Bear's Christmas Surprise

Surprise sweater
Sweater with inset sleeves and shoulder opening is worked in stocking stitch throughout, with bands of garter stitch at collar, cuffs and hem, and duplicate-stitched motifs. Standard abbreviations are used.

You need:
Download the pattern by clicking here (PDF format requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Patons True North DK yarn (50 g balls) as follows:*
Red (No. 5938), 2 balls, for body of sweater
Scraps of green (No. 5940), yellow (No. 5946), blue (No. 5919), lavender (No. 5931) and Aran (No. 5916), for duplicate-stitched twinkles
One pair 4 mm needles OR whichever needles you require to produce tension given below
Tapestry needle
Scrap of Velcro (both sides), approx 13 x 6 mm (1/2 x 1/4 ins)

*If desired, change sweater and stitching colors to child's favourites.

TENSION: 22 sts and 30 rows = 10 cm/4 ins in St st. Work to exact tension with specified yarn to obtain satisfactory results.

To save time, take the time to check tension.

To make:
Note: Work 2tog for each dec.

Front
With red yarn, cast on 60 sts.

* Rows 1 to 7: Knit.
Row 8: Purl

Work in St st until work from beg measures 8 cm (3-1/4 ins), ending with right side facing for next row.* Dec 1 st at each end of needle on next row, then on every foll 4th row 7 times. 44 stitches now on needle.

Cast off 8 sts at beg of next and foll row. 28 stitches now on needle. Knit 6 rows even. Cast off.

Back
With red yarn, cast on 74 sts. Rep from * to * as for front. Dec 1 st at each end of needle on next row, then on every foll alternate row 14 times. 44 stitches now on needle.

Cast off 8 sts at beg of next and foll row. 28 stitches now on needle. Knit 6 rows even. Cast off.

Sleeves
With red yarn, cast on 54 sts. Rep from * to * as for front. Dec 1 st at each end of needle on next row, then on every foll row 17 times. 18 stitches now on needle. Cast off.

Twinkles
With scrap yarns and tapestry needle, duplicate-stitch variously coloured and randomly spaced motifs onto sweater front, back and sleeves. Note: For each motif, use 1 colour for centre st, second colour for rem sts. Refer to Twinkle Motif chart when stitching.

To Finish:
Using press cloth, press each piece lightly from wrong side. Sew right shoulder seam. Beginning at side edge, sew left shoulder seam in 1 cm (3/8 in) only. Sew in sleeves along dec side edges of front and back. Sew side and sleeve seams. Sew 1 side of Velcro along each open shoulder section so front overlaps back.

Tip
It's easy to make your child a matching sweater, too. Simply purchase a ready-made pullover in the same colour as Bear's, then duplicate-stitch motifs.