Jo Sharp Lotte Cable Sweater Jumper Knitting Pattern

Jo Sharp Lotte Cable Sweater

What is Being Made

The Lotte Sweater is a loose and comfortable women's pullover knit in a bottom-up construction with a distinctive cowl collar and a prominent cable panel at the centre front. This design is suitable for average skilled knitters with cable experience and comes in four women's sizes (A through D) to fit bust measurements from 80cm to 110cm (31½ to 43¼ inches).

Techniques Used

The Lotte Sweater employs several key knitting techniques to create its structure and visual interest:

• Bottom-up construction: The sweater is worked from the lower edge upward, allowing for easy fitting adjustments during the knitting process.
• Worked flat and in the round: The body and sleeves are primarily worked flat on straight needles, with circular needles used for the cowl collar and neckline shaping.
• Seamed construction: Pieces are sewn together after completion, creating clean, professional seams.
• Cable panel: A centered cable motif (measuring 7cm wide) runs down the front of the sweater, created using the C16F (Cable 16 Front) technique, which involves slipping stitches onto a cable needle, holding them at the front of the work, and crossing them over subsequent stitches for the characteristic twisted effect.
• Shaping: The sweater features simple shaping at the neckline and shoulders using decreases (k3tog and 2-stitch decreases worked on alternate rows), creating a comfortable fit without complex tailoring.

Stitches Used

The Lotte Sweater utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with cable techniques:

• Stockinette stitch (St st): The primary stitch used throughout the body and sleeves, creating a smooth, classic fabric.
• Ribbing (K2, P2): A 4cm deep rib cuff worked at the lower edge of the sleeves using alternating knit and purl stitches, providing elasticity and a finished edge.
• Cable stitches: The 22-stitch cable panel features the C16F cross, where 8 stitches are held on a cable needle at the front of the work before knitting the next 8 stitches, then knitting the held stitches. This creates the interlocking cable texture.
• Decrease stitches: K3tog (knit 3 together) and paired 2-stitch decreases are used for neckline and shoulder shaping, worked on right-side rows and alternate rows to create a neat, tapered fit.
• Make one increase (M1): Sleeve increases are worked using the M1 technique (picking up the loop laying between needles and knitting into the back of it), creating invisible increases along the sleeve length.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Lotte Sweater is designed to be worked in Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in the Dove colorway. Yardage requirements vary by size: Size A requires 12 balls of 50g (approximately 600g total), Size B requires 13 balls, and Sizes C and D each require 14 balls of 50g yarn.

The pattern calls for multiple needle sizes to achieve proper tension and structure:

• 4.50mm needles (USA 7 / UK 7): Used for the initial sleeve ribbing cast-on.
• 5.00mm needles (USA 8 / UK 6): The primary needles for working the main body in stockinette stitch, where the pattern tension is measured at 18 stitches and 24 rows over 10cm (approximately 4 inches).
• 4.00mm circular needles (USA 6 / UK 8): Used for the cowl collar and initial neckline work.
• 5.00mm circular needles (USA 8 / UK 6): Used for neckline shaping and the cowl collar construction.
• 6.00mm circular needles (USA 10 / UK 4): Included in the needle requirements, likely for the final cowl collar edge or alternative sizing options.

The use of multiple needle sizes allows the knitter to achieve proper gauge in different sections while maintaining fabric consistency throughout the sweater. The cable panel measures 7cm in width,