701 Dagna Pullover - Jumper Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Haydenville

701 Dagna Pullover – Women's Knitting Pattern by Kirsten Hipsky in Valley Yarns Haydenville

The 701 Dagna Pullover, designed by Kirsten Hipsky, is a women's pullover jumper worked in an ingenious one-piece construction that travels up the back, over the shoulders and arms, and back down the front. This clever approach eliminates many of the seams associated with traditional sweater construction while still producing a beautifully structured, wearable garment. The pattern is rated beginner-friendly, making it an excellent project for knitters who are ready to move beyond scarves and hats and tackle their first full sweater.

What Is Being Made

The finished object is a women's pullover sweater with integrated sleeves, a shaped neckline, and a relaxed, flattering silhouette. It is available in a generous range of sizes to fit chest measurements of 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, and 56 inches, with finished garment measurements of 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, and 60 inches respectively, providing positive ease for a comfortable, everyday fit. The sample shown in the pattern is knitted in size 36 inches.

Construction and Techniques

The Dagna Pullover uses a distinctive top-down-inspired, one-piece flat construction that sets it apart from conventional sweater patterns. Rather than knitting separate front, back, and sleeve pieces and sewing them together, the garment is worked as a single continuous piece:

• The back body is cast on and worked flat upward to the underarm, approximately 16 inches or the knitter's desired length.
• Sleeve shaping is achieved by casting on stitches at the ends of rows in a stepped sequence — first casting on 8 stitches at the end of every row a set number of times, then casting on 4 stitches at the end of every row — until a total of 80 stitches have been added for each sleeve. The exact number of each cast-on increment varies by size, allowing the sleeve cap angle to be tailored to the garment's proportions.
• Neck shaping is worked by dividing the live stitches, binding off 35 stitches for the back neck, and working each shoulder section separately with individual balls of yarn. The neckline is then gradually closed by casting on stitches at each neck edge every other row, and finally joining the two sides to form the front neck.
• The piece continues down the front body, mirroring the back, completing the all-in-one construction.

This method is described in the pattern as worked flat (back and forth in rows), and the overall structure is seamed where necessary to finish the garment. The technique of casting on stitches mid-row to shape the sleeves is a satisfying and intuitive approach that even beginner knitters will find logical and rewarding.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern throughout the Dagna Pullover is a mistake rib, a classic and forgiving stitch that produces a subtly textured, stretchy fabric with a mostly-knit appearance. The repeat is worked over a multiple of 4 stitches plus 1:

• Row 1 (and all rows): K3, p1; repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

This single-row repeat makes the pattern extremely easy to memorize and maintain, even while simultaneously managing sleeve cast-ons and neck shaping. The mistake rib stitch is so named because it appears to be a slightly "off" rib, but the result is a fabric that lies flat, has gentle elasticity, and looks polished and intentional. It is well-suited to the worsted weight yarn used in this pattern, allowing the texture to read clearly without being overpowering.

The basic knitting abbreviations used in the pattern include: k (knit), p (purl), rep (repeat), RS/WS (right side / wrong side), and st(s) (stitch or stitches).

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Valley Yarns Haydenville, a worsted weight