Koigu Striped Turtle Jumper Knitting Pattern

Koigu Striped Turtle Sweater

What is Being Made

The Koigu Striped Turtle is a classic pullover sweater designed by Melissa Leapman, originally published in Koigu Magazine 6. This garment features a sophisticated color-blocked striped design worked in stockinette stitch. The sweater is available in five sizes: Small, Medium, Large, 1X, and 2X, with finished bust measurements ranging from 35 inches to 51 inches and a total length of approximately 27 to 28½ inches.

Techniques Used

This sweater is constructed using a bottom-up method, meaning the pieces are knitted starting from the lower edge and working toward the shoulders. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, and all pieces are subsequently seamed together. The design incorporates fully-fashioned shaping, a technique that creates decorative decreases and increases positioned two stitches in from the edges for a refined, tailored appearance. The stripe pattern is carefully planned to repeat at specific intervals throughout the body of the sweater.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern is stockinette stitch, which creates the smooth, classic fabric characteristic of traditional sweaters. Stockinette stitch is formed by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side. The ribbing at the lower edge uses a K1 P1 Rib Pattern, a one-by-one alternating knit and purl pattern that provides elasticity and helps the sweater maintain its shape. For the fully-fashioned shaping, the pattern employs ssk (slip, slip, knit) decreases and k2tog (knit two together) decreases on the right side, paired with M1R (make one right) and M1L (make one left) increases worked knitwise to create balanced, visually appealing edge shaping.

Stripe Pattern and Color Work

The sweater features a structured stripe pattern that repeats throughout the body. The stripe sequence consists of 12 rows in color B followed by 20 rows in color A, repeated three times, then 12 rows in color C followed by 20 rows in color A, repeated four times. This creates a dynamic visual rhythm while maintaining the simplicity of single-color rows—no complex colorwork techniques like intarsia or stranding are required.

Materials and Gauge

This pattern calls for Koigu KPM yarn in three coordinating colors. The yardage requirements vary by size: 7 to 9 hanks of color A (#1010), 2 to 4 hanks of color B (#1014), and 2 to 4 hanks of color C (#1010.5). The pattern requires two sizes of US knitting needles—size US 2 for the ribbed cuffs and size US 3 for the main body—as well as a 16-inch circular knitting needle in sizes US 2 and 3 for finishing details. The recommended gauge is 25 stitches and 35 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch with the larger needles when blocked, or alternatively 27 stitches and 38 rows per 4 inches, depending on the desired fabric density. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure proper fit across all five sizes.

Construction Details

The sweater begins with a cast-on of 110 to 162 stitches depending on size, worked in K1 P1 Rib for approximately 2¼ inches. After the ribbing, the needle size is increased and the stockinette stitch pattern is established along with the stripe sequence. The body is worked even until it reaches approximately 17 to 18½ inches in length, at which point armhole shaping begins. The armholes are shaped through a series of bind-offs at the beginning of rows followed by fully-fashioned decreases worked every other row and then every four rows, reducing the stitch count to between 86 and 110 stitches depending on size. This structured approach to shaping ensures a well-fitted garment with professional-looking construction details.