Classic Elite Yarns Bergen Jumper Knitting Pattern

Classic Elite Yarns Bergen Knit Sweater

What is Being Made

The Bergen is a loose-fitting pullover sweater featuring both opaque and sheer sections with raw edges. This design showcases a dolman construction style, creating a distinctive silhouette with extended sleeves that flow from the body. The sweater is available in six sizes and is worked primarily in stockinette stitch with strategic ridge pattern sections for visual interest and texture variation.

Construction Method and Techniques

The Bergen employs a bottom-up, seamed construction worked flat on circular needles. Rather than knitting in the round, the circular needle is used to accommodate the increasing number of stitches while working back and forth in rows. The sweater features a unique dolman sleeve construction, where sleeves are created by increasing stitches at the edges and using the Backward Loop Cast-on method to add sleeve stitches progressively.

The back and front pieces are knit from the lower edge to the shoulders, with sleeve shaping occurring simultaneously. Pieces are joined at the top of the sleeves and shoulders using the Three-Needle Bind-off method, a professional seaming technique that creates a secure, finished join. The neck shaping is worked during the main piece construction, with bind-offs creating the neckline opening.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns Used

The Bergen incorporates two primary stitch patterns:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The foundation stitch used for the lower body sections, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric
• Reverse Stockinette Stitch (Rev St st): Used in the ridge pattern for textural contrast
• Ridge Pattern: A repeating 10-row pattern alternating between Reverse Stockinette Stitch (rows 1–4) and Stockinette Stitch (rows 5–10), creating horizontal ridges across the garment

Additional techniques include make-one increases (m1 and m1p) for shaping, worked to maintain pattern continuity, and strategic bind-offs for neck shaping.

Materials and Yarn Requirements

The Bergen pattern was originally designed to be knit in Firefly, a yarn from Classic Elite Yarns. The pattern is worked on circular needles in two sizes—larger needles for the initial stockinette sections and smaller circular needles for the ridge pattern sections. This needle size variation helps create subtle gauge changes that enhance the garment's structure and drape.

Pattern Details

The sweater begins with casting on between 64 and 104 stitches depending on size, worked in stockinette stitch until the piece measures 12–13 inches. After transitioning to the ridge pattern, sleeve increases occur every right-side row for 10 additional rows. The Backward Loop Cast-on method is then used to add 8 stitches at the end of 8 rows, followed by 6 stitches at the end of 4 rows, creating the extended dolman sleeves. The finished piece measures approximately 21½–23 inches from the cast-on edge to the shoulders.

This pattern was originally published in Spring 2013 in Domino 9218 and is designed for intermediate-level knitters by Tonia Barry. The downloadable PDF format provides complete instructions for creating this distinctive, contemporary sweater.