2-Year-Old Dinosaur Jumper — "ROAR" (DK yarn)

Seamless-feel bottom-up child jumper with a fun dinosaur head and the word ROAR embroidered using duplicate stitch. Designed to be easy to knit and customise.

Sizing & Finished Measurements

• Age: 2 years
• Finished chest (circumference): 22" / 56 cm
• Total body length (shoulder to hem): 12" / 31 cm (adjustable)
• Sleeve length from underarm: 7.5" / 19 cm

Yarn

DK / Light Worsted weight yarn (approx. 225 yds / 100 g typical)

• Main Colour (MC): 230–275 yds / 210–250 m (approx. 100–125 g)
• Contrast Colour A (dinosaur head): 100–125 yds / 90–115 m (approx. 50–60 g)
• Contrast Colour B (letters and small details): 10–20 yds / 9–18 m (approx. 10 g)

Needles & Notions

• Needles (use size to obtain gauge; sample uses):
• Main needles: US 7 / UK 7 (Old) / 4.5 mm circular (16"/40 cm and 24"/60 cm as needed) or set of DPNs
• Smaller needles for ribbing: US 6 / UK 8 (Old) / 4.0 mm (same lengths)
• Stitch markers (2), tapestry needle, waste yarn or stitch holders, small amount of contrasting yarns for duplicate stitch, tape measure, scissors

Gauge (Blocked)

20 stitches and 26 rows = 4" / 10 cm in stockinette using 4.5 mm needles. Adjust needle size if needed.

Abbreviations

• CO = cast on
• K = knit
• P = purl
• K2tog = knit 2 together
• P2tog = purl 2 together
• PM = place marker
• SM = slip marker
• St(s) = stitch(es)
• RS = right side, WS = wrong side
• YO = yarn over (used only if instructed)

Overview of Construction

1. Cast on and work hem rib in the round. 2. Work body in the round to underarm. 3. Divide for armholes; work back flat, then front flat (front will receive duplicate-stitch dinosaur and ROAR later). 4. Sew shoulder seams. 5. Pick up and work neckband. 6. Pick up sleeve cap and knit sleeves in the round from shoulder down to cuff. 7. Finish hems and apply duplicate-stitch motif.

Instructions

1) Body — Hem and Main Tube

1. Using 4.0 mm needles (US 6), CO 110 sts using your preferred cast-on. Join carefully to work in the round, being careful not to twist; PM to mark beginning of round.
2. Work 1x1 rib (K1, P1) for 1.5" / 4 cm (or 6 rounds if you prefer round counts).
3. Switch to 4.5 mm needles (US 7). Work in stockinette (knit every round) until the piece measures 7.5" / 19 cm from cast-on edge (this is the length to underarm). End having completed a whole round.

2) Divide for Armholes and Work Back

4. Place the next 55 sts on a holder or leave live and work flat for the back. Leave remaining 55 sts on the needle for the front (we will work the front flat separately). Note: if you prefer to mark and transfer, ensure you know which 55 sts are back vs front; centre the front stitch group so the motif will be centred later.
5. Back (WS): With RS facing away, do not join in the round; work back and forth as follows: Row 1 (RS): K across all 55 sts. Row 2 (WS): P across. Armhole shaping: On first two rows (RS and WS) bind off 3 sts at each armhole edge as follows — at the start of the first RS row, K3, then place marker for shoulder; at the end of the next WS row, bind off 3 sts at end of row; continue working flat across the remaining stitches. (If you prefer to work precise bind-offs: on RS row, K to last 3 sts, bind off 3; on WS row, bind off 3 at start, purl to end.)
6. Continue working even (no further shaping) until back armhole depth measures 5.5" / 14 cm from the point where you bound off the armhole sts. Then shape shoulders and neck: Bind off for shoulders in two sets: Bind off 8 sts at the beginning of the next 2 RS rows for each shoulder (do this by binding off 8, work to end; on WS row bind off 8 at the start; repeat on the other side). The remaining centre stitches form the back neck — expect roughly 31 sts (adjust if your stitch counts differ; keep centre balanced).

3) Front — Work Flat and Prepare for Motif

7. With 55 sts reserved for the front, work front flat starting with RS row (K across), mirroring the back for armhole shaping: on the first RS and WS rows of armhole shaping bind off 3 sts at each armhole edge as for back.
8. Work even until front armhole depth measures 3.5" / 9 cm from where you bound off for the armhole. At this point we will stop so the top of the dinosaur head sits comfortably under the neck — continue if you prefer a different placement. Then shape shoulders and neck to mirror the back: bind off 8 sts at each shoulder edge in two steps leaving the centre front stitches for the neck (same number of centre sts as back). Keep remaining centre front stitches attached (do not bind off), slip them to a spare needle or holder for neck pickup.

4) Shoulders — Seam

9. With back and front pieces completed, line up shoulder edges and graft/seam using mattress stitch. When joining, the neckline gap should be equal to the number of centre stitches you left earlier.

5) Neckband

10. Using smaller needles (4.0 mm / US 6), pick up and knit evenly around the neck edge: pick up approx. 2–3 sts per inch aiming for a tidy rib. Typical pick-up count for this pattern: pick up 56–64 sts depending on your seam accuracy (maintain an even number for 1x1 rib). Join and work 1x1 rib for 1" / 2.5 cm. Bind off loosely in pattern.

6) Sleeves

11. Sleeve setup: With RS facing, pick up sts around each armhole (including the small bound-off edges). Aim to pick up approximately 48 sts for each sleeve (pick-up will vary slightly — you may pick up 44–52; adjust to make a multiple comfortable for your rib if needed). Place those sts on needles and join to work in the round.
12. Work stockinette in the round, optionally decreasing 1 stitch every 6 rounds until you have 36 sts (or desired cuff circumference). Sleeve decreases: round 1: *K8, K2tog; repeat; round 2–6: knit; repeat decrease round every 6 rounds as needed. Work until sleeve measures 7.5" / 19 cm from underarm. Finish with 1" / 2.5 cm of 1x1 rib using 4.0 mm needles; bind off in pattern. Repeat for second sleeve.

7) Finishing

13. Weave in all ends and block gently to measurements. Press lightly if needed — follow yarn care instructions.
14. Duplicate-stitch dinosaur head and ROAR: This pattern uses duplicate stitch rather than stranded knitting so you can embroider the motif on the finished front.

Duplicate Stitch Motif & Placement

Placement: Centre motif horizontally on the front. The top of the motif should sit about 2" / 5 cm below the neckband. The motif below is a pixel-style guide — each cell corresponds approximately to 1 knit stitch width and 1 row height at the pattern gauge. Use Contrast A for the dinosaur and Contrast B for the ROAR letters. Adjust scale by spacing stitches or changing motif size if you like.

  (This simple guide: D = dinosaur colour, . = MC, R = letters)

    ......DDDDDDDDDD.....
   ....DDDDDDDDDDDDDD....
  ...DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD...
  ..DDDDDDDD..DDDDDDDDD..
  .DDDDDDDDD....DDDDDDD.
  .DDDDDDDD......DDDDDDD
  .DDDDDDD........DDDDDD
  ..DDDDD..........DDDDD
  ...DDD............DDD
   ..D..............D..

    .....RRR..RRR.......
    .....R..R.R..R......
    .....RRR..RRR.......

Interpretation & technique:

• Work the motif by duplicate stitch using Contrast A to form the dinosaur areas (marked D). Work letters with Contrast B (marked R).
• Use a tapestry needle and work duplicate stitch over individual knit stitches — follow the knit 'V' and stitch over the two legs to form a filled pixel. Work from centre outward for best control.
• Use small amounts of yarn for each area and weave ends to the inside. If you prefer, you can chart your own cleaner silhouette at the gauge given: aim for a dinosaur approx. 7" / 18 cm wide and 5" / 13 cm tall.

Customisation Notes & Tips

• To make the jumper longer or shorter, add or subtract inches before the armhole separation (step 3).
• For a chunkier or softer gauge, change needle size and recalc cast-on based on gauge. Keep the same finished chest circumference for fit.
• If you prefer intarsia for the dinosaur, work the front flat and carry separate bobbins for each colour. Be aware this requires steeking or seaming if you knit the body in the round — duplicate stitch is simpler for most knitters.
• To adjust sleeve fit, pick up more or fewer stitches around the armhole and distribute decreases evenly to achieve desired cuff width.

Care

Follow the yarn label. For typical DK wool blends: hand wash cold or machine wash gentle in a bag, reshape and dry flat. Avoid tumble drying unless yarn label allows.

Notes

This pattern is written for a 2-year size only; stitch counts and measurements are approximate to match typical DK-gauge garments. If you alter gauge or yarn, recalculate cast-on and motif scaling. Happy knitting!