Noro Xylia Knitting Pattern

Noro Xylia Knitted Garment

What is Being Made

Noro Xylia is an intermediate-level knitted design created by Nicky Epstein. This garment is sized for three different fit ranges: X-Small/Small, Medium/Large, and 1X/2X. The finished measurements indicate a wrap-style or overlapped front design, with bust measurements (when fronts are overlapped) of approximately 50 inches (127cm), 56 inches (142cm), or 62 inches (158cm) depending on size selection. The garment length is 29 inches (73.5cm) for the smallest size, with the two larger sizes measuring 31 inches (78.5cm).

Techniques Used

Seed stitch forms a primary textural element of this design. This fundamental knitting technique creates a bumpy, reversible fabric by alternating knit and purl stitches in a checkerboard pattern. Seed stitch requires working an even number of stitches, with Row 1 (right side) worked as *knit 1, purl 1* repeated to the end, and Row 2 (wrong side) reversing this pattern as *purl 1, knit 1* repeated to the end. These two rows are then repeated throughout the seed stitch sections.

Leaf lace panel work provides decorative openwork sections within the garment. This lace pattern incorporates yarn overs to create intentional holes and decreases to shape the design into leaf-like motifs. The leaf lace panel can be worked either from written row-by-row instructions or from a charted diagram, offering flexibility for different knitting preferences. The panel spans 48 stitches and features multiple rows of intricate stitch manipulation.

The design employs selvage stitches at the edges of patterned sections, which are slipped rather than worked to create neat, finished edges. Decreases including knit 2 together (k2tog) and slip, slip, knit (ssk) are used to shape the lace pattern, while yarn overs (yo) create the openwork characteristic of lace knitting.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k) – the fundamental stitch that forms the basis of the fabric
• Purl (p) – the reverse of the knit stitch, used in seed stitch and pattern sections
• Yarn over (yo) – creates new stitches and intentional eyelets in the lace sections
• Knit 2 together (k2tog) – a right-leaning decrease used in the leaf lace panel
• Purl 2 together through the back loop (p2tog tbl) – a decrease worked on wrong-side rows
• Slip, slip, knit (ssk) – a left-leaning decrease that shapes the lace motifs
• Slip stitch (sl) – stitches are slipped as if to purl without working them, typically used for selvage stitches
• Knit into front and back (kfb) – an increase stitch referenced in the abbreviation guide

Materials and Tools

The Noro Xylia pattern requires Noro Madara yarn in colorway #06. Yardage requirements vary by size: 7 hanks (700g) for X-Small/Small, 8 hanks (800g) for Medium/Large, and 9 hanks (900g) for 1X/2X, with each hank weighing 100 grams. The yarn is worked on US size 8 (5mm) needles, or whatever needle size is necessary to achieve the specified gauge.

The gauge for seed stitch sections is 16 stitches and 24 rows over 4 inches (10cm) using US 8/5mm needles. The leaf lace panel gauge is 48 stitches measuring approximately 10 inches (25.5cm) across when worked on the same needle size. Checking gauge before beginning is essential for proper fit. Additional notions include stitch markers to help track pattern repeats and size increases throughout the construction.