Essex Pullover Jumper Knitting Pattern

Essex Pullover in Juniper Moon Farm Herriot

What is Being Made

The Essex Pullover is a seamless knitted sweater designed by Alison Green as part of the Haverhill Collection. This pullover features a classic crew neckline and is available in seven sizes ranging from XS to 3X, with finished bust measurements from 30¼ inches to 54¼ inches and lengths from 22 inches to 26 inches. The garment is constructed using seamless circular knitting techniques, making it an excellent choice for knitters seeking a polished, professional finish without the need for seaming.

Techniques Used

The Essex Pullover showcases several intermediate knitting techniques that make it an ideal introduction to Fair Isle knitting. The sweater features stranded colorwork at the borders and yoke, a traditional Fair Isle method where multiple yarn colors are carried across the back of the work to create intricate patterns. The design incorporates a picot edge detail, which adds a delicate, finished appearance to the neckline. The seamless construction method means the body and sleeves are knitted in the round from the bottom up, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a continuous, professional garment. The pattern also includes increases and decreases for shaping the armholes and sleeve caps, utilizing techniques such as left lifted increases and slip-slip-knit decreases for refined shaping.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch throughout the garment, creating a smooth, flat fabric with a distinctive V-pattern on the right side
• Stranded Colorwork: Used at the borders and yoke sections to incorporate the contrasting colors into Fair Isle patterns
• Knit and Purl: Fundamental stitches used in combination to create texture and structure
• Yarn Over (YO): Creates decorative eyelet holes, particularly in the picot edge detail
• Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease used for symmetrical shaping
• Knit Two Together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease for balanced decreases
• Left Lifted Increase (LLI): An invisible increase method that picks up the purl bump from the row below, creating seamless shaping

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The Essex Pullover is designed to be knitted using Juniper Moon Farm Herriot, a yarn from the Herriot Heathers collection. The pattern requires three colors: the main color is Oatmeal (#1000), with contrasting colors in Dark Harbor (#1003) and Iceplant Green (#1009). Yarn quantities vary by size, with the main color requiring between 5 and 8 hanks depending on the finished size, while each contrasting color requires 1 hank. This multi-color approach creates visual interest through the Fair Isle colorwork sections while maintaining a cohesive, sophisticated appearance.

Needles: The pattern utilizes multiple needle sizes to achieve proper gauge and accommodate the different sections of the sweater. US 3 (3.25 mm) circular needles in both 24-inch and 16-inch lengths, along with double-point needles, are used for the ribbed edgings and initial cast-on. US 5 (3.75 mm) circular needles in 24-inch, 32-inch, and 16-inch lengths, plus double-point needles, are employed for the main body knitting in stockinette stitch. US 6 (4 mm) circular needles in 24-inch and 32-inch lengths, along with double-point needles, are used specifically for the stranded colorwork sections at the borders and yoke, where a slightly larger needle accommodates the multiple colors being carried. This graduated needle system ensures consistent gauge throughout the garment while maintaining the integrity of both plain and patterned sections.

Gauge and Construction Details

Achieving proper gauge is essential for the Essex Pullover's success. The pattern specifies 24 stitches and 32 rows equal 4 inches in plain stockinette stitch using US 5 (3.75 mm) needles. For the stranded colorwork sections, the gauge is 24 stitches and 30 rows equal 4 inches using US 6 (4 mm) needles. This difference accounts for the natural tightening that occurs when working with multiple colors in Fair Isle technique. The sweater is worked seamlessly in the round using circular needles, with stitch markers placed to denote pattern repeats and shaping points. The construction method minimizes finishing work, as the circular kn