652 Leaden Sieves Pullover - Jumper Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Deerfield

652 Leaden Sieves Pullover – Knitting Pattern for Women by Kirsten Hipsky

The 652 Leaden Sieves Pullover, designed by Kirsten Hipsky and published by Valley Yarns, is a fitted women's pullover sweater inspired by Emily Dickinson's poem "It sifts from Leaden Sieves." The design is distinguished by elegant panels of woven, un-knit natural white that adorn a charcoal body, creating a refined, textural contrast on an otherwise classic silhouette. The sweater features a set-in sleeve construction and a timeless fitted shape that works beautifully across a range of sizes.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a women's fitted pullover sweater with set-in sleeves. It is available in seven finished sizes: 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, and 56 inches in circumference, with the sample shown in size 36 inches. The design is a seamed garment, meaning the front, back, and sleeves are worked as separate flat pieces and then joined together — a construction method that gives the finished sweater excellent structure and a clean, professional finish.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up construction: The sweater is worked from the cast-on edge upward toward the shoulders, which allows knitters to try on the garment as they go and make length adjustments with ease.
• Worked flat: All pieces — back, front, and sleeves — are knitted flat on circular needles, working back and forth in rows rather than in the round.
• Seamed finishing: The completed flat pieces are sewn together, producing structured seams that support the set-in sleeve shaping and give the pullover a tailored look.
• Intarsia: The natural white decorative panels are created using intarsia colorwork technique, where separate yarn supplies are used for each color section rather than carrying yarn across the back of the work. This keeps the fabric smooth and avoids unwanted floats behind the panels.
• Floating Color pattern: A distinctive stitch pattern is used within the decorative panels, combining slipped stitches with short rows to create the appearance of woven, un-knit fabric. This technique uses two colors — Charcoal (color A) and Natural (color B) — worked in a precise four-row repeat involving selective slipping of stitches with yarn held to the front or back, along with short-row wrapping to anchor the floats neatly.
• Ribbing: A k1, p1 ribbing of 1.5 inches is worked at the cast-on edges to create neat, elastic hems.
• Armhole and set-in sleeve shaping: Standard armhole shaping is worked on both the back and front pieces, and the sleeve caps are shaped to match, creating a classic set-in sleeve fit.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st): The main fabric of the body and sleeves is worked in stockinette — knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows — giving a smooth, classic surface.
• k1, p1 ribbing: Used at the lower edges for stretch and structure.
• Floating Color pattern: A four-row repeat using slipped stitches (sl1wyif and sl1wyib) and short rows to create the signature woven-panel texture. Row 1 is purled with color A; Row 2 uses color B to slip stitches alternately with yarn in front and yarn in back, followed by a short row that wraps the float, then completed with color A knitting. Rows 3 and 4 mirror this sequence with the slip order reversed, maintaining the floating color on consistent sides of the stitches throughout.

Materials

The pattern calls for Valley Yarns Deerfield, a luxurious DK-weight yarn with a composition of 80% Baby Alpaca and 20% Silk, sold in 50g skeins of approximately 109 yards each. This fiber blend gives the finished pullover a beautiful drape, subtle sheen, and exceptional softness against the skin — qualities that complement the delicate woven-panel detailing beautifully.

• Color A – Charcoal: 8 (9,