 months through 18–24 months, with actual chest measurements ranging from 47 cm (18½ in) to 63 cm (25 in). It is an ideal project for knitters who are new to garment construction, offering a gentle and rewarding introduction to shaping, seaming, and decorative stitch borders.

Garment Design and Construction

The Arden Jumper is a classic, cosy pullover designed specifically with babies in mind. One of its most practical features is a wide neckline, which makes dressing and undressing small children much easier — a thoughtful detail that parents will appreciate. The jumper is constructed using a seamed, worked-flat method, meaning the individual pieces — the back, front, and sleeves — are each knitted flat on straight needles and then sewn together. Notably, the back and front pieces are worked identically, which simplifies the pattern considerably and makes it especially approachable for beginners.

The finished length to shoulder ranges from 21 cm (8¼ in) for the smallest size up to 32 cm (12½ in) for the largest, while sleeve lengths run from 13 cm (5 in) to 22 cm (8¾ in) across the size range, ensuring a comfortable, proportionate fit at every stage of a baby's early growth.

Stitches and Techniques Used

The Arden Jumper uses a small but well-chosen selection of stitches that together create a polished, professional-looking result without overwhelming a beginner knitter:

• Stocking stitch (stockinette stitch) – The main body fabric of the jumper is worked in classic stocking stitch, creating a smooth, flat surface that is soft against a baby's skin and shows off the yarn's natural colour beautifully.
• Moss stitch (seed stitch) – Used on the hems and borders of the garment, moss stitch alternates knit and purl stitches in a specific sequence to create a textured, non-curling edge. This is described in the pattern as a great introduction to moss stitch for beginners, making the Arden Jumper an excellent learning project for this versatile technique.
• k2tog (knit two together) – A basic right-leaning decrease used in shaping.
• skpo (slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over) – A left-leaning decrease that pairs with k2tog to create neat, symmetrical shaping.
• m1 (make one) – An increase stitch used to add stitches, worked by picking up the loop lying before the next stitch and knitting into the back of it.
• Seaming – Once all pieces are complete, they are joined together using sewing techniques, giving the finished jumper a neat, structured finish.

The combination of stocking stitch and moss stitch borders is a classic approach in baby knitwear — the moss stitch prevents the edges from rolling (as stocking stitch naturally would) while adding a subtle decorative texture to cuffs, hems, and necklines.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The pattern calls for MillaMia Naturally Baby Soft yarn, a sport weight yarn sold in 50g / 1¾oz balls. This yarn is exclusively available at lovecrafts.com. The featured colourway uses:

• Teddy Brown 603 (A) – 1 ball for sizes 0–3 months, 2 balls for sizes 3–6 and 6–12 months, and 3 balls for sizes 12–18 and 18–24 months.
• Dappled Blue 631 (B) – 1 ball across all sizes.

Two alternative colourways are also offered within the pattern