"Ginnie Jumper" - Jumper Knitting Pattern For Women in Willow and Lark Nest

Ginnie Jumper: A Colourful Stranded Knitting Pattern by Francesca Hughes for Willow and Lark

The Ginnie Jumper is a vibrant, colour-fade roll neck jumper designed by Francesca Hughes as part of Willow and Lark's Best of British Collection. Inspired by the layered, ever-changing colours of an old-fashioned gobstopper sweet, this design brings together deep, bold stripes in a joyful riot of colour. It is a project that rewards confident, experienced knitters with a showstopping finished garment full of personality and warmth.

What Is Being Made

The Ginnie Jumper is a women's pullover sweater featuring a roll neck and long sleeves with folded cuffs. It is worked in a stranded colourwork style to create its signature colour-fade stripe effect. The pattern is available in six sizes, designed to fit bust measurements from 81 cm (32 in) to 107 cm (42 in), with actual garment measurements ranging from 96 cm (37¾ in) to 122 cm (48 in) in circumference, giving a comfortable, relaxed fit across all sizes.

• Body length to shoulder: 47 cm (18½ in) across all sizes
• Sleeve seam (with cuffs folded): 44–46 cm (17¼–18 in) depending on size

Techniques Used

This is rated as an advanced knitting pattern, making it best suited to knitters who already have a solid foundation of skills and are ready to take on a more complex, multi-technique project. The construction combines several distinct methods:

• Bottom-up construction: The jumper is built from the lower hem upwards, a traditional approach that allows knitters to adjust length easily before committing to the yoke or shoulder shaping.
• Worked flat: Pieces are knitted back and forth in rows on straight or circular needles, rather than in the round, giving the fabric a classic, structured feel.
• Seamed finishing: The individual flat-knitted pieces are joined together using seaming techniques such as mattress stitch, which creates neat, professional-looking joins at the sides and sleeves.
• Stranded colourwork: The colour-fade stripe effect is achieved through stranded knitting, where two or more yarn colours are carried across the back of the work simultaneously. This technique requires careful tension management to keep the fabric smooth and even, and is a key reason the pattern is classified as advanced.

Stranded colourwork involves carrying the non-working yarn loosely across the wrong side of the fabric as floats. Keeping these floats at an even, relaxed tension is essential to prevent the finished fabric from puckering. Knitters new to stranded work are advised to spread their stitches along the needle before carrying the yarn to ensure the floats are long enough.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

While the full stitch detail is contained within the downloadable PDF pattern, the construction and colourwork nature of the Ginnie Jumper typically draws on a combination of foundational knitting stitches and techniques:

• Knit and purl stitches form the basis of the flat-worked fabric panels
• Rib stitch is commonly used for cuffs and neckbands in this style of garment, providing elasticity and a neat edge
• Stranded colourwork stitches worked in the main body to create the deep stripe and colour-fade pattern inspired by the gobstopper motif
• Roll neck construction, typically achieved by continuing in stocking stitch beyond the neckline so the fabric naturally curls outward

Materials: Yarn, Weight, and Colourways

The Ginnie Jumper is designed specifically for Willow and Lark Nest yarn, a luxurious DK weight yarn with a beautifully soft fibre blend of 69% Wool, 11% Cashmere, and 20% Tencel. This blend combines the warmth and elasticity of wool with the silky softness of cashmere and the subtle sheen and drape of Tencel, making it an exceptional choice for a colourwork