Katye - Knitting Pattern For Women in Debbie Bliss Piper

Katye Sweater Knitting Pattern by Debbie Bliss in Piper Yarn – Full Pattern Summary

The Katye is a women's pullover sweater knitting pattern designed by Debbie Bliss, worked in her Piper DK-weight yarn. This intermediate-level pattern produces a beautifully shaped, fitted jumper with elegant lace detailing, making it a rewarding project for knitters who are comfortable moving beyond basic techniques. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and covers five sizes to fit bust measurements of 86, 92, 97, 102, and 107 cm (34–42 inches), with finished bust measurements ranging from 91 to 113 cm (35¾–44½ inches).

Garment Overview and Finished Measurements

The Katye sweater is designed with a classic, wearable silhouette. Key finished measurements include:

• Finished bust: 91 (96, 102, 107, 113) cm / 35¾ (37¾, 40, 42, 44½) inches
• Length to centre back neck: 50 (52, 54, 56, 57) cm / 19¾ (20½, 21¼, 22, 22½) inches
• Sleeve length with lower edge unrolled: 30 cm / 12 inches for all sizes

The sleeve lower edge is designed to roll naturally, a detail that adds a casual, relaxed finish to an otherwise structured garment. The centre back neck length increases gradually across the size range, ensuring a well-proportioned fit for a variety of body shapes.

Construction Method and Techniques

The Katye pattern uses a combination of construction approaches that make it a versatile learning experience for intermediate knitters. The garment is worked bottom-up, meaning the body and sleeves begin at the cast-on edge and are shaped upward toward the shoulders — a traditional and widely understood construction method that makes it easy to try on the garment as you go.

The pattern is seamed, meaning the front, back, and sleeves are each worked as separate flat pieces and then joined together using finishing seams. This worked flat approach is ideal for knitters who prefer working back and forth on straight or circular needles rather than managing complex in-the-round shaping for the full body. However, the pattern also incorporates worked in the round techniques, likely for specific sections such as neckbands or edgings, where a seamless, neat finish is desirable.

A standout feature of the Katye design is its lace patterning. Lace knitting involves the deliberate use of yarn-overs and decreases to create decorative openwork motifs within the fabric. In this pattern, yarn-forward (yf) and yarn-over (yo) movements are used alongside decreases such as skpo (slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over) and k2tog (knit two together) to form the lace design. These techniques require careful attention to stitch counts and row tracking, which is why the pattern is rated as intermediate in difficulty.

Armhole and Neckline Shaping

The Katye pattern features carefully engineered armhole and neckline shaping. Armhole shaping begins with casting off stitches at the beginning of two rows, followed by a series of decrease rows worked on the right side. The decrease row reads: K2, skpo, k to last 4 sts, k2tog, k2 — a fully fashioned decrease technique that creates neat, angled shaping lines visible on the finished garment. These decreases are repeated at varying intervals depending on the size being worked, resulting in a consistent stitch count of 90 stitches across all sizes before further yoke shaping.

The front and back are shaped separately, with stitches left on a holder at the top of the back for later joining. This is a classic seamed sweater construction technique that ensures clean shoulder seams and a professional finish.

Special Stitch: Make Bobble (MB)

The pattern includes a Make Bobble (MB) stitch, defined as: [k1, yf, k1, yf, k1]