Want to knit cute jumpers for toddlers and kids with straight needles? Finding modern sweaters you can knit the traditional way in separate pieces isn’t as easy these days because many current patterns are knit top down in the round instead.
So here’s a roundup of free children’s sweater knitting patterns you can knit with straight needles. Whether you want quick easy knit jumpers or cute motif sweaters, there’s adorable knitting patterns available.
Table of Contents
Kids Sweater Knitting Patterns for Beginners
These plain stockinette sweater knitting patterns are ideal for beginners or if you just want a quick and easy knit.
They also work well as basic template patterns which you can modify as you like. You could knit a striped version or maybe even add a chart motif across the front from another pattern if you’re a more experienced knitter. The possibilities are endless.
Nahomie Simple Sweater (4-12 years)
Yarn weight: | Aran |
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Needle size: | Main: 5mm (US 8), Rib: 4.5mm (US 7) |
Sweater Sizes: | 4-12 years (5 sizes) |
Main stitch: | Stockinette stitch |
Gauge: | 17 stitches and 23 rows to 4 inches |
This kid’s jumper pattern is nice and easy with minimal shaping and no neckline to do either.
You need a free LoveCrafts account to download this pattern. The 1 page PDF is basic, but each size is colour coded throughout which really helps.
From French brand Phildar, the pattern uses Phil Beaugency fluffy yarn which may be hard to find.
is a close match in the US.
I’d say Drops Air would work well for this too. I love knitting with it because it’s super soft and snuggly yet light to wear.
You don’t have to use fluffy yarn, but be aware that the jumper would be heavier knit with traditional wool. instead You could use any thicker aran yarn or try going up a needle size with standard worsted or aran yarns to get the 17×23 gauge.
Simple Childs Jumper with Dropped Shoulders (2-12 years)
Yarn weight: | DK |
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Needle size: | Main: 4mm (US 6), Rib: 3.25mm (US 3) |
Sweater Sizes: | 2-12 years (6 sizes) |
Main stitch: | Stockinette stitch |
Gauge: | 22 stitches to 4 inches |
The tiny low quality pic doesn’t do this jumper justice. It’s an ideal children’s pattern for beginner knitters.
This sweater has minimal shaping and a practical boat neck. That means there’s just a wide gap across the top with no round neckline shaping needed. So it’s easier to knit and the wider neck makes it easier to get on & off small kids too – win win!
Both sleeves are all simple stockinette stitch. The front and back pieces are exactly the same, mainly in stockinette but switches to rows of rib at the top. This nice design touch looks smart & sets it apart from boring plain stockinette sweaters.
Use any double knitting yarn that knits to the standard 22×28 gauge on 4mm needles to knit this cute top.
The designer, Deborah Mason, has even kindly made a 1 page printable PDF version. 👏
Easy Raglan Jumper Knitting Patterns
These sweater patterns have traditional raglan sleeves, that come down diagonally from the neck.
They’re still quite easy to knit, but there are decreases at the top of each piece. There’s also a bit involved in seaming the sleeves to the body for a neat finish.
So I’d recommend these jumper patterns for knitters with a few projects under their belt who are confident with the basics.
TIP: See my step by step mattress stitch tutorial for how to do nearly invisible seams.
Child’s Crew Neck Jumper (2-10 years)
Yarn weight: | Worsted or Aran |
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Needle size: | Main: 5mm (US 8), Rib: 4.5mm (US 7) |
Sweater Sizes: | 2-10 years (26-34 inch finished chest) (5 sizes) |
Main stitch: | Stockinette stitch |
Gauge: | 18 stitches and 24 rows to 4 inches |
This free stockinette child’s sweater knitting pattern is a 3 page PDF with colour coded sizing – super handy.
The pattern uses acrylic yarn, but knits to a standard aran gauge, so any aran or worsted weight yarn should work well.
Child’s Colour Block Jumper (3-7 years)
Yarn weight: | DK |
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Needle size: | Main: 4mm (US 6), Rib: 3.25mm (US 3) |
Sweater Sizes: | 3-7 years (23-27 inch chest) (5 sizes) |
Main stitch: | Stockinette stitch |
Gauge: | 22 stitches and 28 rows to 4 inches |
Kids will look seriously cool in this modern top. The free pattern includes several color combos for inspiration or you can have fund choosing your own – maybe your little one can help?
The 3 wide stripes add interest and are handy progress points to help keep you knitting. 😊
This free pattern (design number 2558) is from Sirdar who are long known for their tried and tested patterns. You need a free account to download it.
Sirdar class this pattern as suitable for beginners and sizes are colour coded to make it easy to follow.
The pattern uses Sirdar Snuggly Replay DK, a lightweight, easy care cotton and acrylic yarn that comes in a whole rainbow of shades.
But it knits to standard double knitting gauge, so you can use any DK yarn you like.
Andrew’s Stripes Sweater (4-10 years)
Yarn weight: | Worsted or Aran |
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Needle size: | Main: 5mm (US 8), Rib: 4.5mm (US 7) |
Sweater Sizes: | 4-10 years (26-32 inch finished chest) (4 sizes) |
Main stitch: | Stockinette |
Gauge: | 18 stitches and 24 rows to 4 inches |
Knit a fancy looking striped sweater with this easy 1 page pdf pattern.
You knit 6 rows in each colour. You could knit a rainbow or pastel jumper, football team colours or let the child choose their fave shades (which may change while you knit!).
The stripes help you line up each piece as you seam them together and the end result looks super smart.
This pattern uses Patons Canadiana acrylic yarn, but you could use any aran or worsted weight yarn that knits to the traditional 18×24 gauge.
Intermediate Sweater Knitting Patterns for Kids
Watch the Birdie Jumper (6 months -6 years)
Yarn weight: | DK |
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Needle size: | Main: 4mm (US 6), Rib: 3.25mm (US 3) |
Sweater Sizes: | 6 months-6 years, 19-25 inch finished chest (4 sizes) |
Main stitch: | Stockinette stitch |
Gauge: | 22 stitches and 30 rows to 4 inches |
This little sweater is adorable! Designed by Jane Reay, you’ll just need a free LoveCrafts or Ravelry account to download it.
The side button opening at the neck is optional if you prefer to keep things simple.
It’s all plain stockinette apart from the band of birds along the bottom (using a 15 stitch chart repeat) and the little zig zags above the sleeve cuffs. So it’s a nice project to practise stranded colorwork.
This pattern uses Debbie Bliss Rialto DK wool, which I found lovely and soft to knit with, plus it washes well.
But the horizontal 22 stitch gauge is the standard for double knitting, so most DK yarns should work well.
If you like knitting this free pattern, Jane has lots more children’s knitting patterns for sale on LoveCrafts (and Ravelry).
Shooting Star Jumper & Cardigan (3-7 years)
Yarn weight: | DK |
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Needle size: | Main: 4mm (US 6), Rib: 3.25mm (US 3) |
Sweater Sizes: | 3-7 years, to fit 23-27 inch chest (5 sizes) |
Main stitch: | Stockinette stitch, with intarsia for shooting star motifs |
Gauge: | 22 stitches and 28 rows to 4 inches |
This sweater certainly has star power, with it’s colourful rainbow shooting star motifs.
This free Sirdar pattern number 2586 also includes a cute cardigan version, shown knit in navy with a cream star.
So whether you knit this in a light or dark colour, your little star is sure to stand out.
Knit in Sirdar’s ever popular Snuggly DK easy care acrylic, you could also use any DK yarn that knits to the standard 22×28 gauge on 4mm needles.
You need 7 colours in total, but aside from the main jumper colour, you only need 1 small ball of each. So this pattern is great for using up yarn oddments.
The sleeves are all stockinette, with 7 short stripes (in 5 shades) knit near the bottom of 1 sleeve and near the top of the other.
Much of the front and back is plain stockinette too. But the back has some stripes on 1 side near the bottom and top which are knit using the intarsia technique. So you knit a bit of the row with a rainbow colour, and the rest of the row with the main colour, twist the yarn at the back when you switch colours to avoid holes.
If you’re new to intarsia, the back only uses it for simple stripes so you can start with that to get the hang of it. Then on the front, you can move on to doing the large intarsia star motifs at the top and bottom of the jumper.
Knitting a small child’s sweater is a great way to try out new techniques like intarsia. You get to learn something new & knit something super cute at the same time. 😊
Girl’s Lace Jumper (2-11 years)
Yarn weight: | DK |
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Needle size: | Main: 4mm (US 6), Rib: 3.25mm (US 3) |
Sweater Sizes: | 2-3 years to 10-11 years, to fit 22-30 inch chest (5 sizes) |
Main stitch: | Stockinette stitch, yarn overs for simple lace pattern |
Gauge: | 22 stitches and 28 rows to 4 inches |
This pretty girl’s sweater has 2 sleeve options to choose from. Knit striped sleeves in stockinette or knit ribbed sleeves (knit 1, purl 3 rib) instead.
The lace pattern on the front and back looks really fancy, but you just need to do simple yarn overs on a quarter on the rows to knit the lace. The rest of the rows are standard stockinette.
It’s a 16 row pattern repeat though, so this isn’t mindless TV knitting! Just take your time at first and once you do a few repeats, it gets much easier.
TIP: you could simplify this pattern & save time by just doing the lace pattern on the front and knit the back in plain stockinette.
This pattern uses Stylecraft organic cotton DK, so it’s a lovely summer knitting project.
But it knits to standard double knitting tension, so you could use any DK yarn for this.
Cotton jumpers are durable and wash well, but they can go out of shape. This jumper would also be lovely knit in soft wool or easy care acrylic either.
Where to Find More Children’s Patterns for Straight Needles
Yarnspirations has lots of free children’s clothing knitting patterns and most of them can be knit with straight needles. Find patterns from popular yarn brands including Patons, Red Heart and Bernat here.
Tip: on the left sidebar, you can filter by things like garment type, skill level and yarn weight to save you time.
and usually their jumpers & cardigans are knit in pieces with straight needles. I’ve included a couple of their free patterns above, but most patterns cost about £3.50 ($4.50). But Sirdar have been around a long time & their patterns are well written and tested.
Rowan Kids do gorgeous knitting patterns, mostly for straight needles. Rowan is Sirdar’s premium brand and these designer children’s knitting patterns look sophisticated as well as super cute. Patterns range from beginner friendly with simpler shapes to intricate cable and colorwork designs that experienced knitters can enjoy getting their teeth into. Digital patterns typically cost £4/$7 approx, and Rowan also sell themed pattern books and magazines which can work out cheaper than individual patterns.
Older knitting patterns are nearly always for straight needles because circular needles only became popular relatively recently. Older books and magazines (pre 2000 approx) are great sources and are often very cheap at charity shops (thrift stores), fairs or you can find cheap used old knitting pattern books on Amazon or Ebay etc.
Check your local library, as they often have plenty of knitting pattern books. Most libraries can also order in books from other branches for you & you can search their full catalogue there or online. Find lots of older books with straight needle patterns that you can likely renew for months, and access the latest gorgeous expensive knitting books for free too.
Tip: Choosing Yarn for Old Patterns
One gotcha with old knitting patterns is that the yarns used are often no longer available. But the good news is that most vintage patterns knit to standard gauge.
So the gauge for most DK patterns will be 22 stitches x 28 rows on 4mm needles and most aran patterns will state 18 stitches x 24 rows on 5mm needles. So any modern yarns that knit to these standard gauges will work well.
For newer patterns with discontinued yarns (including some featured in this round-up), my top tip is to use yarnsub.com. Just enter the pattern yarn name in the search box and you will get a list of the closest matching yarns, which you can filter by budget and yarn material. It’s amazing!
We all love free knitting patterns & I hope you find a sweater pattern here that you’ll enjoy knitting for a special child. It’s much quicker than knitting for adults, but kids knitting patterns for straight needles can be surprisingly fiddly with the small pieces. So take your time and have fun! 🙂
PS big kids deserve gorgeous sweaters too! So here’s my list of free easy knit adult sweaters for straight needles.
Looking for more patterns or help? Leave a comment below.