Hooded jumper with kangaroo pocket.

I knew exactly what I wanted to knit but couldn’t find a pattern so I made this up as I knit. If you find any errors or have any problems understanding it please leave me a message and I’ll try and help - it’s my first attempt at designing something and writing the pattern down!!

My own cheeky monkey is 3 (just) but a very small 3 year old, the actual size of the finished jumper is 58 cm (22″) chest , 29cm (11.5″) long from shoulder to hem. I am about to knit another for my 4 year old so will add the pattern for that in the future.

Directions

Yarn - DK, I used Sirdar Salsa DK 1 ball Yellow 2 balls Orange
Needles - 4mm straight needles, 4mm circular needle, 2 dpn’s, stitch holders.

Back

cast on 60 sts in Yellow
Knit 1 row in Yellow (cc)
Knit 2 rows in Orange (mc)
Knit 2 rows in cc
Repeat the last 4 rows 1 more time *
Cut cc and continue in mc in st st beginning with a knit row. Work until back measures 6 1/2” from cast on edge ending with a ws row.

Shape armhole

cast off 3 sts at beginning of next 2 rows then work even until back measures 5” from armhole shaping ending with a ws row.

Back neck shaping

With rs facing place first 12 sts on stitch holder for right shoulder, place next 30 sts on stitch holder for back neck and final 12 sts on a holder for left shoulder.

Front

Work as for back to * beginning with a k row, in mc work 4 rows in st st.

Divide for pouch pocket

With ws facing k 14sts then place these 14sts on a holder. K 32 sts then place next 14 sts on a holder.
Working on centre 32 sts only, starting with a rs row, k1 sl 1 k1 psso, k to last 3 sts, k 2 tog k1.

Continue dec 1 st at both ends of the row in this manner on every 4th row until 20 sts remain.

Work 1 more row (ws row) then place these 20 sts on a stitch holder.

With rs facing, place 14sts on left side of front onto needle and then cast on 32 sts. K these 32 sts and then the 14 original sts.
ws row - purl these 46 sts and then the remaining 14 sts from the stitch holder.
Work 22 rows in st st on these 60 sts finishing with a ws row.

next row - joins pocket. k first 20 sts, place the 20 pocket sts from the holder onto a spare needle. Holding the pocket sts in front and holding that needle together with the working needle for the front holding the 40 sts. Knit the next 20 sts together with the pocket sts. ie for each stitch knit 1 pocket stitch together with one jumper stitch. Then k to end of row.

Continue in st st until front measures same as back to armhole shaping.
Cast off 3 sts at beg of next 2 rows. Work st st until front measuers 9.5” from cast on edge, ending with a ws row.

Neck shaping

k 22 sts and turn, leave remaining 32 sts on holder.
ws row - p 2, p 2 tog, p to end of row
rs row - k to last 4 sts, k 2 tog, k2
repeat these 2 rows until 12 sts remain. Work even until front matches back to shoulder, end with a ws row, leave 12 sts on a holder.

rejoin yarn to remaining 32 sts, cast off 10 sts, k remaining 22 sts.
ws row - p to last 4 sts, p 2 tog tbl, p2
rs row - k 2 k2 tog tbl k to end
repeat these 2 rows until 12 sts remain
work even until matches back to shoulder ending with a ws row.

Join shoulder seams

Place 12 sts for back left shoulder on a dpn and 12 sts for front left shoulder on a second dpn

Holding the 2 dpn’s together with rs of work facing each other, join back shoulder to front shoulder using a 3 needle bind off.

repeat for right shoulder seam.

Hood

With rs facing using 4mm sircular needle pick up 20sts along right front neck, k 15 sts from holder at back neck, m1, k last 15sts from holder. Pick up 20sts down left front neck. (71 sts)

Row 1 (ws) - purl to end
Row 2 (rs) - k 20sts, m1, k15, m1, k1, m1, k15, m1, k20 (75 sts)
Row 3 (ws) - purl to end
Row 4 (rs) - k 20sts, m1, k16, m1, k3, m1, k16, m1, k20 (79 sts)

All ws rows are straight purl rows, rs rows as follows

Row 6 - k20, m1, k17, m1, k5, m1, k17, m1, k20 (83 sts)
Row 8 - k20, m1, k18, m1, k7, m1, k18, m1, k20 (87 sts)
Row 10 - k20, m1, k19, m1, k9, m1, k19, m1, k20 (91 sts)
Row 12 - k20, m1, k20, m1, k11, m1, k20, m1, k20 (95 sts)
Row 14 - k47, inc 1 by k front and back of next st, k47 (96 sts)

Work straight in st st until hood measures 25 cm from pick up row (or as big as you want the hood to be!)

Join top of hood

Place first 48 sts on a straight needle and second 48 on a second needle. Ensure that when the hood is folded in half with right sides together the two needles have their points together. Holding the two needles together join the two sets of stitches together with a 3 needle bind off to make the seam at the top of the hood.

Hood Border

With rs facing, using cc and circular needle, pick up approx 140 sts evenly all around edge of hood.

row 1 - k in cc
row 2 - k in mc
row 3 - k in mc
row 4 - k in cc
row 5 - k in cc
row 6 - cast off in cc

Sleeves (work 2)

Using cc, cast on 32 sts. K 2 rows in cc, k 2 rows in mc, k 2 rows in cc, k 2 rows in mc, k 2 rows in cc. Switch to mc.
Work in st st increasing 1 st at each end of next and every following 4th row to 46 sts.
Then inc every 8th row to 50 sts.
Continue working straight until sleeve measures 27 cms from cast on edge (or length required)

Pocket edgings (work 2)

with rs facing, using cc, pick up approx 27sts along pocket edge
k1 row cc
k 2 rows mc
k1 row cc
cast off in cc

Finishing

Sew top edge of sleeves into shoulders, stitch 1 cm of top edge of sleeve to cast off stitches on armhole shaping. Join side and underarm seams.
Catch stitch edge of hood edging to front neck opening, catch stitch edges of pocket edgings to front of sweater.
Catch stitch cast on stitches of pocket lining to front of pocket.

Optional decoration

crochet some flowers in cc and mc and stitch to jumper. I made one in mc and one in cc to stitch to the pocket and another in cc which I stitched on the right cuff.