Lavender Dip Sweater

Lavender Dip Sweater by Claire Jackson

What Is Being Made

The Lavender Dip Sweater is an original knit design by Claire Jackson of Perfectly Knotted. This pullover sweater features distinctive colour blocking that creates a "dip" dye aesthetic. The garment is designed to fall to hip or butt level, offering a relaxed, comfortable fit. The sweater is available in a comprehensive range of sizes from 30 to 70 inches finished bust measurement, with most sizes tested and ready to knit. The design accommodates 1 to 5 inches of positive ease, allowing knitters to customize the fit from more fitted to generously relaxed.

Construction and Techniques

The Lavender Dip Sweater is worked using a top-down raglan construction method, a popular technique that allows knitters to try on the garment as they work and easily adjust length. This approach begins at the neckline and progresses downward, with raglan shaping creating the characteristic diagonal lines from the neck to the underarms.

The sweater features several distinctive design elements that showcase intermediate shaping techniques:

• A short ribbed collar at the neckline for a neat, finished edge
• Loose balloon-style sleeves that provide a relaxed, voluminous silhouette through the upper arm, contrasting with fitted ribbed cuffs at the wrist for a defined finish
• Colour-blocked sleeves and bottom edge that create the signature "dip" dye visual effect through strategic yarn colour changes
• A split hem at the bottom with a longer back section, adding contemporary style and asymmetrical interest to the garment

Stitches Used

The Lavender Dip Sweater incorporates several fundamental knitting stitches to create its structure and texture:

• Ribbed stitches appear throughout the design, used for the collar, sleeve cuffs, and hem edges. Ribbing provides elasticity and helps edges sit neatly against the body.
• Beaded rib stitch is featured specifically in the split hem at the bottom of the sweater, adding subtle texture and visual interest to this prominent design detail
• Stockinette stitch (implied through standard top-down raglan construction) forms the main fabric body of the sweater

Materials and Yarn Weight

The Lavender Dip Sweater is designed to be worked in chunky weight yarn, which allows for faster project completion and creates a cozy, substantial fabric. Chunky yarn is ideal for beginner knitters, as the larger yarn weight and needle size make stitches easier to work and mistakes simpler to identify and correct. The pattern requires colour blocking, so knitters will need yarn in at least two coordinating colours to achieve the distinctive "dip" dye effect. Needles appropriate for chunky yarn (typically US 10-11 or larger) in the required needle type for the pattern format will be needed, along with appropriate notions for the ribbed details and finishing.

Difficulty Level

Rated as a beginner-friendly design, the Lavender Dip Sweater is accessible to knitters new to garment construction. The top-down raglan method simplifies shaping, and the use of chunky yarn makes the work move quickly and remain manageable. While the pattern includes colour blocking and some ribbed stitch variations, these techniques are well within reach for knitters building their foundational skills.