Little Sunup - the "Little Sister" Pattern

As soon as I slipped on my Sununp on 82nd for the final fitting, my daughter piped up. "I want one too!"

I knew I wanted the children's version to be a little more straightforward, and a little more fitted (my daughter leans over her artwork all the time and I could totally envision a drapey shaped hem plopping into a glitter glue situation). Little Sunup keeps the raglan detail and the scoop neck but has a tad less ease and no shaping at the hem.

I knit my first sample using the same yarn as my own sweater - here it is in Ritual Dye's Maiden and Fae, held together. I loved working with these yarns for both of our sweaters, but I got a lot of feedback from testers that - surprise! - mohair isn't everyone's first choice for toddlers or even elementary school-aged children.

So for my final sample, I went with a yarn offered by Eat Sleep Knit, Juniper Moon Farm's Herriot. This 100% Baby Alpaca, held single, hit the same gauge and is soft enough for next-to-skin wear even for kids. More pictures are on my website, here.

Construction Notes:

Like the adult version, Little Sunup is knit from the top down - you start by working flat until you've shaped the neck, then join for working in the round. Set aside stitches for the sleeves and continue the texture down the sides before working short rows to shape the bottom of the sweater and the hem. The sleeves work up quickly in stockinette, and you'll finish by picking up sts for the collar.

To simplify the 'at the same time' shaping, this pattern also includes a progress chart. For each row, the chart shows how many stitches you add via raglan shaping, how many you add via neckline shaping, and how many you have at the end.