Rowanberry Sweater in Novita Nalle and Nordic Wool - Downloadable PDF

Rowanberry Sweater Knitting Pattern in Novita Nalle and Novita Nordic Wool

The Rowanberry Sweater is a striking, advanced-level knitting pattern designed by Marita Metsäkylä (née Lehtimäki) and worked in two Novita yarns: Novita Nalle and Novita Nordic Wool. This downloadable PDF pattern produces a substantial, generously sized pullover sweater featuring bold colourwork, stripes, and an intarsia motif — a rewarding project for experienced knitters looking to expand their colourwork skills.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a pullover sweater worked in separate flat pieces — front, back, and sleeves — that are seamed together. The finished garment is a full-length sweater with a ribbed hem and cuffs, a colourwork intarsia panel, and striped sections. It is available in three sizes:

• XS/S — body circumference 120 cm, length at shoulder 82 cm, inner sleeve length 46 cm
• M/L — body circumference 132 cm, length at shoulder 84 cm, inner sleeve length 48 cm
• XL/XXL — body circumference 142 cm, length at shoulder 84 cm, inner sleeve length 48 cm

The sweater is designed with an oversized, relaxed silhouette, making it a cosy and visually impressive garment. The colourwork references the rowanberry — a classic Scandinavian and Nordic motif — giving the sweater its name and decorative character.

Yarns and Materials

The pattern calls for two Novita brand yarns, both in the DK weight category:

• Novita Nalle — used for key sections of the sweater
• Novita Nordic Wool — used alongside Nalle, including a heather colourway specified for finishing certain sections

The pattern specifies a black yarn as the main cast-on colour for the ribbing and base stockinette sections. Two needle sizes are required: smaller needles for the ribbed sections and larger needles for the main body worked in stockinette stitch. The combination of two yarn types adds textural and visual interest to the finished fabric.

Techniques Used

This is classified as an advanced knitting pattern, and it draws on a range of techniques that require confidence and experience:

• Flat knitting — all pieces (front, back, and sleeves) are worked flat and seamed
• Intarsia colourwork — a charted intarsia pattern is worked flat following a provided chart, requiring the management of separate yarn bobbins or lengths for each colour section
• Striping — striped sections are worked consistently across the front, back, and sleeve pieces following specific stripe sequence instructions
• Neckline shaping — the back neckline is shaped by placing the middle 32 stitches on hold, then working each shoulder separately with stepped bind-offs of 3x3 stitches on every second row
• Shoulder shaping — simultaneous bind-offs are worked at the shoulder edge alongside neckline shaping, with specific stitch counts varying by size
• Even increases — 20 stitches are increased evenly across the first row after the ribbing on the body pieces, transitioning from the cast-on count to the full working stitch count
• Needle switching — knitters move from smaller to larger needles after completing the ribbed hem, a standard technique for achieving correct gauge in the body fabric

Stitches Used

The pattern uses a focused set of classic knitting stitches and stitch patterns:

• Ribbing (k2 rib) — the cast-on edge begins on the wrong side with k2, establishing a neat, stretchy ribbed border worked for 4–6 cm depending on size
• Stockinette stitch — the main body fabric is worked in stock