Materials:
Your favorite soft, strong (stainless steel) very washable acrylic
yarn. I used stash but I believe you could make one for a 2-6 year
old child with two 4 oz. Skeins.
I also made broad stripes but you could work any pattern or texture
stitch you like into this. Copy your favorite serape pattern!
Circular needles size 9us (5.5mm), 26 inch and size 5us (3.75mm) 16 inch (or dps)
Pattern:
Cast on 84 stitches
*k 20, kpk in next stitch* repeat 3 times (end at the beginning) [This is an increase that you may do in your favorite way. If you knit neck down sweaters you probably have a stitch that you prefer.]
Repeat, working kpk in center stitch (the purl) of last kpk until garment is as long as you'd like. (If your child is available, measure from neck to wrist or waist. I made mine 14 inches which is what my favorite sweater pattern called for, for a size 2 raglan.)
Work last six rows in garter stitch ( purl one row, knit one row) to prevent edge from rolling. You could do seed stitch or whatever is your favorite non-rolling border. BO.
Pick up 80 stitches around neck from inside. (So that the knit side faces inside). Pick up and knit together stitches as necessary to fill any holes, knit for 3 inches, BO.
Weave in any ends, block as you like.
Let the child figure out what the garment is for! That's part of the fun of discovery.