Gestrickte Damenjacke mit Nordischen Muster in Novita Nalle - NFFP015 - Downloadable PDF

Gestrickte Damenjacke mit Nordischen Muster in Novita Nalle – NFFP015

This knitted women's cardigan, designed by Saara Toikka for Novita, combines a clean, simple silhouette with striking Nordic Fair Isle-style colorwork inspired by spruce branches. The pattern is offered as a free downloadable PDF and is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it a rewarding project for knitters who are comfortable with colorwork and basic garment shaping. The design is worked in Novita Nalle, a DK-weight yarn, and comes in five sizes ranging from XS to XL/XXL, covering finished bust measurements of 90 to 130 cm.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a women's cardigan jacket with long sleeves, a front button band, and a shaped neckline. It features a Nordic colorwork panel worked across the body and sleeves, evoking the look of fir or spruce branches — a classic motif in Scandinavian knitwear tradition. The cardigan is fastened with 6 buttons. Finished measurements include a total length of 64 to 74 cm depending on size, and a sleeve inseam length of 45 to 49 cm.

Yarn and Materials

• Novita Nalle in Fb 061 Leinen (linen/natural): 400–550 g depending on size
• Novita Nalle in Fb 044 Graphitschwarz (graphite black): 100–200 g depending on size
• Knitting needles: Novita size 3.5–4 mm
• 6 buttons for the front band closure

Novita Nalle is a DK-weight yarn well suited to colorwork due to its smooth, consistent texture, which allows stranded patterns to lie flat and show crisp color definition. Its weight makes it appropriate for structured garments like cardigans that need to hold their shape.

Techniques Used

• Stranded colorwork (Fair Isle / Nordic technique): The signature Nordic motif is worked by carrying two colors — Leinen and Graphitschwarz — across the row, following a charted stitch pattern. This technique creates a double layer of yarn at the back of the fabric, adding warmth and structure to the finished garment.
• Armhole shaping: Stitches are bound off in a stepped sequence on both sides to create a smooth, fitted armhole. The shaping is worked differently for each size, with specific bind-off counts given for XS through XL/XXL.
• Neckline shaping: Stitches are placed on hold at the front edge, then further stitches are bound off in a graduated sequence (2 × 2 stitches, then 4 × 1 stitch) to shape a neat, rounded neckline.
• Shoulder shaping: Worked with stepped bind-offs over several right-side rows to create a clean shoulder seam.
• Sleeve shaping: Stitches are increased on both sides at regular intervals — every 3.5 to 2 cm depending on size — to taper the sleeve from cuff to cap.
• Mirror-image front panels: The right front is worked as a mirror of the left front in terms of shaping, though the colorwork chart itself is not mirrored, maintaining the visual consistency of the Nordic motif across the garment.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (glatt rechts): The main body fabric is worked in stockinette — knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows — giving a smooth ground for the colorwork panels.
• Garter stitch (kraus rechts): Used for the sleeve cuffs (11 rows) and likely for border or edging sections, worked by knitting every row on both right and wrong sides. Garter stitch creates a non-curling, textured edge that frames the garment neatly.