Renee Topdown Batwing Jumper in West Yorkshire Spinners Bo Peep Pure - DBP0240 - Downloadable PDF

Renée Top-Down Batwing Jumper by Sarah Hatton – Pattern Summary

The Renée Top-Down Batwing Jumper is a women's knitted sweater designed by Sarah Hatton and published by West Yorkshire Spinners as a downloadable PDF pattern (reference DBP0240). It is worked in West Yorkshire Spinners Bo Peep Pure DK yarn and features a distinctive batwing silhouette constructed from the top down, making it a stylish and contemporary addition to any handknitted wardrobe.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a batwing-style jumper — a pullover sweater characterised by wide, sweeping sleeves that are integrated into the body of the garment rather than set in separately. The batwing shape creates a relaxed, draped fit through the upper body and arms, tapering toward the cuffs. The jumper is constructed top-down, meaning knitting begins at the neckline and progresses downward toward the hem, which allows for easy length adjustments and minimal finishing seams. The raglan-style shaping used in this construction is a hallmark of top-down sweater design, distributing increases outward from the yoke to shape both the body and sleeves simultaneously.

Construction Method

The top-down construction is a key feature of this design. Working from the neck downward, the knitter builds the yoke first, then separates stitches for the body and sleeves as the work progresses. This method is popular among intermediate knitters because it allows the fit to be checked and adjusted as the garment grows. The pattern incorporates raglan shaping, which is referenced in the finishing notes regarding sewing in a raglan sleeve row for row using mattress stitch. This suggests that while much of the garment may be worked seamlessly or with minimal seaming, some finishing is still required.

Techniques Used

• Top-down construction – the jumper is begun at the neckline and worked downward
• Raglan yoke shaping – increases are worked at set raglan lines to shape the yoke
• Working in the round – the pattern references rounds (rnds) and the use of markers (sm – slip marker), indicating circular knitting is used at some stages
• Working in rows – the pattern also references RS (right side) and WS (wrong side) rows, indicating some flat knitting is involved
• Increasing and decreasing – standard shaping techniques are used throughout to create the batwing silhouette
• Mattress stitch seaming – recommended for any finishing seams, particularly the raglan sleeve join
• Tension square – knitters are advised to work a tension swatch before beginning to ensure correct fabric and garment sizing

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st-st) – the primary fabric stitch, worked as knit on right side rows and purl on wrong side rows when working flat, or every round knit when working in the round
• Knit (K) and Purl (P) – the foundational stitches used throughout
• Slip stitch (sl1 / sl1 knitwise / wyib sl1) – used for shaping or edge details; slipping stitches with yarn in back is specifically noted
• Pass slipped stitch over (psso) – a decrease technique used in shaping
• Through back of loops (tbl) – a technique that creates a twisted stitch, often used in decrease combinations
• Knit two together (tog) – a standard right-leaning decrease used in shaping

Materials

This pattern is designed specifically for West Yorkshire Spinners Bo Peep Pure DK yarn, a DK weight yarn. Knitters will require an appropriate needle size to achieve the stated tension; the pattern references both standard knitting needles for flat sections and double pointed needles (DPNs) for working in the round, particularly for smaller circumference sections such as cuffs or the beginning of the yoke. Achieving the correct tension is described as essential in order to produce the correct fabric and garment dimensions.

Difficulty Level