"Alma Jumper" - Jumper Knitting Pattern For Women in Debbie Bliss Rialto DK - DB224

Alma Jumper Knitting Pattern by Debbie Bliss – Stranded Colourwork Women's Sweater in Rialto DK

The Alma Jumper is a striking women's pullover knitting pattern designed by Debbie Bliss, published under the reference DB224. It is worked in Debbie Bliss Rialto DK yarn and features bold, all-over stranded colourwork across the body and sleeves. This is an advanced-level knitting pattern available as a downloadable PDF, making it a rewarding project for experienced knitters who are confident with colourwork and garment construction techniques.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a classic fitted women's jumper with set-in sleeves, a shaped front neck, and a ribbed hem and cuff detail. The garment is designed to fit bust measurements ranging from 81 cm (32 in) to 107 cm (42 in), with finished bust measurements spanning 89 cm (35 in) to 116.5 cm (46 in), providing a comfortable amount of positive ease. The back length to the neck ranges from 56 cm to 61 cm depending on size, and the sleeve length is a fixed 46 cm (18 in). The result is a richly coloured, wearable garment suitable for cooler seasons.

Design and Colourwork Detail

What makes the Alma Jumper particularly distinctive is its vibrant stranded colourwork chart, which uses an 8-stitch pattern repeat worked across the fabric. The design draws on a rich palette of ten colours from the Debbie Bliss Rialto DK range:

• Black 03 – the main colour (MC), used for the body and structural elements
• Camel 67 (A)
• Basil 53 (B)
• Rust 68 (C)
• White 01 (D)
• Rose 76 (E)
• Mustard 99 (F)
• Chocolate 05 (G)
• Teal 20 (H)
• Bark 87 (I)

This broad spectrum of contrasting and complementary tones creates a visually dynamic colourwork motif that runs throughout the jumper, giving it a bold, artisanal character. The colourwork chart is provided within the PDF and is referenced row by row throughout the construction instructions.

Techniques Used

The Alma Jumper employs several key knitting techniques that place it firmly in the advanced difficulty category:

• Stranded colourwork – carrying two or more yarn colours across a row, creating a dense, warm fabric with the characteristic float structure on the wrong side. Knitters must maintain even tension across floats to ensure the fabric lies flat and the colourwork motif reads clearly.
• Bottom-up construction – the garment is begun at the lower edge and worked upward toward the shoulders, which is the traditional method for set-in sleeve jumpers and allows for straightforward length adjustments.
• Worked flat (seamed) – both the back and front pieces are knitted flat on straight needles and then seamed together. This approach gives the finished garment a structured, tailored finish and is well suited to colourwork, as many knitters find it easier to manage stranded patterns on flat rows.
• Front neck shaping – the pattern includes a shaped front neckline, with stitches divided for each side and worked separately. Decreases using k2tog and skpo (slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over) create neat, angled edges at the neck opening.
• Sleeve and armhole shaping – set-in sleeve construction requires careful shaping of both the armhole on the body pieces and the sleeve cap, using standard decrease methods.

Stitches Used

The pattern makes use of a focused set of knitting stitches and techniques:

• Stocking stitch (st st) – the primary fabric