Valley Yarns English Muffin Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns English Muffin Tunic

What is Being Made

The English Muffin Tunic is a gathered children's tunic designed by Julie Turjoman, available in seven sizes ranging from 6-12 months through 10-12 years. The finished chest measurements range from 18 ½ inches for the smallest size to 30 ½ inches for the largest size. This versatile garment is styled as a tunic that pairs beautifully with leggings or jeans, making it an adorable everyday piece for young children. The tunic features a distinctive gathered silhouette created through strategic decrease shaping throughout the body.

Techniques Used

The English Muffin Tunic employs a bottom-up construction method, meaning the garment is knitted starting from the hem and working upward toward the shoulders and neckline. The piece is worked in the round for the main body, which creates seamless knitting and contributes to the tunic's smooth, polished appearance. A notable design feature is the unique 2-piece, side-to-side bodice construction, where the front and back bodice pieces are worked separately with individual neck shaping before being joined together. The decrease shaping is worked separately for the front and back neck, creating the gathered effect that defines this tunic's aesthetic. The hem is finished with reverse Stockinette stitch, which adds a decorative textural contrast to the garment.

Stitches Used

This beginner-friendly pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches and techniques. The primary stitch throughout the garment is Stockinette stitch, which creates a smooth, classic fabric suitable for children's wear. Decrease stitches are essential to the design: knit 2 together (K2tog) and slip, slip, knit (SSK) are used to shape the neckline and create the gathered bodice. The pattern also incorporates purl stitches for the reverse Stockinette hem detail. Basic techniques such as casting on, binding off, slipping stitches, and placing stitch markers are employed throughout the construction process.

Materials and Yarn

The English Muffin Tunic is designed to showcase Valley Yarns' Haydenville yarn in worsted weight. This yarn blend combines 60% Superwash Merino Wool with 40% Acrylic Microfiber, offering both softness and practicality. Each skein contains 100 yards and weighs 100 grams. The pattern shown features color 18 (Sage). Yardage requirements vary by size: the smallest sizes require 2 skeins, while the larger sizes need 3 or 4 skeins. The yarn's next-to-the-skin softness and machine washable, machine dryable properties make it ideal for children's garments.

Needles and Gauge

The pattern calls for multiple needle sizes to achieve proper gauge and construction. US size 6 (4.00 mm) circular needles in 40-inch and 24-32-inch lengths are used for the main body knitting worked in the round. US size 5 (3.75 mm) short needles are specified for the bodice shaping, and a US size 5 (4.00 mm) 16-inch circular needle is used for finishing details. The gauge is 20 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches on US size 6 needles in Stockinette stitch when blocked, while the smaller needles produce a gauge of 22 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches. Additional materials include stitch markers and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends.