Pohjolan Puutarha (Garden Of The North) Colourwork Sweater in Novita Merino 4 Ply - Downloadable PDF

Pohjolan Puutarha (Garden of the North) Colourwork Sweater in Novita Merino 4 Ply

Designed by Sisko Sälpäkivi and published by Novita, the Pohjolan Puutarha (Garden of the North) colourwork sweater is a beautifully detailed knitting pattern available as a free downloadable PDF. The name translates from Finnish as "Garden of the North," and the design reflects that botanical inspiration through intricate stranded colourwork motifs worked across the yoke. This is an intermediate-level knitting project that rewards experienced knitters with a stunning, wearable piece of Nordic-inspired knitwear.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a colourwork yoke sweater — a pullover jumper featuring a richly patterned circular yoke and a classic, comfortable silhouette. The sweater is worked in the round from the top down, with the decorative colourwork concentrated in the yoke section and a clean, solid-colour body and sleeves. It is available in five sizes:

• XS — body circumference 88 cm / 34¾ in, middle back length 57 cm / 22½ in
• S — body circumference 96 cm / 37¾ in, middle back length 59 cm / 23¼ in
• M — body circumference 104 cm / 41 in, middle back length 61 cm / 24 in
• L — body circumference 112 cm / 44 in, middle back length 64 cm / 25¼ in
• XL — body circumference 120 cm / 47¼ in, middle back length 67 cm / 26½ in

The inner sleeve length ranges from 52 cm to 55 cm (20½ in to 21¾ in) across the size range, making this a full-length sleeved sweater suited to cooler seasons.

Construction Technique

The Pohjolan Puutarha sweater is constructed using a top-down, yoke-in-the-round method, which is a popular and practical approach in Scandinavian and Nordic knitwear traditions. Working from the top down allows the knitter to try on the garment as they go and easily adjust the body and sleeve lengths to personal preference.

The yoke is worked in the round with regular increase rounds built into the colourwork section. The pattern notes indicate that increases are worked evenly — for example, 12 stitches are increased on a specific work row — to shape the circular yoke smoothly. At the point where the yoke reaches the underarm (when the yoke measures 17–20 cm after the ribbing, depending on size), the sleeves are separated from the body. This is the classic raglan or set-in yoke separation technique, where sleeve stitches are placed on hold and underarm stitches are cast on to bridge the gap, allowing the body and sleeves to be completed independently.

The back section is briefly worked back and forth in stockinette stitch at the underarm separation, with stitches cast on at both ends of alternate rows to shape the underarm gusset. This short-row or back-and-forth section is a thoughtful construction detail that ensures a smooth, comfortable fit under the arm.

Colourwork Design

The defining feature of this sweater is its stranded colourwork yoke, inspired by the garden of the north. The colourwork is worked using the Fair Isle / stranded knitting technique, where two or more colours are carried across each row, with the unused yarn floated or woven in at the back of the work. This creates a dense, warm, and beautifully patterned fabric.

The colourwork section features a 6-stitch repeat pattern, which is repeated across the full circumference of the yoke — for example, 64 times in size XS up to 80 times in size XL, ensuring the motif scales correctly across all sizes. One of the colours referenced in the pattern is Buttercup, a named colourway used in the Novita Merino 4 Ply yarn range, which plays a key role in the colourwork design and is also used for the stockinette sections worked at the underarm.