Noro Sweater & Skirt (Hanami) Knitting Pattern

Noro Sweater & Skirt (Hanami)

Overview

The Noro Sweater & Skirt (Hanami) is a coordinating two-piece knit set featuring a top-down seamed sweater paired with a matching skirt. Both pieces showcase decorative cable and textured stitch work, creating an elegant garment collection worked in Noro Tokonatsu yarn.

Sweater Details

What is Being Made: A fitted pullover sweater with raglan sleeves, designed to fit bust measurements of 32-34 inches, 34-36 inches, or 36-38 inches. The finished sweater width measures 40, 42, or 44 inches with a length of 21, 21.5, or 22 inches. Sleeves measure 5 inches in length across all sizes.

Construction Method: The sweater is worked flat using a top-down construction technique, with pieces seamed together after completion. This method allows knitters to try on the garment as it progresses and make adjustments before finishing.

Stitches and Techniques: The sweater features cable stitches as a primary design element, including T4F (twist 4 front) and T4B (twist 4 back) cable crosses. The pattern incorporates stockinette stitch as the main fabric base, with decorative cable panels worked over 29 stitches. Additional stitch techniques include increases using M1P (make one purl), purl stitches, knit stitches, and decreases using P2tog (purl two together). The raglan shaping is achieved through cast-off decreases at the beginning of rows.

Materials: The sweater requires 310 grams, 340 grams, or 370 grams of Noro Tokonatsu yarn in shade #18, depending on size. Knitting needles in sizes US 5 (3.75mm) and US 6 (4mm) are used. The fabric is worked to a tension of 19 stitches by 25 rows over a 4-inch square in stockinette stitch using the US 6 (4mm) needles.

Skirt Details

What is Being Made: A coordinating skirt designed in one size with a finished width of 39 inches and length of 18 inches, creating a complementary bottom piece to the sweater.

Construction Method: The skirt is worked flat on straight needles, beginning with a ribbed cuff that is later increased to create the wider skirt body. This construction approach provides elasticity at the waistband while allowing for shaping through strategic increases.

Stitches and Techniques: The skirt begins with a 1x1 ribbed cuff (alternating knit and purl stitches) worked over 10 rows. After the ribbed section, the knitter transitions to the main skirt body and introduces a decorative cable panel identical to the sweater's pattern—featuring T4F and T4B twists, purl stitches, and increases using M1P (make one purl). The pattern panel is centered within the skirt and repeated as required to achieve the desired length. The skirt is cast on with 97, 101, or 105 stitches, increased to 103, 107, or 111 stitches after the ribbed section.

Materials: The skirt requires 220 grams of Noro Tokonatsu yarn in shade #18. Construction uses the same needle sizes as the sweater: US 5 (3.75mm) needles for the ribbed cuff and US 6 (4mm) needles for the main body.

Yarn and Needle Information

Both the sweater and skirt are knitted using Noro Tokonatsu yarn in shade #18, a premium yarn choice known for its distinctive color variations and texture. The pattern calls for US 5 (3.75mm) needles for ribbed sections and US 6 (4mm) needles for main fabric areas, allowing knitters to achieve proper tension and stitch definition throughout the project.

Technique Summary

• Cable Work: Both pieces feature decorative cable crosses using T4F and T4B techniques, creating dimensional texture and visual interest
• Seamed Construction: Pieces are worked flat and seamed together, providing clean finishing and precise fit
• Top-Down Sweater Shaping: Raglan decreases create the sleeve cap shaping, with cast-offs used to establish the raglan