Skateboard Elephant in Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Merino - Free

Skateboard Elephant Knit Sweater in Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Merino

What is Being Made

The Skateboard Elephant is a child's knit sweater designed by Amy Bahrt, featuring a playful intarsia or colorwork elephant motif with a skateboard theme. This intermediate-level knitting project is available in three child's sizes: 2, 4, and 6, with finished chest measurements of 26, 28, and 30 inches respectively. The sweater includes a body length of 15, 16, or 17 inches and sleeve length of 11½, 13, or 14 inches, making it a practical garment for young children.

Techniques Used

This sweater employs several knitting techniques to achieve its design. The construction begins with ribbed edging worked in a knit-purl alternating pattern to create elasticity at the cuffs and hem. The main body is worked in Stockinette stitch, a fundamental knitting technique that produces a smooth, flat fabric with a characteristic V-pattern on the right side. Colorwork is incorporated throughout, with the elephant design likely worked using intarsia or stranded techniques to introduce multiple colors. Striped sleeves are created using a 24-row repeat pattern that cycles through various colors, adding visual interest to the garment. The pattern also includes button bands and finishing details worked with a crochet hook, demonstrating the integration of both knitting and crochet techniques in a single project.

Stitches Used

• Knit (K): The primary stitch forming the smooth Stockinette stitch fabric
• Purl (P): Used in combination with knit stitches to create the ribbed edging pattern
• Knit 1, Purl 1 Rib (K1, P1): The ribbed pattern worked at the beginning of the back and front pieces for 10 rows total, providing stretch and definition
• Stockinette Stitch: The primary stitch pattern for the body, worked in rows on larger needles after the ribbed cuff
• Chain (Ch): A crochet stitch used for finishing elements, likely for button bands or edging
• Bind Off (BO): Used to secure stitches at shoulders and edges
• Cast On (CO): The foundation technique for beginning the ribbed sections

Materials

This pattern calls for Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Merino, a premium yarn composed of 100% Superwash Merino Wool. Each skein contains 100 grams (3.5 ounces) and yields 220 yards (200 meters), providing excellent yardage for a child's garment. The yarn is available in six colors for this project: Navy (#33) for the main color requiring 3 to 4 skeins depending on size, Medium Blue (#32), Lime (#13), Lemon (#09), Aqua (#36), and Silver Heather (#26), each requiring one skein. The Superwash treatment ensures the finished sweater is machine-washable, an important feature for children's clothing.

The knitting needles required include US 5 (3.75 mm) needles for the ribbed sections and US 7 (4.5 mm) needles for the main body, allowing the knitter to adjust needle size to achieve the specified gauge of 20 stitches and 28 rows equaling 4 inches in Stockinette stitch. A size G/6 crochet hook is needed for finishing work. Additional notions include an embroidery needle for weaving in yarn ends, a yarn needle for seaming, two white 4-holed buttons measuring 5/16 inch, and two orange 4-holed buttons measuring 7/8 inch, which likely serve as the elephant's eyes. A yarn holder aids in managing multiple colors during colorwork sections.

Stripe Pattern Detail

The sleeves feature a distinctive 24-row stripe pattern that repeats throughout, creating a vibrant, multicolored effect. The pattern cycles through the following sequence: 2 rows of Lime, 4 rows of Navy, 2 rows of Lemon, 4 rows of Navy, 2 rows of Aqua, 4 rows of Navy, 2 rows of Medium Blue, and 4 rows of Navy. This repeating unit is worked continuously up the sleeve length, producing balanced color distribution and visual rhythm.

Construction Overview

The sweater is constructed in pieces, with the back and front worked separately before assembly