Classic Elite Yarns Daggerwing Jumper Knitting Pattern

Classic Elite Yarns Daggerwing Sweater

What Is Being Made

The Daggerwing is a colorblock pullover sweater designed by Susan Mills and originally published in Butterfly 1802B. This knitted garment features a modified drop shoulder sleeve construction with a deep ribbed lower body and garter stitch yoke. The sweater showcases vertical colorblock panels across the back and front, creating a striking striped design that combines multiple yarn colors in a coordinated pattern.

Construction Method and Techniques

This sweater is constructed using the bottom-up approach, meaning knitting begins at the lower edge and progresses upward toward the shoulders and neckline. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, requiring seaming at the sides and sleeves after completion.

The primary advanced technique employed throughout the Daggerwing is the intarsia method, which allows for the creation of large blocks of contrasting colors without carrying unused yarns across the back of the work. The pattern uses vertical colorblock panels on the lower back and front, with three distinct sections established at the cast-on edge. When changing colors between these panels, yarns are twisted around each other on the wrong side to join the sections securely and prevent holes from forming.

For efficiency, the pattern notes that it is not necessary to cut yarns between stripes within the center body panel and lower sleeves. Instead, unused colors are carried up along the wrong side of the work and twisted with the working color where needed again, preventing long vertical floats that would create loose loops on the reverse side.

Stitches Used

• 2 x 2 Rib: A foundational stitch pattern worked over a multiple of 4 stitches plus 2. Alternating knit and purl stitches create the characteristic deep, textured ribbing at the lower body. Row 1 (right side) is worked as K2, *p2, k2; repeat from *. Row 2 (wrong side) reverses this to P2, *k2, p2; repeat from *. These two rows are repeated to establish the rib pattern.
• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch for the body and sleeves, created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side. This smooth, flat fabric provides an ideal canvas for the colorblock and stripe patterns.
• Body Stripe Pattern: A repeating 8-row sequence that works 4 rows of stockinette stitch in color C, followed by 4 rows in color D. This creates horizontal stripes across the center colorblock panel.
• Sleeve Stripe Pattern: A 6-row repeating pattern that works 4 rows of stockinette stitch in color B, followed by 2 rows in color D, creating a different stripe rhythm on the sleeves compared to the body.
• Garter Stitch: Referenced as part of the yoke construction, garter stitch is created by knitting every row, producing a textured, reversible fabric that provides structure to the shoulder area.

Materials and Yarn Work

The Daggerwing pattern is designed to be worked with Classic Elite Yarns products in multiple coordinating colors designated as A, B, C, and D throughout the instructions. The pattern accommodates five different sizes, with cast-on stitch counts ranging from 82 to 114 stitches depending on the desired finished size. The lower back is cast on in three separate color sections: side panels in color A (20, 24, 28, 28, or 32 stitches depending on size) flanking a center panel in color C (42, 42, 42, 50, or 50 stitches). This three-section cast-on is essential for establishing the vertical colorblock design from the beginning of the garment. The pattern requires multiple balls of yarn for the intarsia sections, particularly separate balls of color A for each side panel to maintain proper color management during the intarsia work.

Pattern Structure and Sizing

The Daggerwing is available in five sizes with graduated stitch counts to accommodate different body measurements. The lower body is worked in 2 x 2 Rib for 4 inches, establishing a deep, textured waistband before transitioning to the striped stockinette sections. The pattern provides specific color assignments for each section, with the lower back and front featuring the three-panel colorblock design, while the sleeves incorporate their own distinct stripe pattern using colors B and D.