Classic Elite Yarns Padma Jumper Knitting Pattern

Classic Elite Yarns Padma Knit Sweater

What Is Being Made

Padma is a classic tee-shaped knit sweater featuring a center panel of knit and purl texture with garter stitch ridges. The design, created by Tonia Barry and originally published in Hanako 1702A, combines simple stockinette stitch with decorative textured panels positioned at the center front and center back of the garment. This versatile sweater works for multiple sizes, making it suitable for various body types and preferences.

Construction Techniques

This sweater uses a bottom-up seamed construction method, a traditional approach that builds the garment from the lower edge upward. The body is initially worked in the round using a circular needle, which creates a seamless lower section and allows for continuous knitting without turning. After the body reaches the underarms, it is divided for working the front and back separately, transitioning from circular knitting to flat back-and-forth rows. This hybrid technique combines the efficiency of circular knitting with the shaping flexibility of flat knitting for the upper body and shoulders.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The sweater primarily uses stockinette stitch (knit on right-side rows and all rounds; purl on wrong-side rows) as the foundational fabric. The design incorporates a Tile Panel Chart featuring a 14-stitch, 24-row repeat pattern that creates the textured center panels. The chart uses both knit and purl stitches to form visual texture and garter stitch ridges—rows of purl stitches worked on right-side rows create horizontal ridges that contrast with the smooth stockinette background. Special attention is given to reading the chart correctly: when working in the round, all chart rows are read as right-side rows, while flat knitting requires reading odd-numbered rows as right-side rows and even-numbered rows as wrong-side rows. Rows 11 and 15 of the Tile Panel chart feature purl stitches across all stitches to match the pattern design.

Construction Details

• Body begins with a cast-on of 160, 180, 200, 220, 240, or 260 stitches depending on size
• Initial ribbing consists of alternating knit and purl rounds worked twice for a finished edge
• Transition from smaller to larger circular needle after ribbing for body shaping
• Tile Panel charts are worked over 14 center stitches at both front and back, with 33–58 stitches of stockinette stitch on each side depending on size
• Body length measures approximately 14½ to 15½ inches from cast-on edge before dividing for front and back
• Stitches are divided evenly between front and back sections (80–130 stitches per section) for separate upper-body shaping

Yarn and Needles

This pattern is designed to be worked with Classic Elite Yarns yarn and requires both a longer circular needle in a smaller size for the ribbed cast-on and initial rounds, and a larger circular needle for the main body. Stitch markers are essential for tracking the Tile Panel chart positions and managing the transition between in-the-round and flat knitting. The specific yarn weight and needle sizes are detailed in the original pattern from Hanako 1702A.

Design Appeal

Padma offers knitters a straightforward yet elegant sweater construction that showcases the interplay between smooth stockinette stitch and textured knit-purl patterns. The centered panels draw the eye vertically, creating a flattering silhouette, while the garter stitch ridges add visual interest and tactile dimension. The bottom-up seamed construction provides excellent control over fit and allows for easy customization of length and width across multiple size options.