Boy Sweater in Bergere de France Ideal - M1171 - Downloadable PDF

Boy Sweater with Placed Motif in Bergère de France Idéal – Pattern M1171

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Bergère de France (reference M1171) provides full instructions for knitting a charming boy's pullover sweater featuring a placed colourwork motif. The design is worked in Bergère de France Idéal yarn and is sized to fit children aged 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 years, making it a versatile pattern that can grow with a young wardrobe. Rated as advanced difficulty, this project is best suited to experienced knitters who are comfortable with shaping techniques and managing multiple yarn colours.

About Bergère de France and the Idéal Yarn

Bergère de France is a proudly French yarn manufacturer with roots stretching back to 1946, operating its filature — its spinning mill — in the heart of Lorraine. For over 70 years the brand has blended fibres and colours to create distinctive yarns, producing more than 8 million balls per year across more than 50 qualities and several hundred shades. Choosing Bergère de France means supporting local French production and a tradition of textile craftsmanship. The yarn specified for this pattern, Idéal, is a DK weight yarn, offering a smooth, even fabric that is well suited to both stitch definition and colourwork detail.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a children's pullover sweater with a placed decorative motif — meaning the colourwork design appears in a specific, intentional position on the garment rather than as an all-over repeat. The sweater features a classic construction with a back, front, and sleeves, finished with a neat neckline. The silhouette is clean and wearable, designed to suit everyday boyswear while the multicolour motif adds a playful, eye-catching focal point.

Construction and Techniques

The sweater is constructed using flat knitting worked on straight needles, with separate pieces — back, front, and sleeves — seamed together at finishing. Key construction techniques used throughout the pattern include:

• Raglan shaping — the armhole and sleeve cap are shaped using raglan-style decreases, creating a smooth diagonal line from the underarm to the neckline.
• Placed colourwork motif — a decorative design worked in multiple colours is positioned deliberately on the body of the sweater, requiring the knitter to manage several yarn colours within specific rows.
• Ribbed welts and cuffs — the lower edges of the body and sleeves are worked in 2×2 rib (two stitches knit, two stitches purl) for approximately 5 cm (18 rows), providing elasticity and a tidy finish.
• Raglan decreases — worked precisely 2 stitches from the edge using a combination of k2tog (knit two together) and skpo (slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over — a left-leaning decrease), ensuring the shaping is symmetrical and neat on both sides.
• Stitch count adjustments within the ribbing — the pattern notes specific modifications to the final row of the rib for certain sizes (2 years, 4 years, and 10 years), indicating careful size-specific tailoring throughout.

Stitches Used

• 2×2 Rib (côtes 2/2) — alternating two knit stitches and two purl stitches, used for the welts and cuffs to create a stretchy, structured border.
• Stocking stitch (stockinette) — the main body fabric, worked in knit on right-side rows and purl on wrong-side rows, providing a smooth surface ideal for showcasing the placed motif.
• K2tog (tricoter 2 m. ensemble endroit) — a right-leaning decrease used on one side of the raglan shaping.
• Skpo / slip, knit, pass over (surjet simple) — a left-leaning decrease used on the opposite side of the raglan shaping to mirror the k2tog and create clean, symmetrical lines.