"Ellen Jumper" - Jumper Knitting Pattern in MillaMia Naturally Soft Cotton

Ellen Jumper – Children's Cable Knitting Pattern by Helena Rosen for MillaMia

The Ellen Jumper is a beautifully crafted children's cable knit jumper pattern designed by Helena Rosen for MillaMia. Worked in MillaMia Naturally Soft Cotton yarn, this pattern produces a classic, textured pullover sweater with intricate cable detailing that gives it a timeless, heirloom quality. The design is available in four children's sizes, fitting ages 1–2, 2–3, 3–4, and 4–5 years, with actual chest measurements ranging from 62 cm to 72 cm and lengths to shoulder ranging from 34 cm to 43 cm. Sleeve lengths range from 21 cm to 27 cm depending on size.

What Is Being Made

The Ellen Jumper is a seamed, fitted children's pullover sweater featuring prominent cable panels worked across the body. It is a structured garment with set-in or shaped sleeves and a neat finish, making it suitable as both an everyday piece and a special occasion knit. The cable textures create a rich, three-dimensional fabric surface that is both visually striking and tactilely satisfying.

Construction Method

This jumper is constructed using a bottom-up, worked flat approach, meaning the pieces — typically the front, back, and sleeves — are knitted separately from the cast-on edge upward and then seamed together to complete the garment. This traditional construction method gives knitters precise control over shaping and produces clean, stable seams that help the finished jumper hold its structure and shape well over time, which is particularly important in children's garments that need to withstand regular wear and washing.

Techniques Used

• Cable knitting – The defining feature of the Ellen Jumper, cables involve crossing groups of stitches over one another using a cable needle to create twisted rope-like or braided patterns in the fabric.
• Bottom-up construction – Knitting begins at the lower hem and progresses upward toward the shoulders.
• Worked flat – Pieces are knitted back and forth in rows rather than in the round, allowing for straightforward shaping and armhole construction.
• Seaming – Finished pieces are joined using sewing or mattress stitch techniques to assemble the complete garment.
• Twist stitches – The pattern uses Tw4R (Twist 4 Right) and Tw4L (Twist 4 Left), which involve slipping stitches to a cable needle and working combinations of knit and purl stitches to create elegant diagonal twists within the cable panels.

Stitches Used

The Ellen Jumper employs a rich vocabulary of cable and twist stitches that combine to produce its signature textured fabric. These include:

• Tw4R (Twist 4 Right) – Slip one stitch to a cable needle held at the back, knit 3 stitches, then purl 1 stitch from the cable needle. Creates a rightward diagonal twist.
• Tw4L (Twist 4 Left) – Slip 3 stitches to a cable needle held at the front, purl 1 stitch, then knit 3 stitches from the cable needle. Creates a leftward diagonal twist.
• C4B (Cable 4 Back) – Slip 2 stitches to a cable needle held at the back, knit 2, then knit 2 from the cable needle. Produces a right-leaning 4-stitch cable cross.
• C4F (Cable 4 Front) – Slip 2 stitches to a cable needle held at the front, knit 2, then knit 2 from the cable needle. Produces a left-leaning 4-stitch cable cross.
• C6B (Cable 6 Back) – Slip 3 stitches to a cable needle held at the back, knit 3, then knit 3 from the cable needle. Creates a bold right-leaning 6-stitch rope cable.
• Knit and purl stitches – Used throughout for background fabric, ribbing, and to frame the cable panels.