Lopi Liljulag Jumper Knitting Pattern

Liljulag Lopi Children's Sweater

What is Being Made

The Liljulag is a children's pullover sweater designed by Védís Jónsdóttir, available in four sizes ranging from 3 years to 8-9 years old. The garment features a cheerful lily blossom motif worked in stranded colorwork using four vibrant Plötulopi colors: carmine red, golden yellow, sunset rose, and white. The design celebrates joyful, bold hues with red and pink providing courage and strength while yellow and white bring brightness and happiness to the piece.

Construction Techniques

The Liljulag employs a bottom-up, seamless construction method worked entirely in the round using circular needles. The body and sleeves are knitted from the lower edge up to the underarms, then joined together to work the yoke in the round. This seamless approach eliminates the need for seaming and creates a smooth, comfortable garment for children.

The neckband is worked using short rows at the back to create a custom fit. When turning, the yarn is wrapped around the next unworked stitch to prevent holes, a technique essential for neat short-row shaping. The neckband is finished with a ribbed bind-off worked in a knit-one, purl-one pattern.

Stitches and Colorwork

The primary stitch used throughout is stockinette stitch, which provides a smooth, classic canvas for the colorwork design. The sweater features stranded colorwork (also called Fair Isle knitting), where two colors are carried across each row to create the lily blossom pattern. The chart indicates a 34-round repeat for the yoke pattern, with specific stitch counts for each size: 56, 60, 64, and 68 stitches at the top of the yoke depending on size.

Decreases are worked using k2tog (knit two together) as indicated in the pattern key, particularly during yoke shaping to achieve the proper fit across the shoulders and neckline. The neckband features ribbed stitching in a knit-one, purl-one pattern for elasticity and a finished appearance.

Materials and Gauge

The sweater is knitted using Plötulopi yarn in four colors:

• Color A: 1430 carmine – 2 (2, 2, 3) grams depending on size
• Color B: 1424 golden yellow – 1 gram for all sizes
• Color C: 1425 sunset rose – 1 gram for all sizes
• Color D: 0001 white – 1 gram for all sizes

Plötulopi is a 2-ply Icelandic wool yarn known for its softness and durability, making it ideal for children's garments. The pattern specifies working with 2-ply Plötulopi to achieve the correct gauge.

Needles required include:

• 5.5 mm (US 9) circular needles in both 40 cm and 60 cm lengths for the main body and yoke
• 4.5 mm (US 7) circular needles in both 40 cm and 60 cm lengths for the neckband and ribbing
• 4.5 mm and 5.5 mm double-pointed needles for finishing grafting at the underarms

The gauge is 14 stitches and 19 rows per 10 x 10 centimeters in stockinette stitch using 5.5 mm needles and 2-ply Plötulopi. Checking and adjusting gauge is essential to ensure proper fit, as needle size may need adjustment based on individual tension.

Sizing and Measurements

The pattern is graded for four sizes with the following chest measurements: 66 cm (size 3 years), 71 cm (size 4-5 years), 77 cm (size 6-7 years), and 83 cm (size 8-9 years). Length to underarm ranges from 24 cm for the smallest size to 34 cm for the largest. Sleeve length to underarm varies from 26 cm to 36 cm across the size range.