Kris Sweater in Ella Rae Phoenix DK Prints - ER21-01 - Downloadable PDF

Kris Sweater in Ella Rae Phoenix DK Prints – Pattern Summary (ER21-01)

The Kris Sweater is a charming children's knitted pullover designed to be worked in Ella Rae Phoenix DK Prints yarn. This downloadable PDF pattern produces a classic, comfortable sweater sized for children aged 1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, and 9–10 years, with finished chest measurements ranging from 56 cm (22 in) up to 76 cm (30 in). The design is well-suited to confident beginner and intermediate knitters who are comfortable working flat pieces and seaming them together.

What Is Being Made

The Kris Sweater is a children's pullover jumper featuring a neat ribbed band at the lower edge and a straightforward construction worked in separate flat pieces — a Front and a Back — that are then joined. The front includes neck shaping, while the back is worked straight to the shoulder without neck shaping, giving the garment a clean, classic silhouette. Two buttons are incorporated into the design as a finishing detail, adding a practical and decorative touch. The overall aesthetic is timeless and versatile, making it an ideal everyday sweater for children.

Construction and Techniques

• Flat knitting: Both the Front and Back are worked flat, back and forth in rows, using standard straight needles.
• Ribbed band: A lower border band is worked using 3.75 mm (US 5) needles before transitioning to the main body fabric, a common technique for creating a neat, elasticated hem that helps the sweater hold its shape.
• Stockinette stitch body: The main body of the sweater is worked in Stockinette stitch (St st) — knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side — using 4 mm (US 6) needles, producing a smooth, classic fabric that showcases the printed colorway of the yarn beautifully.
• Neck shaping on the Front: The front piece includes shaping to create the neckline, worked by decreasing stitches on either side of the neck opening as the knitter progresses toward the shoulder.
• Seaming: The finished flat pieces are joined together to complete the sweater, a traditional construction method that gives the garment structure and durability.
• Circular needles for finishing: A short set of 3.75 mm (US 5) circular needles is used for picking up and working the neckband or button band, allowing stitches to be worked smoothly around curved or narrow openings.
• Alternating rows: The pattern makes use of alt (alternate) row instructions, a standard shaping technique used in garment knitting to achieve gradual, smooth increases or decreases.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch pattern for the body, creating a smooth knit fabric on the right side.
• Ribbing: Used for the lower band, typically a combination of knit and purl stitches worked in sequence to create an elastic, tidy border.
• k2tog (knit two together): A standard right-leaning decrease used during shaping sections.
• p2tog (purl two together): A purl-side decrease used to shape the garment on wrong-side rows.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Ella Rae Phoenix DK Prints, shade #07. This is a DK weight yarn with a printed, multi-tonal colorway that adds visual interest without requiring complex colorwork techniques. Yarn quantities vary by size: 200 g for sizes 1–2 and 3–4 years, 300 g for sizes 5–6 and 7–8 years, and 400 g for size 9–10 years.
• Needles: One pair of 3.75 mm (US 5) straight needles, one pair of 4 mm (US 6) straight need