Ethan Jumper - Knitting Pattern For Kids in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino

Ethan Jumper Knitting Pattern for Kids – Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino

The Ethan Jumper is a beautifully detailed children's knitting pattern designed by Debbie Bliss, worked in her signature Baby Cashmerino yarn. This is a classic pullover sweater featuring an elaborate cable panel design across the body, making it a striking and tactile garment suited to confident, experienced knitters. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and covers four sizes to fit children aged 2–3, 3–4, 4–5, and 5–6 years.

What Is Being Made

The Ethan Jumper is a children's pullover sweater — sometimes called a jumper in British knitting tradition — constructed with a structured, seamed finish. It features set-in or shaped sleeves and a neat neckline, producing a polished, tailored silhouette. The finished chest measurements range from 67 cm (26½ in) for the smallest size up to 85 cm (33½ in) for the largest, with corresponding lengths to shoulder of 37 cm to 49 cm and sleeve lengths of 22 cm to 30 cm, giving a comfortable, age-appropriate fit across the size range.

Design Details and Cable Panels

The standout feature of the Ethan Jumper is its intricate cable panel work, which forms the decorative centrepiece of the garment. The pattern includes multiple distinct cable panel types, each worked over a specific number of stitches and repeated across a 40-row pattern sequence. These panels combine travelling stitches, rope cables, and textural knot stitches to create a richly dimensional fabric. The cable panels include:

• Panel A – A 40-row repeating cable panel featuring crossing stitches that travel across a purl background, creating a dynamic, moving cable motif
• Panel B – Worked over 10 stitches with a defined rib and cable structure, providing contrast and rhythm between the larger panels
• C4B (Cable 4 Back) – A classic four-stitch rope cable crossing to the right, created by holding two stitches at the back on a cable needle
C4F (Cable 4 Front) – The mirror image of C4B, crossing to the left for symmetrical cable arrangements
• Cr4R (Cross 4 Right) – A travelling stitch crossing knit stitches over purl stitches to the right, adding diagonal movement to the design
• Cr4L (Cross 4 Left) – The left-leaning counterpart to Cr4R, used in combination to create diamond or lattice effects
• CF (Cross Front) and CB (Cross Back) – Smaller three-stitch crosses that add fine detail and transitions within the cable panels
• MK (Make Knot) – A decorative bobble-style knot stitch worked by knitting, purling, and then passing multiple stitches over, creating a raised textural accent within the panel

Techniques Used

The Ethan Jumper is worked flat (back and forth in rows) and then seamed together, following traditional garment construction methods. This approach produces clean, stable seams and allows each piece — front, back, and sleeves — to be worked and blocked individually before assembly. Key techniques throughout the pattern include:

• Cables – The primary decorative technique, requiring a cable needle to hold stitches at the front or back of work while others are knitted, creating twisted and crossed stitch effects
• Stocking stitch (st st) – Used for the main body fabric between and around the cable panels, providing a smooth, classic background
• Rib stitch – Typically used for welts, cuffs, and neckbands to provide elasticity and a neat finish
• M1 (Make One) – An increase technique used for shaping, worked by picking up and knitting into the back of the bar between stitches
• Skpo (Slip 1, Knit 1, Pass Slipped Stitch Over) – A left-leaning decrease used in shaping sections
• Se