Poppet Jumper in Rowan Cotton Wool (EN) - RB001-00009-ENP - Downloadable PDF

Poppet Jumper in Rowan Cotton Wool by Erika Knight – Pattern Summary

The Poppet Jumper is a charming baby knitting pattern designed by Erika Knight and published by Rowan. This delightful pattern creates a classic infant jumper sized for babies aged 0–3, 3–6, 6–9, and 9–12 months, with actual chest measurements ranging from 50 to 56 cm (approximately 19¾ to 22 inches). It is rated as an intermediate skill level project, making it well suited to knitters who are comfortable with shaping techniques and are ready to move beyond straightforward beginner patterns.

What Is Being Made

The finished object is a baby jumper (sweater) featuring a raglan armhole construction, which is a classic and practical choice for infant garments. Raglan shaping distributes ease evenly across the yoke, creating a comfortable, flexible fit that suits the rounded proportions of a young baby. The design includes a buttonhole detail worked into the front, adding a neat functional and decorative touch. The jumper is sized generously enough to accommodate growth during the first year of life, with four distinct size options to choose from.

Construction and Techniques

The Poppet Jumper is worked in flat pieces using a pair of straight needles, with separate back and front sections that are shaped and then joined. Key construction techniques include:

• Raglan armhole shaping – stitches are cast off at the beginning of rows to set the armhole, followed by paired decreases worked at each end of specified rows to create the characteristic diagonal raglan line
• Side seam markers – markers are placed at both ends of a designated row to denote the base of the side seams, a helpful technique for accurate seaming and garment assembly
• Buttonhole construction – a yfwd (yarn forward) paired with a decrease creates a neat eyelet-style buttonhole worked on a right-side row
• Straight knitting sections – portions of both the back and front are worked without shaping, allowing the fabric to grow to the required length before armhole shaping begins

Stitches Used

The pattern employs a range of fundamental and intermediate knitting stitches and techniques:

• Knit stitch (K) – the primary stitch used throughout the fabric sections
• K2tog (knit two together) – a right-leaning decrease used for raglan shaping and as part of the buttonhole construction
• Sl 1, K1, psso – a left-leaning decrease (slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over) used to create symmetrical paired decreases on raglan edges
• Yfwd (yarn forward) – used in combination with a decrease to form an eyelet buttonhole
• Cast off – used at the beginning of armhole shaping rows to establish the raglan line

Materials – Yarn and Needles

The pattern is written specifically for Rowan Cotton Wool, a DK weight yarn that combines the softness of cotton with the warmth and elasticity of wool – an ideal blend for baby garments that need to be gentle against delicate skin while remaining easy to care for. The jumper requires 2 to 3 x 50g balls depending on the size being knitted. The sample garments shown in the pattern were photographed in Tiny 203 and Pickles 208, two of the colourways available in the Rowan Cotton Wool range.

The recommended needles are 4mm (UK no. 8 / US size 6) straight needles, which are the standard needle size for DK weight yarn and will produce a fabric with good stitch definition and appropriate drape for a baby jumper.

Who This Pattern Is For

The Poppet Jumper by Erika Knight is an excellent choice for knitters at the intermediate level who enjoy making handcrafted gifts for babies or who are building their skills in garment construction. The raglan