Fleur Jumper - Knitting Pattern For Women in Debbie Bliss Cotton DK

Fleur Jumper Knitting Pattern for Women – Debbie Bliss Cotton DK

The Fleur Jumper is a beautifully crafted women's pullover sweater designed by Debbie Bliss and worked in Debbie Bliss Cotton DK yarn. This intermediate-level knitting pattern produces a classic, elegant jumper featuring a striking floral-inspired colourwork design, making it a rewarding project for knitters who are ready to move beyond the basics and explore more decorative techniques.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a women's fitted pullover jumper, knitted flat in separate pieces and then seamed together. The finished garment includes a body and set-in sleeves with a fixed sleeve length of 44 cm (17¼ in). The pattern is sized to fit a wide range of bust measurements, from 81 cm (32 in) to 112 cm (44 in), with finished bust measurements ranging from 85 cm (33½ in) to 117 cm (46 in). The length to shoulder ranges from 57 cm to 63 cm (22½ in to 24¾ in) depending on the size chosen, making this a versatile, wearable garment suitable for a variety of body types.

Design and Colourwork

The Fleur design features a charted colourwork motif worked using stranded knitting techniques, giving the jumper its signature decorative character. The colourwork is worked from a chart, where odd-numbered rows are knit rows, following the standard convention for flat knitting. The design uses three colours:

• Ecru 02 (M) – the main colour, used for the background of the garment
• Ruby 84 (A) – a rich red contrast colour used in the colourwork motif
• Leaf 85 (B) – a green contrast colour used in the colourwork motif

Together, these three shades create a fresh, botanical aesthetic that is both timeless and eye-catching. The combination of a neutral ecru background with ruby and leaf green accents gives the Fleur jumper a classic, artisan quality.

Techniques Used

This pattern is classified as intermediate in difficulty and draws on several key knitting techniques:

• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted back and forth in rows on straight needles, rather than in the round. This is the traditional construction method for seamed garments.
• Stranded colourwork: The decorative motif is created by carrying two or more yarn colours across the row, picking up each colour as required by the chart. This technique, sometimes called Fair Isle or stranded knitting, requires the knitter to manage yarn tension carefully to keep the fabric smooth and even.
• Seamed construction: The individual pieces — front, back, and sleeves — are sewn together after knitting is complete. Seaming adds structure and durability to the finished garment.
• Shaping techniques: The pattern uses standard shaping methods including decreases (such as skpo — slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over — and k2tog), increases (including m1, make one stitch by picking up and working into the back of the loop lying between stitches), and standard cast-on and cast-off methods.

Stitches Used

The Fleur jumper is primarily worked in stocking stitch (stockinette stitch), which forms the smooth, classic fabric of both the main body and the colourwork sections. Ribbing is used for the welts and cuffs, worked on smaller needles to create a neat, elasticated finish. The following stitch abbreviations are used throughout the pattern:

• k – knit
• p – purl
• m1 – make one stitch
• skpo – slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over (a left-leaning decrease)
• sl – slip stitch