Nuno Stripe Sweater - Jumper Knitting Pattern for Women in Debbie Bliss Saphia

Nuno Stripe Sweater – Knitting Pattern for Women by Debbie Bliss in Saphia Yarn

The Nuno Stripe Sweater is a women's pullover jumper knitting pattern designed by Debbie Bliss, worked in the designer's own Debbie Bliss Saphia yarn. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping and are ready to explore colourwork through bold, graphic stripes. The finished garment is a relaxed, stylish sweater with a strong visual impact, achieved through a carefully sequenced three-colour stripe arrangement.

Garment Overview

The Nuno Stripe Sweater is a classic pullover silhouette designed to be flattering across a wide range of sizes. The pattern includes instructions for seven sizes, fitting chest measurements from 81–86 cm (32–34 in) up to 142–147 cm (56–58 in), ensuring an inclusive fit range. The sweater takes its name and character from its prominent stripe design, which uses three carefully chosen colourways from the Saphia range to create a rich, tonal yet contrasting effect.

Techniques Used

• Worked flat (seamed construction): The pieces of this sweater are knitted flat on straight or circular needles and then seamed together. This traditional construction method produces neat, structured edges and a garment with excellent shape retention. Seaming is typically done using mattress stitch or a similar joining technique, and it gives the finished sweater a professional, tailored appearance.
• Stripes: The defining technique of this pattern is its multi-colour stripe sequence. Three colours are used in rotation — Smoke 14 (A), Peat 03 (B), and Heather 01 (C) — to create the signature Nuno stripe effect. Working stripes in flat knitting requires careful management of yarn at the edges and an understanding of when to carry yarn up the side versus cutting and rejoining.
• Shaping: As an intermediate pattern, the Nuno Stripe Sweater incorporates standard garment shaping techniques including decreases and increases for armholes, sleeves, and necklines. Decrease methods referenced in the pattern include k2tog (knit two stitches together) and skpo (slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over), both of which create neat, directional decreases essential for clean shaping.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k): The fundamental knit stitch forms the basis of the fabric throughout the pattern.
• Purl (p): Used in combination with the knit stitch to create the main fabric texture, likely stocking stitch (stockinette), which is the standard ground fabric for sweaters of this style.
• k2tog (knit two together): A right-leaning decrease used in shaping sections of the garment.
• skpo (slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over): A left-leaning decrease that pairs with k2tog to create symmetrical shaping at armholes and necklines.

Materials – Yarn

The pattern is written specifically for Debbie Bliss Saphia, a chunky weight yarn sold in 100g / 3½oz hanks. Saphia is a luxurious yarn known for its softness and drape, making it well suited to a relaxed, wearable sweater like the Nuno Stripe. Three colourways are used:

• Smoke 14 (Colour A): 3(3:4:4:4:4:5) hanks required depending on size
• Peat 03 (Colour B): 4(4:4:5:5:5:5:6) hanks required depending on size — the largest quantity, suggesting this is the dominant stripe colour
• Heather 01 (Colour C): 3(3:4:4:4:4:5) hanks required depending on size

The three colourways — Smoke, Peat