Piruetti Cabled Top in Novita - 0070003 - Downloadable PDF

Piruetti Cabled Top in Novita Huviretki – Pattern Summary

The Piruetti Cabled Top is a beautifully structured knitted top designed by Lea Petäjä and published by Novita. This intermediate-level knitting pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF and produces an elegant, fitted top featuring intricate cable detailing. The design is worked flat in two separate pieces — a front and a back — and is sized to fit a range of body measurements across four sizes: XS/S, M, L, and XL, with a finished body circumference of 76(84)92(100) cm / 30(33¼)36¼(39¼) inches and a side length of 33(34)35(36) cm / 13(13½)13¾(14¼) inches.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a cabled knitted top suitable for warm-weather wear or layering. Its silhouette is shaped through strategic decreases and increases along the sides, giving the piece a tailored fit. The cable texture runs prominently across the body, creating a rich, dimensional fabric that elevates the top from a simple knit into a statement piece. The construction is classic and clean, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with reading charts and working cables but are not yet at an advanced skill level.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting: The top is worked back and forth in rows, producing separate front and back panels that are seamed together upon finishing.
• Ribbing: A 2 cm ribbing section worked in a k2, p2 rib is used at the cast-on edge to create a neat, stretchy hem that hugs the body.
• Cable knitting: The main body fabric is worked from a cable chart (Chart I), which includes multiple distinct sections — labeled sections A, B, C, D, and E — that are repeated across the row depending on the size being worked. Cables are a classic knitting technique in which stitches are crossed over one another using a cable needle, creating twisted rope-like or lattice patterns in the fabric.
• Chart reading: The pattern relies on a charted cable repeat with rows 2–7 repeated throughout the body, requiring the knitter to follow a visual grid rather than written row-by-row instructions for the cable sections.
• Shaping through decreases: Side shaping is achieved by working decreases at both ends of the fabric at a specified measurement point, creating a fitted waist and overall tailored silhouette.
• Needle switching: The pattern instructs knitters to begin with smaller needles for the ribbing and then switch to larger needles for the cable body, a common technique to ensure the ribbing is firm and the body fabric has the correct drape and gauge.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (k) – the foundational stitch used throughout the cable sections and ribbing.
• Purl stitch (p) – used in the ribbing and as background stitches within the cable pattern to make the cables pop visually.
• k2, p2 ribbing – alternating two knit stitches and two purl stitches to form the stretchy hem border.
• Cable stitches – worked according to Chart I, involving the crossing of stitch groups to form the decorative cable motifs that define the garment's aesthetic.

Materials

Yarn

The pattern calls for Novita Huviretki yarn in colorway (004) Snowdrifts. This is a DK weight yarn, which produces a fabric that is lightweight yet with enough body to hold the cable definition beautifully. The yarn demand is 250(250)300(300) grams depending on the size being knitted, making it a relatively economical project in terms of yardage.

Needles

Two needle sizes are required for this pattern:

• Novita 3 mm needles (equivalent to UK 11 / US 2