Women's Colorwork Sweater in Novita Nordic Wool - Downloadable PDF

Women's Colorwork Sweater in Novita Nordic Wool – Knitting Pattern Summary

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern by designer Lea Petäjä for Novita guides knitters through creating a stunning women's colorwork sweater worked in Novita Nordic Wool. The design features traditional-style colorwork motifs and is available in six sizes, making it a versatile addition to any handknitter's wardrobe. The pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF and is rated as an intermediate difficulty project.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a women's pullover sweater featuring a repeating colorwork chart worked across the body and sleeves. The sweater is designed with set-in sleeves and a classic silhouette. Finished measurements span a wide range of sizes:

• Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
• Body circumference: 92(100)108(116)124(132) cm / 36¼(39¼)42½(45¾)48¾(52) in
• Length: 64(66)68(70)72(74) cm / 25¼(26)26¾(27½)28¼(29¼) in
• Inner sleeve length: 46(47)48(49)49(50) cm / 18(18½)19(19¼)19¼(19¾) in

Colorwork Design and Chart

The sweater's defining feature is its colorwork chart, which is repeated throughout the body and sleeves. The pattern instructs knitters to work a 16-row repeating colorwork chart, with a designated starting point for the pattern repeat. Increased stitches along the sleeves are incorporated seamlessly into the colorwork design, ensuring the motif remains consistent across the entire garment. This type of stranded colorwork, common in Nordic and Scandinavian knitting traditions, involves carrying two or more yarn colors across each row to create bold, geometric or nature-inspired patterns.

Construction and Techniques

The sweater is constructed using standard flat or in-the-round knitting methods typical of intermediate-level garment patterns. Key construction techniques include:

• Sleeve shaping with paired increases: Stitches are increased at both ends of the sleeve at regular intervals — beginning when the piece measures a specified length and repeated every 2.5–3.5 cm depending on size, for a total of 9–15 increase rounds per size
• Armhole shaping with bind-offs and decreases: At the armhole, stitches are bound off at both ends, followed by paired single-stitch decreases worked on every other row to create a neat, fitted armhole
• Symmetrical sleeve construction: Both sleeves are worked to match, ensuring a balanced finished garment
• Finishing: The pattern includes a finishing section, with blocking recommended (pinning) to set the colorwork and even out the fabric

Stitches Used

As an intermediate colorwork knitting pattern, this sweater draws on a focused set of knitting stitches and techniques:

• Stranded colorwork / Fair Isle-style knitting — working with multiple colors per row following a charted repeat
• Standard knit and purl stitches — forming the fabric base across body and sleeves
• Paired increases — worked at both ends of the sleeve to shape the taper
• Bind-offs and single-stitch decreases — used to shape the armhole openings

Materials – Yarn and Notions

The pattern is designed specifically for Novita Nordic Wool, a DK weight yarn. The colorway referenced in the pattern is Novita Nordic Wool (397) Fir, used as one of the colorwork shades. Yarn requirements vary by size:

• Novita Nordic Wool: 300(350)350(400)450(500) g total across the sizes XS through XXL

Novita Nordic Wool is a