A sloth is not just for Christmas. Which is lucky, because this one has a removable Santa hat.

This is the Sleepy Sloth Kids Christmas Jumper, an intarsia design for children aged 1 to 9 years. The pattern includes three variations: sloth with candy cane, sloth on a tree branch, with or without the Santa hat. The hat is knitted separately and sewn on, so you can pop it on for December and take it off in January, and the jumper carries on.

The jumper is worked flat from the bottom up and seamed, which makes it a solid, manageable knit. The sloth sits in an intarsia panel at the centre front. The snowflakes are added afterwards in Swiss darning, so you can place them wherever you like and use as many or as few as suits you. The shoulder opening fastens with three white buttons, which makes getting it on and off a small wriggling person considerably easier than it might otherwise be.

Also available as an adult version if you fancy matching.

Designed by Jane Burns, with 18 years of experience creating exclusive knitting and crochet patterns for babies and children.

Yarn
King Cole Merino Blend DK, 100% pure new wool, 50g, 112m per ball.
A White: 2 balls all sizes.
B Pale Blue: 3 (4: 5: 5: 6) balls.
C Walnut, D Oatmeal, F Chocolate: 1 ball each all sizes.
E Cranberry: 1 ball all sizes (Christmas version only).

Needles
3.25mm straight needles, 4mm straight needles, 3.25mm circular needle.

Also needed
Darning needle, stitch markers, stitch holder, sewing needle and thread, oddment of dark grey or black DK, 3 x 2cm white buttons.

Tension
22 sts x 30 rows = 10cm x 10cm in stocking stitch on 4mm needles.

Sizes
1-2 years, 2-3 years, 4-5 years, 6-7 years, 8-9 years.

Finished chest
55 (62: 67: 73: 76) cm / 21.5 (24.25: 26.5: 28.75: 30) in

Finished length
31 (35: 38: 41.5: 45) cm / 12 (13.75: 15: 16.25: 17.75) in

Sleeve length
23 (26.5: 29: 35.5: 36) cm / 9 (10.5: 11.5: 13.75: 14) in

Skill level
Intermediate

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