What you need
| Sizes | Six children's sizes: 3-4y, 5-6y, 7-8y, 9-10y, 11-12y, 13-14y · To fit chest 22 to 32 inches · Finished chest 27 to 37 inches (about 5 in of ease, goes over a long-sleeved top). Total length 15 ½ to 20 ½ inches. The sample is size 5-6y. The wide boat neck stretches to about 21 inches, so it goes over a child's head without a fight. |
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| Yarn | A smooth, round, plied super bulky or jumbo wool or wool blend, about 60 yd / 55 m per 100 g: 150 to 260 yd = 3 to 5 balls of 100 g, in ONE colour - the kittens are made by the stitch, not a second yarn, so there is almost nothing to weave in. A flat or chainette yarn will blur the kittens. |
| Needles & notions | US 17 / 12.75 mm circulars (24 in and 16 in) + DPNs for the three tails; US 15 / 10 mm circular for the ribbed hem. Two stitch markers and a tapestry needle - that is all. |
| Gauge (tension) | 8 sts and 13 rows = 4 in / 10 cm in stockinette, relaxed after blocking. At two stitches to the inch, half a stitch out over the back is an inch and a half of vest - swatch over at least 16 sts and 20 rows before casting on. |
Skills you’ll use
- Knit
- Purl
- Knitting in the round
- Binding off
- Picking up stitches
- I-cord
- Three-needle bind-off
- Beginner friendly: there are NO increases and NO decreases anywhere in this pattern - not one. The kittens are made entirely out of knit and purl.
What’s in the PDF
- 15-page professionally laid out PDF, written in English, US terms
- Six children's sizes, fully graded - every number for every size
- The kitten chart, plus every chart row written out in words for knitters who would rather not read a chart
- A map of the whole front yoke showing exactly where the three kittens land
- A construction diagram, a tail diagram and a full schematic
- A table of safe changes and a page of what-went-wrong fixes
Questions about this pattern
How are the kittens made - colourwork?
No colourwork at all. The kittens are plain stockinette on a purl ground, in the same yarn as the rest, so they stand up off the fabric as texture. The only added pieces are the three tails: short i-cords, sewn at the top and curled.
Is this suitable for a beginner?
Yes - unusually so for a picture knit. There are no increases, no decreases and no shaping anywhere; the kittens are nothing but knit and purl stitches, and every chart row is also written out in words.
How long does it take to knit?
It is a very fast knit: super bulky yarn at 2 stitches per inch, and the whole sample size is about 54 rounds and rows. The body is one seamless piece from the hem up, with just a three-needle bind-off at the shoulders.
