Blue Sky Fibers Pine Island Pullover Jumper Knitting Pattern

Blue Sky Fibers Pine Island Pullover

What Is Being Made

The Pine Island Pullover is a modern, slouchy women's sweater designed by Sarah Smuland. This advanced beginner knitting project creates a "Where did you get that?" style garment featuring a long and loose silhouette with side slits and exposed seams. The design includes an optional cowl that functions as a turtleneck, adding versatility to the finished piece. The sweater is available in five sizes ranging from Women's XS to XL, with finished chest measurements from 34½ inches to 53½ inches.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Pine Island Pullover employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its distinctive aesthetic. The garment is knit doubled, meaning two strands of yarn are held together throughout construction, creating a thicker, more substantial fabric. Reverse stockinette stitch forms the main body of the sweater, producing a textured, purl-bumped surface that gives the design its modern appearance. Raglan shaping is used to create the armholes and sleeve cap, with strategic decreases worked over multiple rows to achieve the proper fit. The pattern also incorporates side slits and exposed seams, design elements that contribute to the contemporary look. The optional cowl is constructed separately and can be worn as an additional layer or omitted entirely, offering flexibility in the final appearance.

Stitches Used

The primary stitches featured in this pattern include:

• Knit one, purl two rib (k1, p2 rib) – Used for the ribbed sections, this textured stitch creates elasticity and structure at the edges and cuffs
• Reverse stockinette stitch – The main stitch for the body and sleeves, created by purling on right-side rows and knitting on wrong-side rows
• Slip stitch – Edge stitches are slipped throughout to create clean, finished edges
• Decrease stitches (ssk and k2tog) – Used for raglan shaping to decrease stitches gradually and symmetrically
• Bind off – Used to finish edges and complete the raglan shaping

Materials and Gauge

The Pine Island Pullover is designed for use with Organic Cotton Worsted yarn by Blue Sky Fibers, a 100% organic cotton yarn. The color shown in the pattern is No. 614 Drift. Yarn requirements vary by size: the sweater requires 7 to 13 hanks of Organic Cotton Worsted (100g/150 yards per hank), depending on the finished size, and the optional cowl requires an additional 2 hanks.

Knitting is worked on size 13 (9mm) 24-inch circular needles, or the size needed to obtain proper gauge. The pattern specifies two different gauges: 10 stitches and 16 rows equal 4 inches in reverse stockinette stitch, and 10 stitches and 15 rows equal 4 inches in knit one, purl two rib. Additional tools needed include a stitch marker and a tapestry needle for finishing and seaming.

Pattern Structure and Construction

The Pine Island Pullover is constructed in separate pieces that are later assembled. The sweater body is made in two pieces, each beginning with a ribbed cuff worked in knit one, purl two rib for 5 inches. The body then transitions to reverse stockinette stitch and continues for 18 inches from the cast-on edge. Raglan shaping is introduced next, with stitches bound off at the beginning of two rows followed by paired decreases worked over 11 to 19 rows depending on size. Sleeves are also made as separate pieces, following a similar construction method with ribbed cuffs and reverse stockinette body sections, shaped with raglan decreases to match the body armholes. The optional cowl is worked separately and measures 28 inches in circumference and 12 inches in width.