Size: 1 (2) 3 (4) 6 (8) 10 (12-14) 14-16 years
Finished garment circumference (measured under the armhole): 51 (57) 62 (68) 68 (74) 80 (85) 91 cm
Armhole depth: 11 (13) 14 (15) 16 (17) 19 (21) 23 cm
Length (mid back incl. folded neckband): 29 (31) 34 (36) 39 (43) 46 (48) 51 cm
Shoulder width (measured across the back): 19 (21) 22 (24) 25 (26) 28 (30) 32 cm
Gauge (colorwork in the round and stockinette stitch knit flat, after wash/blocking):
21 sts x 24 rows of stranded colorwork on 6 mm needles = 10 x 10 cm
21 sts x 28 rows of stockinette stitch on 5 mm needles = 10 x 10 cm
Suggested needles:
6 mm (US10; 40/60 cm) circular needles,
5 mm (US8; 40/60 cm) circular needles,
4 mm (US6; 40 and 60 cm) circular needles,
5 mm auxiliary needle for three-needle bind-off

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 5 and 4 mm needles or the like, to meet the gauges.

You’ll also need:
1 stitch marker
2 stitch holders (or some scrap yarn to hold the resting sts)
Optionally 2 open stitch markers for Japanese short rows

Suggested materials:
Peruvian Highland Wool from Filcolana (50 g = 100 m):
Size 1 y, 2 y, 3 y (4 skeins): 50 g (color A), 100 g (color B) and 50 g (neckband/armhole ribbing)
Size 4 y, 6 y (5 skeins): 100 g (color A), 100 g (color B) and 50 g (neckband/armhole ribbing)
Size 8 y, 10 y (6 skeins): 100 g (color A), 150 g (color B) and 50 g (neckband/armhole ribbing)
Size 12-14 y, 14-16 y (8 skeins): 150 g (color A), 200 g (color B) and 50 g (neckband/armhole ribbing)

About the design
The Lighthearted Slipover Mini is, as its adult counterpart, worked from the bottom up with a section of stranded colorwork knitting. The slipover is designed to be a fun and approachable project for colorwork beginners, for which reason the colorwork itself is worked in the round only. To begin with, the ribbed edge of the body (color A) is worked in the round, and once it’s done, the colorwork diagrams are worked in the round using both colors. Once all three diagrams are finished, stitches are bound off under each arm in order for the front and back pieces to be worked separately in a single color (color B). The shoulders are joined using the three-needle bind-off technique. Stitches are then picked up along the neckline, and the folded neckband is worked in 2 x 2 rib stitch. Lastly, stitches are picked up in each armhole in order to work matching 2 x 2 rib edges.

“Trick or treat” bonus charts
In the back of the pattern, I’ve added some ༼ つ╹╹ ༽つ spoopy ༼ つ╹╹ ༽つ bonus charts (and they’re adapted to all sizes).

A note about sizes
The slipover is designed to have a positive ease of approx. 5-10 cm, meaning that the circumference of the finished garment (after wash and blocking) should be 5-10 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 Lighthearted Slipover Mini is beginner/intermediate, and the pattern contains colorwork charts as well as written instructions.

The pattern includes the following techniques:

• Long tail cast-on (slingshot method)
• 2 x 2 rib stitch
• Stranded colorwork (2 colors) in the round
• Stockinette stitch knit flat (and a little bit in the round)
• Stitches worked through the back loop (k1tbl / p1tbl)
• Right- and left-leaning increases (m1R / m1L)
• Right-leaning increase purlwise (m1Rp)
• Right- and left-leaning decreases (k2tog / ssk)
• Right- and left-leaning decreases worked on the wrong side (p2tog / ssp)
• Short rows of your choice (I used Japanese short rows for this project)
• Basic bind-off
• Three-needle bind-off
• Picking up stitches

About the depicted versions:

• My first version (the mini prototype) is a size 2 y, and it’s knitted in scraps of Peruvian Highland Wool from Filcolana in the colors Bubblegum/Cobalt blue/a little bit of Ballerina (color A), Ballerina/Alaskan blue (color B) and Slightly purple/Seafoam (neckband/armhole ribbing)
• My second version is a size 3 y. It’s knitted in Jensen Yarn from Isager Yarn in the colors 100 (color A) and 2s (color B and neckband/armhole ribbing).
• My third version is a size 4 y ~ “Trick or treat” edition. It’s knitted in Peruvian Highland Wool from Filcolana in the color Marzipan Melange (color A) and 100% Wool from Halo Knit in the color Desert brown (color B and neckband/armhole ribbing).
• My fourth version (yup, I just kept going) is a size 6 y. It’s knitted in Bluefaced Leicester DK from Fiber Galore (Rainbow Girl colorway) held together with a strand of scrap yarn (color A) and Peruvian Highland Wool from Filcolana in the color Navy blue (color B). For the neckband, I’ve used a scrap of PHW in the color Seafoam and for the armhole ribbing, a scrap of PHW in the color Slightly purple.