1068 Vardar - Jumper Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Westfield

Pattern #1068 Vardar – Women's Boatneck Pullover Knitting Pattern by Julie Turjoman

The Vardar is a beautifully crafted women's boatneck pullover designed by Julie Turjoman and knitted in Valley Yarns Westfield. This intermediate-level knitting pattern delivers a relaxed, stylish sweater that is equally at home on a casual weekend outing or as a cozy layering piece during cooler months. The design is named Vardar and is catalogued as pattern #1068. Its combination of a classic silhouette, a wide boatneck neckline, and a dramatic wrapped cable panel on the front makes it a standout addition to any handknit wardrobe.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a women's pullover sweater with a relaxed fit and a wide, elegant boatneck neckline. The finished garment is designed to be worn with 4 to 6 inches of positive ease, making it an ideal layering piece over lighter tops and shirts. If a closer fit is preferred, the pattern advises working one size smaller. The sweater features a dramatic wrapped cable texture on the front, which serves as the primary decorative focal point, while the remainder of the body is worked in a K4/P1 rib stitch that adds subtle texture and structure throughout.

The pattern is offered in nine sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, and 5XL. The sample shown in the pattern is knitted in Size S. Finished bust measurements range from 33 inches (XS) up to 64¼ inches (5XL), making this an inclusive pattern with a wide range of sizing options.

Construction Techniques

The Vardar pullover is constructed using a bottom-up, worked flat, seamed method. This means the pieces — front, back, and sleeves — are each knitted flat on circular needles from the lower ribbed hem upward, and then joined together with seams to form the finished garment. This traditional construction approach gives the knitter excellent control over fit and finishing, and results in a structured, professionally finished sweater.

• Bottom-up construction: Each piece begins at the lower hem and is worked upward toward the shoulders, allowing for easy length adjustments.
• Worked flat: Despite the use of circular needles, the fabric is worked back and forth in rows rather than in the round, which is common for seamed garments and helps maintain even tension in ribbed and cabled sections.
• Seamed finishing: The individual pieces are sewn together using a tapestry needle, producing clean, stable seams that support the garment's structure.
• Cable knitting: A 14-stitch cable panel is featured prominently on the front of the sweater. This wrapped cable repeat measures 2 inches wide and is worked using a cable needle. Cable knitting involves temporarily placing stitches on a cable needle, working the next stitches, and then working the held stitches to create the characteristic twisted rope-like texture.
• Ribbed hems and cuffs: The lower body and sleeve cuffs are finished with K4/P1 ribbing worked for 2 inches, providing a neat, stretchy edge that holds its shape well.
• Long-tail cast-on: The pattern references the long-tail cast-on method for casting on stitches at the beginning of each piece, a popular technique that creates a firm, even foundation row.

Stitches Used

The Vardar pattern uses a focused selection of stitches and techniques that are well within reach for an intermediate knitter:

• K4/P1 Rib: The primary stitch pattern used across the body and sleeves. This four-knit, one-purl ribbing creates a subtly textured, slightly stretchy fabric. Gauge is measured in this stitch: 22 stitches and 30 rows = 4 inches, blocked, using the larger needles.
• 14-stitch Cable Pattern: A wrapped cable repeat that forms the decorative front panel. Each repeat measures 2 inches wide. Cables are worked with the aid of a cable needle.