Children's Sweater with Braided Cables in BC Garn Semilla Grosso - 5104BC - Downloadable PDF

Children's Sweater with Braided Cables in BC Garn Semilla Grosso – Pattern Summary (Ann Højgaard Slot, No. 5104BC)

What You Are Making

This free, downloadable PDF pattern by designer Ann Højgaard Slot for BC Garn (pattern number 5104BC) guides you through knitting a children's pullover sweater featuring a striking decorative element described as braided "cables." The finished garment is a cosy, chunky-weight jumper sized for children aged 6, 8, 10, and 12 years, with finished widths ranging from 73.5 cm to 91 cm and lengths from 36 cm to 42 cm. The sweater is worked in the round on circular needles, making it an approachable yet creatively rewarding project for intermediate knitters.

The Braided "Cable" Technique

The most distinctive feature of this sweater is its vertical braided detailing — an inventive technique that differs from traditional cable knitting. Rather than using a cable needle to cross stitches, this method creates the appearance of braiding through a two-stage process:

• Horizontal strips are worked first by casting on additional stitches at four set positions — two on the front and two on the back of the body. These extra stitches are worked in Stockinette stitch (St st) alongside the main fabric for a set number of rows, then cast off, creating a short raised strip.
• This process is repeated at regular intervals throughout the knitting, building up a series of horizontal strips at each of the four braid positions.
• Once the knitting is complete, these horizontal strips are woven and braided together from the right side (RS) of the finished fabric, creating the three-dimensional braided effect that gives the sweater its visual character.

This is a clever and accessible alternative to conventional cable techniques — no cable needle is required, and the braiding itself is done as a finishing step rather than during the knitting process. It is a wonderful method for knitters who want decorative texture without the complexity of live-stitch cable crossings.

Construction Method

The sweater body is worked in the round on circular needles. The construction begins with casting on stitches for the body and working a 2×2 rib (k2, p2) border for four rounds on the smaller needle size. The work then transitions to the larger needle for the main body in Stockinette stitch, with the braid strip stitches cast on at four specific positions as the round is set up. Each shoulder section is subsequently worked separately, with shaping achieved through a series of decreases on every second row. The back is worked similarly to the front but without the neckline decreases until the final stages, giving the back a slightly higher neckline profile.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st) — the primary fabric stitch, worked in the round as knit every round
• 2×2 Rib (k2, p2) — used for the lower body border
• Knit (k) and Purl (p) — fundamental stitches throughout
• Increases (inc) and Decreases (dec) — used for shoulder and neckline shaping
• Cast on and cast off mid-row — used to create the individual horizontal strips for the braids
• Post-knitting braiding — the finished horizontal strips are interlaced from the right side to form the decorative vertical braids
• Working in the round on both short and long circular needles
• Separate shoulder working — each shoulder is worked individually after the body is divided

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is written specifically for BC Garn Semilla Grosso, a chunky-weight yarn, used in colourway oa127. The quantities required are 300 g for size 6 years, 350 g for sizes 8 and 10 years, and 400 g for size 12 years. Semilla Grosso is a substantial, warm yarn well suited to children's knitwear, and its weight