Berroco Leisl Pullover Jumper Knitting Pattern

Berroco Leisl Pullover: Knitted Cable Sweater

What is Being Made

The Leisl Pullover is an intermediate-level knitted sweater designed by Véronik Avery. This pullover features a classic crew neckline and is available in eight sizes ranging from 35" to 54" bust measurement, with finished lengths between 22" and 24". The garment is designed with approximately 2–4" of ease for a comfortable, relaxed fit suitable for layering or wearing as a standalone piece.

Techniques Used

This sweater is constructed using several key knitting techniques that define its intermediate difficulty level:

• Bottom-up construction: The Leisl Pullover is worked from the bottom edge upward, allowing knitters to try on the garment as it progresses and easily adjust length if needed.
• Worked flat: The body pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, then seamed together at the sides and shoulders for a finished appearance.
• Cable work: The pattern incorporates cable stitches that require a cable needle and careful stitch manipulation. The pattern includes specialized decreases—Left Double Decrease (LDD) and Right Double Decrease (RDD)—which are worked using a cable needle to create directional shaping and decorative cable elements.
• Seamed construction: After all pieces are knitted separately, they are seamed together using mattress stitch or similar techniques to create strong, invisible seams.

Stitches Used

The Leisl Pullover employs stockinette stitch as the primary fabric base, which provides a smooth, classic canvas for the cable pattern work. The pattern includes charted cable motifs that are worked over a specific number of stitches. Specialized decreasing techniques are essential to this design:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The foundation stitch used throughout most of the garment, creating a smooth V-pattern texture on the right side.
• Left Double Decrease (LDD): A two-stitch decrease that leans left, created by slipping two stitches onto a cable needle, bringing the cable needle to the front parallel to the left-hand needle, then knitting the first stitch from the cable needle together with the first stitch from the left-hand needle, repeating once more to decrease two stitches with a leftward lean.
• Right Double Decrease (RDD): A two-stitch decrease that leans right, worked by slipping two stitches onto a cable needle, positioning the cable needle behind and parallel to the left-hand needle, then knitting the first stitch from the left-hand needle together with the first stitch from the cable needle, repeating once more to decrease two stitches with a rightward lean.
• Cable stitches: Worked according to the charted pattern, requiring a cable needle to cross stitches over one another, creating the distinctive twisted rope texture characteristic of cable knit sweaters.

Materials and Tools

Yarn: The Leisl Pullover is designed to be knitted with Berroco Modern Cotton, a 100% cotton yarn from Portfolio Vol. 3. Yardage requirements vary by size, ranging from 5 hanks (for the smallest 35" size) to 10 hanks (for the largest 54" size), with each hank weighing 100 grams. The specified colorway shown in the pattern is #1656 Napatree.

Needles and notions: This pattern requires straight needles in size 8 (5.00 mm) for the main fabric, or whatever size is needed to obtain the correct gauge. A 24" circular needle in size 6 (4.00 mm)—two sizes smaller than the main needles—is used for ribbed edgings and neckline finishing. A cable needle is essential for manipulating stitches during cable work. The pattern also calls for 4 stitch markers to help track pattern repeats and shaping, and 1 stitch holder for temporarily securing stitches (typically at the neckline).

Gauge and Pattern Notes

Achieving the correct gauge is critical for this intermediate project. The pattern specifies a gauge of 20 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch on the larger (size 8) needles. Over the cable chart pattern, the gauge measures 21 stitches to 2¾ inches on the larger needles. The pattern documentation emphasizes checking gauge before beginning to ensure finished measurements match the schematic and that yarn quantities are sufficient.