V Neck Sweater in Bergere de France Angel 50 - Mag 183 -18 - Downloadable PDF

V Neck Sweater in Bergere de France Angel 50 – Magazine 183, Design 18

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Bergere de France (Magazine 183, Design 18) produces a light and delicate V neck sweater for adults. Rated as intermediate difficulty, the design is available in five sizes: S, M, L, XL, and XXL, making it a versatile wardrobe staple suitable for a range of body types. The pattern is described as easy in style despite its intermediate classification, meaning knitters with a solid grasp of basic shaping techniques will find it very approachable.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a classic V neck pullover sweater with a light, airy drape. The design is described as a light and delicate version, which is directly achieved through the choice of yarn and the technique of working with multiple strands held together. The sweater features standard sweater construction including armhole shaping and V neck shaping worked simultaneously, as well as shoulder cast-offs worked in stages for a neat, structured finish.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Bergere de France Angel 50 yarn, a 4-ply weight yarn used in the colourway Blanc cassé 53070 (an off-white or broken white shade). The number of balls required varies by size: 4 balls for S, 5 balls for M, 5 balls for L, 6 balls for XL, and 6 balls for XXL. Angel 50 is a fine, lightweight yarn, and its delicate character is central to the soft, ethereal quality of the finished sweater.

Two needle sizes are used throughout the pattern: 4.5 mm and 5.5 mm knitting needles. The use of two different needle sizes is typical in sweater construction to create tension differences between ribbed or border sections and the main body fabric.

Key Technique: Working with Multiple Strands

One of the most distinctive construction techniques in this pattern is that three strands of Angel 50 are held together and knitted as one throughout the entire garment. To prepare for this, the knitter is instructed to wind the three strands together into a single ball before commencing. This technique transforms the fine 4-ply yarn into a thicker, more substantial fabric while retaining the softness and lightness of the Angel 50 fibre. Working with multiple strands held together is a popular method for achieving a specific gauge or texture that a single strand of yarn alone would not produce, and it gives the sweater its characteristic light yet structured feel.

Stitches Used

• Stocking Stitch (St st) – This is the primary stitch used throughout the sweater. Stocking stitch is formed by knitting all stitches on right side rows and purling all stitches on wrong side rows, creating a smooth, flat fabric on the right side. It is the most widely used stitch in sweater construction and gives the garment a clean, classic appearance.

Shaping and Construction Details

The pattern includes detailed V neck shaping worked from the right side of the fabric. Neck decreases begin with a cast-off of 2 stitches at the neck edge, followed by decreases repeated on every following right side row a specified number of times depending on size, and then further decreases on every 4th row. This gradual, stepped decrease creates the characteristic angled lines of a V neckline. Importantly, armhole shaping is worked simultaneously with the neck shaping, which requires the knitter to manage two sets of decreases at once — a hallmark of intermediate-level knitting.

Shoulder shaping is achieved through a series of staged cast-offs on wrong side rows. For example, the pattern specifies casting off 6–6–7–7–7 stitches at the shoulder edge across the size range, followed by a straight row, and then casting off the remaining 6–7–7–7–8 stitches. This stepped shoulder cast-off creates a neat slope at the shoulder seam for a well-fitted finish.

A stitch holder is used to hold stitches for the second side of the V neck, which is then worked