Lopi Eilífð Jumper Knitting Pattern

Eilífð Lopi Stranded Knit Sweater

What Is Being Made

The Eilífð is a seamless, bottom-up knit sweater available in six sizes ranging from XS to XXL. The design features a striking stranded colorwork pattern inspired by the infinity symbol and celestial themes. Two distinct colorways are offered: a calm light grey version and an energetic dark version featuring the designer's custom Galaxy colorway paired with bright accent colors. This sweater is worked in the round from the hem upward, combining classic Icelandic knitting aesthetics with modern design sensibility.

Techniques Used

This sweater employs several advanced knitting techniques that create both visual interest and structural integrity. The bottom-up construction method allows knitters to try on the garment as they progress and easily adjust length to personal preference. The seamless, worked-in-the-round approach eliminates the need for seaming, resulting in a smooth, professional finish with no side seams. The most distinctive technique is stranded colorwork, where two colors are carried simultaneously across rounds to create the patterned design. This traditional Icelandic method requires careful tension management to ensure even fabric and proper stitch definition. The yoke is constructed by joining the body and sleeves, which is a hallmark of top-down or seamless sweater architecture adapted here to a bottom-up workflow.

Stitches Used

• Half twisted rib – worked as *k1tbl, p1* (knit one through the back loop, purl one) for the cuff ribbing, creating an elastic, textured edge that hugs the wrist
• Knit stitch – the primary stitch for the body and sleeves in stockinette
• Purl stitch – used in the ribbed cuff pattern
• Stranded colorwork stitches – knit stitches worked with two colors carried along the inside of the fabric, following a charted pattern
• Increases – strategically placed increases (inc 1 st) in the sleeves to shape the cap and ensure proper fit at the underarm

Construction Details

Each sleeve begins with a cast-on using 3.5 mm double-pointed needles (dpn) and color A, worked in half twisted rib for 2–4 cm depending on colorway. The needle size is then increased to 4.5 mm, and knitting continues in stockinette stitch with regular increases spaced every 6th to 10th round (depending on size and gender). The light grey version incorporates a charted stranded pattern on the sleeves, while the dark version uses different colors for the left and right sleeves. Sleeves are worked to specific lengths: women's 45–50 cm or men's 48–53 cm, with underarm stitches placed on holders before the yoke is joined. This modular approach allows for precise fit and balanced proportions across the finished garment.

Materials

This pattern calls for Léttlopi yarn, an Icelandic wool blend known for its light weight, warmth, and excellent stitch definition in colorwork. Léttlopi is supplied in 50-gram balls, making yardage calculations straightforward.

Light Grey Colorway:

• Color A – 0054 light ash: 9–11 balls (depending on size)
• Color B – 0005 black heather: 1–2 balls
• Color C – 1415 rough sea: 1–2 balls
• Color D – 0058 dark grey: 1 ball

Dark Colorway:

• Color A – 1707 galaxy: 7–9 balls (the designer's custom colorway, energetic and celestial-inspired)
• Color B – 9423 lagoon: 1 ball
• Color C – 1701 fjord blue: 1 ball
• Color D – 1705 royal fuchsia: 1 ball

Needles: 3.5 mm and 4.5 mm double-pointed needles (dpn) for working in the round. The smaller needle size is used for the ribbed cuff, while the larger size accommodates the main body fabric.

Sizing Information

The Eilífð is offered in six sizes with the following