Moss Stitch Jacket in Ella Rae Seasons - ER15-04 - Downloadable PDF

Moss Stitch Jacket in Ella Rae Seasons – ER15-04 Knitting Pattern

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Ella Rae provides complete instructions for creating a Moss Stitch Jacket designed for children aged 1–2 through 9–10 years. The jacket is worked in the classic moss stitch (also known as seed stitch in some traditions), giving the finished garment a beautifully textured, reversible fabric with a timeless handcrafted look. With chest measurements ranging from 56 cm to 76 cm (22 in to 30 in) and lengths from 22 cm to 34 cm (8¾ in to 13½ in), this pattern covers five size options to suit a range of growing children.

About the Design

The Moss Stitch Jacket is a structured children's cardigan featuring shaped sides, front neck shaping, and a simple single-button closure. The design is clean and classic, making it a versatile layering piece suitable for everyday wear. The all-over moss stitch texture adds visual interest without requiring complex colorwork or cable techniques, making this an accessible yet rewarding project for knitters with some experience.

Construction and Shaping Details

The jacket is constructed in separate pieces — back, left front, and right front — which are then seamed together. Key construction features include:

• Side shaping: Increases are worked on right-side rows to shape the body, with stitches built up gradually over multiple rows.
• Front neck shaping: Stitches are cast off at the neck edge on the wrong-side row, followed by decreases worked using k2tog on both right-side and wrong-side rows over several shaping rows to create a neat, angled neckline.
• Left and right fronts: Both fronts are worked separately with mirrored shaping, ensuring a symmetrical finished garment.
• Fastening: The jacket closes with a single button, keeping the design simple and child-friendly.

Stitches and Techniques Used

This pattern primarily uses the moss stitch, which alternates knit and purl stitches across each row and offsets them on subsequent rows to create a dense, textured fabric that lies flat and does not curl at the edges — ideal for a jacket front. Additional techniques include:

• Stockinette stitch (St st): Used as the basis for the tension/gauge swatch, ensuring accurate sizing across all five sizes.
• k2tog (knit two together): A standard right-leaning decrease used during front neck shaping on both RS and WS rows.
• Increases (Inc 1 st): Used during side shaping to gradually widen the body of the jacket.
• Casting off: Applied at the neck edge and at the completion of each piece.
• Working straight: Sections of the pattern are worked without shaping to build length before shaping sequences begin.

Yarn – Ella Rae Seasons

The pattern is written for Ella Rae Seasons, a chunky weight yarn sold in 100g balls. The quantity required varies by size:

• 1–2 years: 1 ball
• 3–4 years: 2 balls
• 5–6 years: 2 balls
• 7–8 years: 3 balls
• 9–10 years: 3 balls

The pattern sample shown uses colour number 26. Ella Rae Seasons is a chunky yarn well suited to this type of textured stitch pattern, providing good stitch definition that allows the moss stitch to show clearly in the finished fabric.

Needles and Gauge

The pattern calls for one pair of 6.00mm needles (US size 10). The stated tension/gauge is 16 stitches and 20 rows over 10 cm / 4 inches of stockinette stitch using