Conway and Bliss Colour Block Sweater Knitting Pattern

Conway and Bliss Colour Block Sweater

Project Overview

The Conway and Bliss Colour Block Sweater is a knitted children's pullover designed for ages 8–15 years. This garment features a striking colour-blocked design created through strategic yarn changes, combining three coordinating shades of Conway and Bliss Lolli yarn to create visual interest and a modern aesthetic suitable for contemporary knitwear.

Garment Specifications

This sweater is available in four size options to accommodate growing children:

• Age 8–9 years: finished chest 80cm (31½in), length to shoulder 52cm (20½in), sleeve length 36cm (14¼in)
• Age 10–11 years: finished chest 84cm (33in), length to shoulder 56cm (22in), sleeve length 39cm (15¼in)
• Age 12–13 years: finished chest 89cm (35in), length to shoulder 60cm (23½in), sleeve length 42cm (16½in)
• Age 14–15 years: finished chest 93cm (36½in), length to shoulder 64cm (25¼in), sleeve length 45cm (17¾in)

Knitting Techniques

The Conway and Bliss Colour Block Sweater employs a bottom-up construction method, meaning the garment is worked from the cast-on edge upward. The sweater is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, and pieces are subsequently seamed together to create the finished garment. This traditional approach allows for precise colour blocking and straightforward shaping throughout the construction process.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

Two primary stitch patterns feature in this design:

• Reverse Stockinette Stitch: Used for the main body sections, this stitch creates a textured appearance with bumps on the right side. Reverse stockinette is achieved by purling on right-side rows and knitting on wrong-side rows, producing a distinctive visual contrast to traditional stockinette.
• Moss Stitch: Employed for ribbed edgings and colour-blocking sections, moss stitch is a textured stitch pattern created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a checkerboard formation. The pattern is formed over two rows: [K1, p1] on the first row and [P1, k1] on the second row, with these two rows repeated to create the characteristic texture.

Yarn Materials

The sweater is constructed using Conway and Bliss Lolli yarn in three coordinating colourways:

• Gumdrop 02 (A): The primary colour, requiring 4–6 balls of 50g depending on size
• Apple 11 (B): A secondary colour, requiring 3–5 balls of 50g depending on size
• Mango 05 (C): An accent colour, requiring 2–3 balls of 50g depending on size

These three shades work together to create the colour-blocking effect that defines this sweater's design aesthetic.

Needles and Tension

Three sizes of knitting needles are required to achieve proper tension and construction:

• 3.25mm (US 3) needles: Used for initial ribbed edgings
• 3.75mm (US 5) needles: Employed for moss stitch sections, achieving a tension of 22 stitches and 40 rows to 10cm over moss stitch
• 4mm (US 6) needles: Used for the main body worked in reverse stockinette stitch, achieving a tension of 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10cm

Accurate tension is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements and ensuring proper garment fit across all size options.

Construction Details

The back panel begins with a moss stitch ribbed cuff worked on 3.75mm needles, cast on with 90–104 stitches depending on size. After completing the ribbed section, the work transitions to 4mm needles and reverse stockinette stitch in the accent colour. The main body section is worked until reaching the required length, after which a colour change introduces the secondary colour in moss stitch for the upper portion.