234 Harlequin Yoke Pullover - Jumper Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Deerfield

234 Harlequin Yoke Pullover – Knitting Pattern Summary

The 234 Harlequin Yoke Pullover is a women's pullover sweater knitting pattern designed by Cheryl Burke and published under the Valley Yarns brand. It features a striking harlequin-inspired colorwork yoke and sleeves, making it a visually bold yet approachable project. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated as a beginner difficulty level, making it an excellent introduction to colorwork knitting in the round.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a women's pullover sweater with a decorative colorwork yoke and matching colorwork sleeves. The garment is worked with a main color body and multiple contrast colors to create the harlequin geometric pattern. Finished sizes range from 36 to 48 inches in five increments (36, 39, 42, 45, and 48 inches), offering a broad range of fits.

Materials Required

The pattern calls for Valley Yarns Deerfield, a luxurious DK weight yarn composed of 80% Baby Alpaca and 20% Silk, yielding approximately 109 yards per 50-gram ball. The fiber blend gives the finished sweater a soft, lustrous drape well-suited to a fitted pullover. The following colorways are specified:

• MC (Main Color): Sweet Pea – 9 (11, 13, 15, 17) balls depending on size
• CC1 (Contrast Color 1): Burgundy – 1 (1, 1, 2, 2) balls
• CC2 (Contrast Color 2): Lizard Green – 1 (1, 1, 1, 1) ball
• CC3 (Contrast Color 3): Mauve – quantities as specified in the full pattern

The pattern uses both larger and smaller double-pointed needles (dpns) in sizes appropriate for DK weight yarn, with needle size changes used to create the hem and transition between sections.

Techniques Used

This pullover employs several knitting techniques that together make it a well-rounded learning project for knitters ready to expand their skills:

• Stranded colorwork: The harlequin yoke and sleeve designs are worked using the stranded knitting technique, where multiple yarn colors are carried across the back of the work. This creates the characteristic geometric pattern visible on the finished garment.
• Working in the round: The entire sweater is constructed using circular knitting, which is ideal for stranded colorwork as the knitter always faces the right side of the fabric, making it easier to follow the colorwork chart.
• Provisional cast on: Used at the lower edges of the sleeves to allow for a neat, seamless hem finish. The provisional cast on holds live stitches temporarily using waste yarn.
• Picot turning ridge: A decorative and functional detail created by working a round of [K2tog, yo] repeats, which forms a delicate picot edge when the hem is folded and joined.
• Hem joining: After the picot turning ridge, the hem is folded and the live stitches from the provisional cast on are placed back on a needle. A k2tog join is then worked to attach one stitch from each needle simultaneously, creating a clean, professional folded hem without any sewing.
• Colorwork charting: The sleeve colorwork is worked from a dedicated chart spanning 30 rows, guiding the placement of contrast colors to build the harlequin design.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st): The primary stitch used throughout the body and sleeves, worked in the round by knitting every round.
• K2tog (knit two together): A basic right-leaning decrease used both in the picot turning ridge and in the hem joining process.
• Yarn over (yo): Paired with K2tog to create the open eyelets of the picot edge.

Construction Notes

The sleeves are cast on using