Berroco Gateshead Jumper Knitting Pattern

Berroco Gateshead Knitted Sweater

What is Being Made

The Berroco Gateshead is an intermediate-level knitted sweater designed by Alison Green. This pullover-style garment is available in seven sizes, ranging from 38" to 63½" in finished chest measurement, with corresponding lengths from 27" to 30". The sweater is designed with approximately 4" of ease for a comfortable, relaxed fit.

Techniques Used

This knitting project employs several fundamental sweater construction techniques. The garment begins with a ribbed cuff at the lower edge, worked flat on straight needles before transitioning to larger needles for the main body. The pattern incorporates charted colorwork or textured sections integrated into a moss stitch background, requiring knitters to work from both written instructions and stitch charts simultaneously. Stitch markers are used throughout to delineate pattern sections and maintain stitch counts across multiple pattern repeats. The sweater is constructed in pieces (back, front, and sleeves) that are later assembled, a standard approach for intermediate knitting projects.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch throughout the Gateshead is Moss Stitch, a textured, reversible stitch pattern that creates a subtle, nubby fabric. Moss Stitch is worked over an odd number of stitches using a four-row repeat: alternating knit and purl stitches on the right side rows, with the pattern reversed on wrong side rows. This creates a balanced, woven appearance. The pattern also incorporates Chart 1 (30 stitches wide) and Chart 2 (20 stitches wide), which are integrated into the moss stitch sections to add visual interest and textural variation to the finished sweater.

Materials

The Gateshead is designed to be worked in Berroco Mercado yarn, a worsted-weight fiber supplied in 100-gram hanks. The project requires 9 to 16 hanks depending on the finished size selected (smaller sizes need 9 hanks, while the largest size requires 16 hanks). The color shown in the pattern is #4103 Playa.

Knitting needles required include both size 7 (4.50 mm) and size 9 (5.50 mm) needles. Straight needles in size 7 are used for the ribbed cuff sections, while the larger size 9 needles are used for the main body fabric. A 16" circular needle in size 7 (4.50 mm) is also needed, likely for neckline finishing. Additional notions include 6 stitch markers for tracking pattern sections, 1 stitch holder for holding stitches during construction, and four 1" buttons for front closure details.

Gauge and Finishing Details

Achieving the correct gauge is essential for this project. The pattern specifies a gauge of 15 stitches and 24 rows over 4 inches in Moss Stitch using the larger (size 9) needles. Chart 1 measures approximately 5½" wide, while Chart 2 measures approximately 3¾" wide when worked at the specified gauge. The pattern includes four buttons as functional and decorative elements, suggesting a button-front or button-detailed design. This downloadable PDF pattern was copyrighted in 2018 and is regularly updated by Berroco to correct any errors, ensuring knitters have access to the most accurate version.