Size: 1-2 (2-3) 3-4 (4-5) 6 (7) 8 (9) 10-12 (12-14) years
Finished garment circumference (measured under the sleeves): 61 (64) 68 (71) 75 (78) 82 (85) 89 (92) cm
Length (incl. folded neckband):
Mid front: 33 (36,5) 38 (40) 42 (44) 45.5 (48) 50 (52) cm
Mid back: 34.5 (38) 39.5 (41) 45 (46.5) 49 (52) 54.5 (57) cm
Gauge (colorwork and stockinette stitch in the round, after wash/blocking):
23 sts x 24.5 rows of stranded colorwork on 5.5 mm needles = 10 x 10 cm
23 sts x 30 rows of stockinette stitch on 4.5 mm needles = 10 x 10 cm
Suggested needles:
5.5 mm (US9; 60/80 and 80/100 cm) circular needles,
4.5 mm (US7; 60/80 cm) circular needles,
4 mm (US6; 40/60 cm) circular needles,
3.5 mm (US4; 40 cm) circular needles,
as well as double-pointed needles or longer circular needles for Magic Loop in sizes 5.5 mm, 4.5 mm and 4 mm (for sleeve knitting)

Note. I knit very tightly (poor hands), so if you’re more of a “loose” knitter, you’ll most likely have to adjust needle sizes quite a bit, e.g. using 4.5 and 3.5 mm needles or the like, to meet the gauges.

You’ll also need:
1 stitch marker
3 stitch holders (or some scrap yarn to hold the resting sts)

Suggested materials:
Önling No. 1 from Önling (50 g = 180 m):
Color A: 100 (150) 150 (150) 200 (200) 200 (250) 250 (300) g
Color B: approx. 16 (18) 21 (22) 23 (23) 23 (24) 24 (25) g
Color C: approx. 13 (14) 15 (16) 17 (18) 20 (21) 22 (23) g
Color D: approx. 6 (7) 8 (8) 9 (9) 14 (14) 15 (15) g

About the design
The Kindhearted Sweater Mini is worked from the bottom up with a circular yoke in stranded colorwork knitting, as well as small colorwork details above the ribbing on both body and sleeves. To begin with, the body and both sleeves are worked separately, after which the parts are joined and the yoke is worked in the round. On the larger sizes, short rows are worked at the bottom of the yoke before beginning the colorwork segment in order to add extra length to the back and ensure a good fit. Once the yoke is finished and the stitches have been bound off, new stitches are picked up along the neckline for the folded neckband. Lastly, the hole under each sleeve is seamed together using Kitchener Stitch.

Something about colors
I have designed the colorwork so the colors come in two “sets” which work well in contrast with each other, namely color A + C and color B + D. This means that you (…if you approach the pattern conservatively and don’t go bananas and just use a plethora of different colors, which you’re of course also more than free to do ♥) can knit it in either four colors, where A + C e.g. are two dark colors, while B + D are two light colors (or vice versa); you can knit it in three colors, where A + C e.g. are two different light colors while B + D are the same dark color (or vice versa), or you can combine the colors in each set and knit a two-color version.

A note about sizes
The sweater is designed to have a positive ease of approx. 10-15 cm, meaning that the circumference of the finished garment (after wash and blocking) should be 10-15 cm wider than the recipient’s widest upper body measurement. Note that the measurements specified above are only achieved if the correct gauge is kept.

Level and techniques
The level of the Kindhearted Sweater Mini is intermediate (3 out of 5-ish; but only because there are a couple of rounds where you have to knit with three strands at once if you’re making a three- or four- (or more-) colored version), and the pattern contains colorwork charts as well as written instructions.

The pattern includes the following techniques:

• Long tail cast-on (slingshot method)
• Stitches worked through the back loop (k1tbl / p1tbl)
• Stranded colorwork (with two and three colors) in the round
• Stockinette stitch in the round
• Right- and left-leaning increases (m1R / m1L)
• Right-leaning decrease (k2tog)
• Short rows of your choice (I used German Short Rows for this project)
• Basic bind-off
• Picking up stitches

About the depicted versions:

• My first “real” version (which was technically the second prototype) is a size 1-2 y. It’s a two-color version, and it’s knitted in Önling No. 1 from Önling in the colors Marzipan (color A + C) and Navy (color B + D).

• My second version is a size 2-3 y, and it’s a four-color version. It’s knitted in Önling No. 1 from Önling in the colors Pigeon blue (color A), Light pink (color B), Navy (color C), and Off-white (color D).

• My third version (which was knitted for my son by Lone, shout out to Lone ♥) is a size 3-4 y. It’s a four-color version, and it’s knitted in: Isager Tweed (Mustard) held together with a strand of Silk Mohair (63), both from Isager Yarn (color A), Önling No. 1 (Off-white) from Önling (color B), Jawoll (98 Dark Green) held together with a strand of Merino 400 Lace (118 Dark Green), both from Lang Yarns (color C), and Önling No. 1 (Light pink) from Önling.