Berroco Stowe Jumper Knitting Pattern

Berroco Stowe Seamless Stranded Knit Sweater

What is Being Made

The Berroco Stowe is an intermediate-level pullover sweater designed by Amy Christoffers. This garment is worked seamlessly from the neck down in the round, creating a polished, professional finish without seams. The sweater features a shaped yoke constructed using short-row shaping techniques, with a fitted neckband and body that tapers smoothly from shoulder to hem. Available in nine sizes ranging from 35¾ inches to 67¾ inches in bust circumference, the Stowe accommodates a wide range of body types with recommended positive ease of 4–8 inches for a comfortable, modern fit. The finished length ranges from approximately 23½ inches to 24¾ inches, making this a standard crew-neck pullover suitable for layering or wearing as a standalone piece.

Techniques Used

The Stowe employs several advanced knitting techniques that elevate it to intermediate difficulty level. Seamless construction is the foundation of this design—the entire sweater is knitted in one continuous piece from the neckline downward, eliminating the need for seaming and creating clean, professional edges. Top-down shaping allows knitters to try on the garment as they work and easily adjust length to personal preference. The yoke features short-row shaping, a technique that creates three-dimensional shaping by working back and forth over a subset of stitches before completing full rounds. This method builds the shoulder slope and upper body contour without increasing stitch count dramatically. Stranded colorwork is incorporated into the design, requiring knitters to manage multiple yarn colors simultaneously while maintaining even tension and consistent gauge. The garment is worked in the round using circular needles throughout most of the construction, which creates a seamless tube and allows for continuous colorwork patterns without the interruption of seams.

Stitches Used

The Stowe relies on fundamental knitting stitches executed with precision. Stockinette stitch (abbreviated St st) forms the primary fabric, created by alternating knit rounds and purl rounds when working flat, or by knitting every round when working in the round. This creates the smooth, V-textured surface characteristic of classic knitwear. The 1×1 ribbing used in the neckband is created by alternating knit and purl stitches in the same round, which provides elasticity and helps the neckline maintain its shape. Make One increases (abbreviated M1) are used to add stitches during the yoke shaping, creating new stitches between existing ones in a way that is nearly invisible in the finished fabric. These increases are strategically placed to distribute shaping evenly around the yoke. The pattern notation indicates that increases occur at regular intervals during the yoke construction to transition from the narrow neckline to the wider body circumference.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Stowe is designed to be worked in Berroco Mochi, a specialty yarn that offers distinctive characteristics for colorwork projects. Mochi yarn comes in 50-gram balls, and the pattern calls for multiple colors to create the stranded design: Black Sesame (#3225) as the main color, with accent colors including Red Bean (#3219), Daylily (#3245), and Raven (#3249). Yardage requirements vary by size, with smaller sizes requiring 3–4 balls of the main color and larger sizes requiring 5 balls, plus 1 ball each of the two lighter accent colors and 2 balls of the darker accent color.

The pattern requires two sizes of circular needles in both 16-inch and 32-inch lengths: size 6 (4 mm) needles for the ribbed neckband and size 8 (5 mm) needles for the main fabric. The size 6 needles create a tighter gauge for the elastic ribbing, while the size 8 needles are used for the body to achieve the specified gauge of 17 stitches and 24 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch on the larger needles. Additionally, one set of double-pointed needles in both sizes 6 and 8 is required for working the sleeve cap and decreasing stitches when the circumference becomes too small for circular needles. A single stitch marker helps identify the beginning of each round, and waste yarn is used to temporarily hold sleeve stitches while working other sections of the garment. Gauge should be checked after blocking to ensure accurate finished measurements.