Dors In Rowan Alpaca Sparkle Jumper Knitting Pattern

Dors Sweater by Lisa Richardson in Rowan Alpaca Sparkle

What is Being Made

The Dors is a knitted sweater designed by Lisa Richardson, available in both long-sleeved and sleeveless versions. This garment is crafted to fit chest measurements ranging from 71-76 cm up to 152-157 cm, making it suitable for multiple sizes. The sweater features a sophisticated lace pattern throughout and is constructed using the Rowan Alpaca Sparkle yarn, which provides a luxurious finish with subtle sparkle.

Knitting Techniques Used

This advanced beginner project employs several key knitting techniques. The garment is worked primarily in the round or in flat pieces, with careful shaping at the shoulders and neckline. The construction includes distinct shaping for both back and front pieces, with particular attention to neck shaping on the front panel. The sweater requires decreasing stitches at the neck edge over multiple rows to create a fitted neckline. Additionally, the pattern involves working each side of the neck separately to achieve proper fit and symmetry.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Dors features a repeating 8-row lace pattern that forms the main fabric design. The pattern utilizes several fundamental lace stitches:

• Yarn forward (yfwd) - creates the decorative eyelet holes characteristic of lace knitting
• Slip 2 together knitwise (sL2togK) - a decrease technique that slips two stitches together as though to knit them together
• Pass 2 slipped stitches over (p2sso) - a double decrease that creates the lace openings
• Knit (K) and Purl (P) stitches - form the foundation of the pattern

The 8-row pattern repeat is worked continuously throughout the back and front pieces until the garment reaches the appropriate length before shoulder shaping begins. This creates an elegant, consistent lace texture across the entire sweater.

Materials and Gauge

The Dors is knitted using Rowan Alpaca Sparkle yarn in 50-gram balls. The long-sleeved version requires 6 to 10 balls depending on size, while the sleeveless version uses 4 to 8 balls. The pattern is photographed in Camel (colorway 10021) for the long-sleeved version and Arctic (colorway 10023) for the sleeveless version.

The project requires two sets of needles: 6mm (US 10) needles and 9mm (US 13) needles, along with a 6mm circular needle no longer than 40 cm for the neckband. The working tension is 10 stitches and 13 rows to 10 centimeters measured over the lace pattern using the 9mm needles, which is essential for achieving the correct garment dimensions.

Sizing and Fit

The Dors is available in six sizes with actual chest measurements ranging from 114 cm to 194 cm. The pattern provides detailed shaping instructions for each size, including specific stitch counts for casting off at the shoulders and shaping the neckline. The back length varies from 52 cm in the smallest size to 66 cm in the largest size, allowing for proper proportions across the size range.