Girls Intarsia Sweater in Bergere de France Calinou - 60387-05 - Downloadable PDF

Girls Intarsia Sweater in Bergère de France Calinou – Pattern 60387-05

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Bergère de France provides full instructions for a charming girls' intarsia sweater worked in the brand's own Calinou yarn. The design is sized for children aged 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years, making it a versatile pattern to return to as little ones grow. Rated as an intermediate difficulty project, it is ideally suited to knitters who are comfortable working with multiple colours and managing separate yarn bobbins simultaneously.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a colourful jacquard-style pullover sweater for girls, featuring a bold intarsia colourwork motif worked across the body. The garment has a neat garter-stitch border detail, a shaped neckline, and a back opening fastened with three transparent press studs (13 mm diameter, reference 60467). The combination of a classic silhouette with vibrant colourwork makes this an eye-catching handknitted garment suitable for everyday wear.

Colourwork Design and Intarsia Technique

The sweater's standout feature is its jacquard/intarsia colourwork panel, worked by following a charted grid included in the pattern. Each size has its own section of the chart to follow, so knitters must take care to select the correct portion of the grid for the size they are making.

Unlike stranded colourwork, intarsia requires a separate bobbin or small ball of yarn for each distinct colour block within a row. The pattern specifically instructs knitters to cross the yarns at each colour change on the wrong side of the work to prevent holes forming between sections. This is a fundamental intarsia technique that keeps the fabric neat and prevents gaps at colour joins.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Garter Stitch (Point Mousse) – worked on needles 2.5 mm and 3 mm; used for border and edging details, including a 5-stitch garter border maintained along certain edges during shoulder shaping
• Stocking Stitch / Stockinette (Jersey Endroit) – worked on 3 mm needles; forms the main body fabric of the sweater
• Reverse Stocking Stitch (Jersey Envers) – also worked on 3 mm needles; used as a contrast texture element within the design
• Intarsia / Jacquard Colourwork – worked on 3 mm needles following the printed chart; separate yarn bobbins are used for each colour motif area, with yarns crossed at every colour join on the wrong side

Shaping and Construction Details

The pattern includes detailed neckline shaping instructions. After working to the required length, stitches at the centre are placed on hold and each shoulder section is then worked separately. Neckline decreases are worked every two rows, with the exact number of stitches cast off varying by size:

• 6 months and 1 year: 1 x 3 sts, 1 x 2 sts, 2 x 1 st
• 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years: 1 x 3 sts, 1 x 2 sts, 3 x 1 st

The shoulder sections retain a 5-stitch garter border throughout, which gives a tidy, professional finish to the neckline edge. Stitch counts across the sizes range from 25 to 36 stitches per shoulder section depending on the size being worked.

Materials Required

Yarn – Bergère de France Calinou (4 Ply Weight)

The pattern calls for Bergère de France Calinou yarn in four colours. The number of balls required increases slightly with size:

• Ivoire (shade 10024) – 2 balls for 6 months and 1 year; 3 balls for 2, 3, and 4 years
• Betterave (shade 10054) – 1 ball for