Nyla Sweater in Ella Rae Phoenix - ER20-02 - Downloadable PDF

Nyla Sweater in Ella Rae Phoenix – Pattern Summary (ER20-02)

The Nyla Sweater is a charming children's knitted sweater pattern published by Ella Rae, designed to be worked in Ella Rae Phoenix yarn. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and covers five sizes to suit children from 1–2 years through to 9–10 years, with chest measurements ranging from 56 cm (22 in) up to 76 cm (30 in). It is an ideal project for knitters who want to combine classic texture with a practical, wearable garment for younger children.

What Is Being Made

The Nyla Sweater is a children's pullover jumper featuring a combination of textured stitch patterns and cable detailing. The design is structured to provide a neat, fitted silhouette appropriate for everyday wear, with enough visual interest to make it a standout handknitted piece. The sweater is sized for children aged 1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, and 9–10 years, making it a versatile pattern that can be revisited as a child grows.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Ella Rae Phoenix, shade #69, a worsted weight yarn. Quantities required range from 300 g for the smallest size (1–2 years) up to 700 g for the largest size (9–10 years), in increments of 100 g per size.
• Needles: One pair of 4 mm (US 6) knitting needles and one pair of 4.5 mm (US 7) knitting needles.
• Additional Tools: One cable needle and one set of 4 mm circular needles (used for finishing details such as neckbands or picked-up edges).

Tension / Gauge

The pattern is worked to a tension of 21 stitches and 26 rows over 10 cm (4 in) measured in Double Moss stitch on the larger 4.5 mm (US 7) needles. Achieving the correct gauge is important for ensuring the finished sweater matches the intended chest measurements across all five sizes. Knitters are encouraged to work a tension swatch before beginning and to adjust needle size as necessary.

Techniques Used

The Nyla Sweater employs a range of knitting techniques suitable for intermediate knitters who are comfortable working beyond basic Stockinette fabric. Key techniques include:

• Cable knitting – The pattern features both Cable 6 Back (C6B) and Cable 6 Front (C6F), which involve slipping 3 stitches onto a cable needle, holding them at the back or front of the work respectively, knitting the next 3 stitches from the left-hand needle, and then knitting the 3 stitches from the cable needle. This creates the classic twisted rope cable effect.
• Cross 2 Back (C2B) – A smaller cable cross worked by knitting into the back of the second stitch on the left-hand needle, then knitting the first stitch, slipping both stitches off together. This technique adds refined detail to the textured sections of the garment.
• Double Moss stitch – The main body fabric of the sweater, which creates a richly textured, reversible surface by alternating knit and purl stitches in a specific sequence across multiple rows.
• Shaping – Standard garment shaping is achieved through increases (inc) and decreases (dec), including k2tog (knit two stitches together) and p2tog (purl two stitches together), to shape armholes, necklines, and sleeve caps.
• Alternating rows and following instructions – The pattern uses abbreviations such as alt (alternate), foll (following), cont (continue), and rem (remain) to guide knitters through the structured row-by-row construction.