MillaMia Ellen Jumper Knitting Pattern

MillaMia Ellen Jumper: Children's Cable Knit Sweater

What is Being Made

The MillaMia Ellen Jumper is a children's pullover sweater designed for toddlers and young children aged 1 to 5 years. This garment features a classic crew neckline with a roll-edged collar and is constructed using a two-color knitting technique that creates visual interest and depth. The jumper is available in four size options with chest measurements ranging from 62cm to 72cm (24½ to 28½ inches) and corresponding length measurements from 34cm to 43cm (13½ to 17 inches).

Techniques Used

The Ellen Jumper employs several intermediate-level knitting techniques that make it suitable for experienced knitters. The garment is worked flat on straight needles, meaning the front and back pieces are knitted as separate flat panels rather than in the round. The construction follows a bottom-up approach, where knitting begins at the lower edge and progresses toward the shoulders and neckline. All pieces are seamed together once completed, creating finished edges that require careful assembly. The standout design feature is the extensive use of cable stitches that run throughout the garment, creating raised twisted patterns that are particularly striking in the two-color colorway.

Stitches Used

The pattern incorporates stockinette stitch as the foundation, combined with several cable stitch variations that create the distinctive textured detail. The specific cable stitches employed include:

• Tw4R (Twist 4 Right): A four-stitch twist created by slipping the next stitch onto a cable needle and holding it at the back of work, knitting three stitches, then purling one stitch from the cable needle
• Tw4L (Twist 4 Left): A mirror image twist where three stitches are slipped onto a cable needle and held at the front of work, purling one stitch, then knitting three stitches from the cable needle
• C4B (Cable 4 Back): A four-stitch cable created by slipping two stitches onto a cable needle, holding at the back, knitting two stitches, then knitting the two stitches from the cable needle
• C4F (Cable 4 Front): A four-stitch cable worked by slipping two stitches onto a cable needle, holding at the front, knitting two stitches, then knitting the two stitches from the cable needle
• C6B (Cable 6 Back): A six-stitch cable created by slipping three stitches onto a cable needle, holding at the back, knitting three stitches, then knitting the three stitches from the cable needle

These cable variations create dimensional, twisted patterns that are particularly effective in cotton yarn. The pattern also references Panel B, which has its own specific stitch definition with a gauge of 36 stitches and 34 rows over a 10cm square.

Materials and Tools

The Ellen Jumper is designed to be knitted with MillaMia Naturally Soft Cotton, an exclusive yarn available through www.loveknitting.com. The yardage requirements vary by size, ranging from 2 balls of 50g (1¾oz) for the smallest sizes to 3 balls for the largest size. The pattern specifies two contrasting colors: a primary color (A) and a secondary color (B), with the suggested colorway being French Navy (320) paired with Flamingo (341). Alternative colorway options are provided, including combinations such as Candy Pink with Pebble Grey, Lemon Yellow with Bright Green, Indigo with Rustic Purple, and additional variations.

The required needles are a pair each of 2.75mm (US 2) and 3.25mm (US 3) knitting needles, allowing for ribbed edging on the smaller needles and stockinette and cable work on the larger needles. A cable needle is essential for executing the twist and cable stitches throughout the pattern. The working gauge is 25 stitches and 34 rows to a 10cm (4-inch) square over stockinette stitch using the 3.25mm needles, with a separate gauge specification of 36 stitches and 34 rows for Panel B.

Design Notes

Cotton yarn is particularly well-suited to cable work, as the fiber produces crisp, well-defined cables that showcase the twisted stitch patterns beautifully. The two-color approach allows knitters to either select