Blossom Sweater in Ella Rae Phoenix DK - ER20-01 - Downloadable PDF

Blossom Sweater in Ella Rae Phoenix DK – Pattern Summary (ER20-01)

The Blossom Sweater is a charming children's knitted sweater designed to be worked in Ella Rae Phoenix DK yarn. This downloadable PDF pattern is sized to fit children aged 1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, 9–10, and 11–12 years, with corresponding chest measurements ranging from 56 cm (22 in) up to 81 cm (32 in), making it a versatile pattern that grows with a child through many seasons of wear.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a classic children's pullover sweater featuring a delicate, lace-inspired all-over stitch pattern on the body and sleeves, finished with neat ribbed bands at the cuffs and lower edges. The combination of the airy openwork pattern with the structured rib creates a sweater that is both pretty and practical — lightweight enough for layering yet substantial enough to provide warmth. The design is suitable for knitters with some experience, particularly those comfortable working simple lace repeats and basic garment shaping.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Ella Rae Phoenix in shade #67, a DK weight yarn. Quantities required are 300 g for sizes 1–2 and 3–4 years, 400 g for sizes 5–6 and 7–8 years, and 500 g for sizes 9–10 and 11–12 years.
• Needles: One pair of 4 mm (US 6) knitting needles for the ribbed bands, and one pair of 4.5 mm (US 7) knitting needles for the main pattern sections.

Tension / Gauge

The pattern requires a tension of 22 stitches and 26 rows over 10 cm / 4 inches of the stitch pattern, measured using 4.5 mm needles. Achieving the correct gauge is important for ensuring the finished sweater matches the intended chest measurements across all six sizes.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting – the garment pieces are worked back and forth in rows on straight needles.
• Ribbing – a 2×2 rib (knit 2, purl 2) is used for the lower bands and cuffs to create a neat, elasticated edge that helps the garment hold its shape.
• Lace / openwork patterning – the main body and sleeves are worked in a two-row repeating eyelet pattern that creates a light, decorative texture across the fabric.
• Armhole shaping – stitches are cast off at the beginning of rows to shape the armholes on both the front and back pieces.
• Back neck shaping – worked by dividing stitches onto a holder and working each side of the neck separately, with stepped cast-offs to create a smooth neckline curve.
• Seaming and finishing – the individual pieces (front, back, and sleeves) are worked separately and then joined.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k) and Purl (p) – the foundational stitches used throughout.
• 2×2 Rib – alternating knit 2 and purl 2 stitches across the row, reversed on the wrong side, used for the bands.
• Stockinette Stitch (St st) – referenced in the pattern for context and transitional sections.
• Yarn forward (yf) – used on right-side rows to create the decorative eyelet holes in the lace pattern.
• k2tog tbl (knit 2 together through the back loop) – a left-leaning decrease paired with the yarn-forward on right-side rows to maintain stitch count within the lace repeat.
• yrn (yarn round needle) – used on wrong-side rows to create the eyelet on the purl side of the fabric.