Tag Sweater Jumper Knitting Pattern

Tag Sweater in Rowan Softyak DK

What Is Being Made

The Tag Sweater is a children's knitted pullover designed by Martin Storey. This garment is available in five size options to fit children aged 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, and 11-12 years, with actual chest measurements ranging from 66 cm to 87.5 cm (26 to 34½ inches). The sweater features a classic crew neck construction with shaped shoulders and a tailored fit suitable for everyday wear.

Craft and Techniques

This is an intermediate-level knitting project that combines fundamental shaping techniques with decorative stitch work. The pattern requires knitters to execute multiple construction methods including cast-on and cast-off edges, increases and decreases for shaping, and the ability to work pattern repeats while simultaneously managing garment shaping. The sweater involves working separate sections—back, front, and neckband—that are constructed individually and assembled. Knitters must maintain pattern continuity while performing shoulder shaping and neck decreases, which demands attention to stitch placement and row counting.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Tag Sweater incorporates stockinette stitch as the primary fabric, combined with cable pattern as a decorative element. The pattern uses the special abbreviation C3B (cable 3 back), which involves slipping stitches onto a cable needle to create the characteristic twisted cable texture. Different tension measurements are specified for each stitch type: stockinette stitch is worked to 22 stitches and 30 rows over 10 cm, while the cable pattern is worked to 26 stitches and 33 rows over 10 cm. This variation in tension reflects the different densities created by the cable technique compared to plain stockinette.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Tag Sweater is designed to be knitted in Rowan Softyak DK, a 50-gram weight yarn. The pattern calls for three colorway options:

• Cream (shade 230): 4-7 balls depending on size
• Black (shade 250): 1 ball for all sizes
• Lea (shade 236): 1 ball for all sizes

The multi-color yarn quantities suggest that the sweater features a primary color (Cream or Black) with accent colors (Black or Lea) incorporated into the design, likely through the cable pattern sections or colorwork elements.

The project requires two pairs of needles: 3¼mm (US size 3) needles for ribbed edgings and 4mm (US size 6) needles for the main fabric. A cable needle is also essential for working the cable stitches. The gauge is critical to achieving the correct finished measurements, with stockinette stitch requiring 22 stitches and 30 rows to measure 10 cm on 4mm needles.