"Soren Jacket" - Jacket Knitting Pattern in MillaMia Naturally Soft Cotton

Soren Jacket – Children's Knitting Pattern by Helena Rosen for MillaMia

The Soren Jacket is a charming children's jacket knitting pattern designed by Helena Rosen and published by MillaMia. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern is rated at an Improving / Advanced skill level, making it an excellent project for intermediate to experienced knitters looking to develop their technique. The jacket is sized to fit children aged 1–2, 3–4, 5–6, and 7–8 years, with actual chest measurements ranging from 69 cm to 82 cm (27 in to 32 in), making it a versatile pattern to revisit as children grow.

What Is Being Made

The Soren Jacket is a structured, seamed children's jacket featuring a neat button band and turned-up cuffs. It is a fully wearable, practical garment designed with both style and texture in mind. The finished jacket has a shoulder length ranging from 36 cm to 48 cm (14¼ in to 19 in) depending on size, and sleeve lengths from 24 cm to 33 cm (9½ in to 13 in) with the cuff turned up. The design calls for 4 or 5 buttons approximately 20mm (¾ in) in diameter, depending on the size being knitted, adding a classic, polished finishing detail.

Construction Techniques

The Soren Jacket is constructed using a bottom-up, worked flat, seamed method. This means the pieces — typically the back, fronts, and sleeves — are knitted flat on straight needles from the lower edge upward, then joined together using seaming techniques. Working flat is a traditional approach well-suited to structured garments like jackets, as it allows for precise shaping and clean finishing at edges and seams.

A key construction detail is the inclusion of buttonholes, worked into the button band to accommodate the jacket's closures. Knitting neat, well-placed buttonholes is one of the skills that places this pattern in the improving-to-advanced category, as it requires careful counting and execution to ensure the buttons align correctly across all sizes.

The turned-up cuffs are another thoughtful design feature, adding a practical and decorative element to the sleeve ends. This detail also means the sleeve length measurements are given with the cuff already folded up, so knitters should be aware of this when working the sleeves.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern used throughout the Soren Jacket is Irish moss stitch, also known as seed stitch or moss stitch in some traditions. Irish moss stitch creates a beautifully textured, dense fabric by alternating knit and purl stitches in a specific sequence across rows, producing a fabric that lies flat, resists curling, and has excellent stitch definition. This makes it particularly well-suited to a jacket, where structure and durability are important. As the pattern notes, this stitch pattern makes for a great fabric in a children's knitted jacket.

The tension for the pattern is set at 28 stitches and 36 rows to a 10 cm / 4 in square over Irish moss stitch using 3.25 mm (US 3) needles. Achieving this gauge is essential for the jacket to come out at the correct measurements, and knitters are encouraged to swatch carefully before casting on.

Materials – Yarn and Needles

The pattern is written specifically for MillaMia Naturally Soft Cotton, a sport weight yarn. The recommended colourway is Rustic Rose (343), requiring 6, 6, 7, or 8 balls of 50g / 1¾ oz each depending on the size being knitted. This yarn is a 100% cotton yarn, making it a breathable and comfortable choice for a child's garment, particularly suitable for warmer seasons or layering.

Two needle sizes are required: a pair of 3 mm (US 2) needles and a pair of 3.25 mm (US 3) needles. The smaller needles are typically used for ribbing or border sections, while the larger needles are used for the main body of the jacket worked in Irish moss stitch.

Suggested Alternative Colourways

In addition to the featured Rustic Rose (343), the pattern suggests two alternative col