Cheeky Little Monkey Sweater

Cheeky Little Monkey Sweater by Jane Burns

What is Being Made

The Cheeky Little Monkey Sweater is a downloadable knitting pattern designed by Jane Burns for children's sweaters and jumpers. This pattern offers five size options ranging from 2-3 years through 10-11 years, with chest measurements from 56cm to 76cm (22 inches to 30 inches) and finished lengths from 35cm to 53cm (13.75 inches to 21 inches). The sweater features a playful design incorporating colorwork elements that create a cheeky monkey motif.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several key techniques to construct the garment. The pattern uses flat knitting for the back and front pieces worked on straight needles, combined with circular needle knitting for seamless construction of certain sections. Colorwork knitting is central to the design, allowing the monkey motif to emerge through the use of multiple yarn colors worked into the fabric. The pattern incorporates increases and decreases for shaping the garment to fit different sizes, and ribbed edgings create finished edges at the cuffs and hem. Assembly techniques include seaming to join pieces together and finishing details with embroidered elements using oddments of contrasting yarn.

Stitches Used

The Cheeky Little Monkey Sweater utilizes fundamental knitting stitches appropriate for an intermediate skill level. The pattern features knit and purl stitches as the foundation, with ribbing created through k2, p2 (knit 2, purl 2) ribbed patterns for elastic edgings. The colorwork sections employ stranded knitting techniques to integrate multiple yarn colors into the fabric, creating the distinctive monkey design. Increases are worked at strategic points for shaping the body and sleeves, while decreases refine the fit. The pattern also includes embroidery using white and black DK yarn for details such as the monkey's facial features, adding dimension and character to the finished sweater.

Materials and Yarn

This pattern calls for Scheepjes Stone Washed yarn, a DK weight yarn composed of 78% cotton and 22% acrylic, offering 130 meters per 50-gram ball. The yarn palette includes five coordinating colors: Yarn A in Green Agate (815), Yarn B in Larimar (828), Yarn C in Crystal Quartz (814), Yarn D in Brown Agate (822), and Yarn E in Axinite (831). Yardage requirements vary by size, with the smallest size requiring 1 ball each of Yarns A, B, D, and E, plus 3 balls of Yarn C for the main body color. Larger sizes require increased yardage, with the 10-11 year size needing 3 balls each of Yarns A, B, and C, plus 1 ball each of Yarns D and E.

Required needles include 3.25mm and 4mm straight needles for flat knitting sections and 3.25mm circular needles for seamless construction. Additional supplies needed are double-pointed needles (DPN) in 3.25mm for small circumference knitting, a darning needle for weaving in yarn ends, stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats, a stitch holder for temporarily holding stitches, and sewing needle and thread for seaming pieces together. The pattern also specifies oddments of white and black DK yarn for embroidered facial features, with the sample using Moonstone and Black Onyx colorways.

Pattern Construction Details

The sweater begins with the back piece, casting on 72 to 92 stitches depending on size using 3.25mm needles and Yarn C. The pattern establishes a ribbed cuff using k2, p2 ribbing for 7 to 13 rows depending on size, creating an elastic edge at the hem. Following the ribbed section, the pattern transitions to stockinette stitch and introduces the colorwork design elements that form the monkey motif. Strategic increases are incorporated to shape the body, with the pattern noting that the fifth size includes increases at each end of a specific row. The intermediate difficulty rating reflects the combination of colorwork knitting, shaping techniques, and multi-piece construction required to complete this playful children's sweater.