Smestad Sweater in Viking Of Norway - UK-2316-6 - Downloadable PDF

Smestad Sweater in Viking Garn – Pattern Summary (UK-2316-6)

The Smestad Sweater is a beautifully designed knitted pullover created by Turid Stapnes and published by Viking of Norway. Worked in the luxuriously soft Alpaca Bris yarn, this intermediate-level pattern produces a classic raglan-yoke sweater with decorative colourwork detailing at the neckband. The design is available as a downloadable PDF (pattern reference UK-2316-6), making it instantly accessible for knitters ready to cast on.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a seamless, top-down or in-the-round constructed raglan sweater suitable for adults. It is offered in six sizes, ranging from x/small through xx/large, with chest measurements spanning 88 cm to 128 cm (approximately 34¾ in to 50½ in). The whole length of the garment ranges from 66 cm to 70 cm (26 in to 27½ in), and sleeve lengths range from 46 cm to 51 cm (18 in to 20 in), making it a generously proportioned, wearable everyday sweater.

Construction and Techniques

The Smestad Sweater is knitted in the round, a technique that minimises seaming and creates a smooth, continuous fabric. The defining structural feature is the raglan shaping, achieved through regular decrease rounds worked at four raglan points. The pattern specifies between 19 and 29 raglan decrease rounds depending on size, with stitch counts carefully calibrated so that 70–74 stitches remain in the round at the point where the yoke transitions to the neckband. This methodical decrease system gives the raglan its characteristic diagonal lines and ensures a comfortable, flexible fit across the shoulder.

The sleeves are set in using the underarm hole method, where stitches are placed on hold and the gap is later closed by sewing, a neat finishing technique that avoids visible joins. The pattern instructs knitters to sew the holes under the sleeves and to weave in all loose ends on the wrong side for a clean, professional finish.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (stockinette stitch) – the primary stitch used throughout the body and sleeves, worked in the round to produce a smooth knit face.
• Colourwork from Diagram A and Diagram B – charted stitch patterns incorporated into the design, with Diagram B specifically used for the neckband section, adding a decorative motif at the collar.
• Raglan decreases – worked at regular intervals to shape the yoke and create the sweater's signature silhouette.
• Cast off – the neckband is finished with a cast-off row worked in white, giving a clean edge to the collar.

Colourwork Detail

The Smestad Sweater incorporates at least two colours, with white (colour no. 300) explicitly named in the pattern. White is used in quantities of 3 to 6 skeins depending on size, and it features prominently in the neckband colourwork and the cast-off edge. The charted diagrams (Diagram A and Diagram B) guide the knitter through the placement of colours to create the pattern's decorative motifs, a technique common in Scandinavian-style knitwear where geometric or repeating patterns are worked across the yoke or borders.

Neckband

Once the raglan shaping is complete, the knitter switches to a 5 mm needle and works one round of stocking stitch, simultaneously decreasing evenly to between 60 and 72 stitches (depending on size). Diagram B is then worked in the round as indicated on the chart, and the neckband is finished with a cast-off in white. This creates a neat, fitted collar with a decorative colourwork band — a hallmark of classic Nordic sweater design.

Materials – Yarn and Needles

The pattern is specifically written for Viking of Norway Alpaca B