Noro Ladies' V-Neck Sleeveless Sweater Knitting Pattern

Noro Ladies' V-Neck Sleeveless Sweater

What is Being Made

This is a sleeveless pullover sweater designed for women, featuring a classic V-neckline. The garment is tailored to fit bust sizes 34-38 inches (86-96 cm) with finished underarm width of 44½ inches (113 cm) and back neck length of 22 inches (56 cm). The sweater is constructed as a single size with a refined, elegant silhouette suitable for layering or wearing as a standalone piece.

Techniques Used

This sweater employs several key knitting techniques to create its structure and visual interest:

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is worked from the lower edge upward, beginning with the back piece
• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for easier pattern management and shaping
• Seamed assembly: Individual pieces are completed separately and then sewn together using mattress stitch or similar seaming methods to create finished seams
• Lace integration: Decorative lace elements are incorporated throughout the pattern using yarn-over and decrease combinations to create openwork sections

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with lace techniques:

• Ribbing: Alternating knit and purl stitches (K1, P1) create the elastic edging at the lower edge, worked over 12 rows on smaller needles to provide structure and recovery
• Stockinette stitch: Knit stitches on right-side rows and purl stitches on wrong-side rows form the smooth base fabric
• Cable stitch: The pattern includes C8B (cable 8 back) to create twisted texture elements
• Lace decreases: Yarn forward (yf), knit two together (K2tog), slip-slip-knit (sl 1, K1, psso), and yarn forward combinations create the characteristic openwork lace pattern that repeats throughout the body
• Shaping decreases: Knit two stitches together (wk 2 sts tog) and casting off techniques shape the armholes and neckline

Pattern Structure

The sweater follows a multi-row repeat pattern. The lace motif repeats every 4 rows and is staggered across the width of the garment in sections separated by reverse stockinette panels. The back measures 14½ inches from the cast-on edge before armhole shaping begins, with an additional 6 inches of patterned fabric worked before shoulder decreases commence. The front is worked to match the back until it reaches a point 46 rows shorter from the top of the shoulder, at which point the fabric is divided for the V-neckline shaping.

Materials

This pattern calls for specific materials to achieve the intended drape and finished dimensions:

• Yarn: 230 grams of Noro Taiyo Sport in shade 8. Noro Taiyo Sport is a lightweight sport-weight yarn that provides excellent stitch definition for lace patterns while maintaining drape suitable for a sleeveless garment
• Needles: One pair each of 4½ mm (US 7) and 5 mm (US 8) needles. The smaller needles are used for the ribbed edging to create tension and elasticity, while the larger needles accommodate the main pattern fabric
• Tension: The pattern is designed to achieve 20 stitches and 25 rows over 10 cm (4 inches) when measured over the lace pattern using the 5 mm needles. Achieving proper tension is essential for the garment to meet the specified finished measurements

Construction Method

The sweater is constructed in separate pieces. The back is cast on with 111 stitches using the smaller needles and worked in K1, P1 ribbing for 12 rows. The needles are then changed to the larger size, and the lace pattern begins. The pattern repeats across the width of the back piece, with the lace motifs separated by stockinette sections. After the back reaches the appropriate length, colored markers are placed to indicate the shoulder line. The armholes are shaped by casting off stitches at each end of successive rows, and additional decreases are worked to create the shoulder slope. The front is worked identically to the back until