Vilamoura in Berroco - Downloadable PDF

Vilamoura Sweater by Amy Christoffers – Knitting Pattern Summary

Vilamoura is an elegant, lace-detailed pullover sweater designed by Amy Christoffers and published by Berroco. Available as a downloadable PDF, this intermediate-level knitting pattern produces a beautifully textured women's sweater with a classic silhouette and refined lace stitch detailing. The design is worked in DK weight yarn and is suitable for knitters who are comfortable with both flat knitting and working in the round, as well as basic lace techniques.

What Is Being Made

Vilamoura is a seamed pullover sweater worked primarily flat, with separate front and back pieces joined at the shoulders. Neck and armhole edges are finished by picking up stitches and knitting in the round. The finished garment features a graceful lace pattern stitch running through the body, giving it a sophisticated, resort-inspired aesthetic. The pattern name evokes the elegant coastal town of Vilamoura in Portugal, and the design reflects that refined, breezy sensibility.

The pattern is offered in a generous range of nine sizes, with finished bust measurements spanning from 37 inches up to 71½ inches (approximately 94 cm to 181.5 cm). The recommended ease is approximately 4 to 8 inches of positive ease, making this a relaxed, comfortable fit. The sample shown is knitted in the 37-inch size. Finished lengths range from 22 inches to 26 inches depending on the size chosen, providing a versatile, wearable length across the full size range.

Construction Techniques

Vilamoura uses a combination of construction approaches that make it an excellent project for knitters ready to move beyond beginner-level garments:

• Bottom-up construction: The front and back pieces are each begun at the lower edge and worked upward toward the shoulders, a traditional and intuitive approach to sweater making.
• Worked flat: Both the front and back are knitted flat, meaning they are worked back and forth in rows on straight or circular needles, producing two separate panels.
• Seamed finishing: The shoulder seams are sewn together after the flat pieces are complete, and the side seams are also sewn, giving the finished sweater a structured, tailored feel that many knitters find flattering and durable.
• Worked in the round: Once the main body pieces are assembled, the neck and armhole edgings are picked up and knitted in the round using a 16-inch circular needle, creating neat, seamless finishing at these key edges.
• Lace technique: A repeating lace pattern stitch forms the primary texture of the sweater body, adding visual interest and a delicate, open quality to the fabric without making the construction overly complex.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The central stitch pattern in Vilamoura is worked over a multiple of 3 stitches plus 4, and it alternates between straightforward knit and purl rows and a more intricate lace row. Key stitch techniques include:

• Knit and purl rows: The foundation rows of the pattern stitch are simple knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side, providing a stockinette-like base.
• Lace repeat: The signature lace row involves inserting the right-hand needle into three stitches as if to knit three together, then working a knit one, yarn over, knit one sequence into those stitches rather than completing the decrease. This creates a delicate, eyelet-like texture with a gentle three-stitch cluster motif repeated across the row.
• Increases: Shaping rows incorporate M1R (make one right) and M1L (make one left) increases, which are standard lifted increases that create neat, nearly invisible shaping within the fabric.
• Yarn overs (yo): Used within the lace repeat to create the open, airy eyelets characteristic of lace knitting.

The lace pattern stitch is elegant but approachable — it is a four-row repeat that is easy to memorize after a few repeats, making it well-suited to the intermediate skill level designation of this pattern.