Sesia Lyra Jumper Knitting Pattern

Sesia Lyra Knitted Sweater

What Is Being Made

The Sesia Lyra is a knitted pullover sweater designed by Lisa Hoffman. This garment is a versatile, easy-to-knit tee available in four sizes: Small (37¾" bust), Medium (40" bust), Large (42" bust), and XL (44½" bust). The finished length ranges from 23¾" to 24½" depending on size. This sweater is ideal for warm-weather wear, crafted from breathable Egyptian cotton yarn.

Techniques Used

The Sesia Lyra employs several modern knitting techniques that make it both visually interesting and structurally sound:

• Top-Down Construction: The sweater is worked from the neckline downward, allowing knitters to try on the garment as they progress and adjust the length to their preference before binding off.
• Seamless, Worked in the Round: The entire piece is knitted in continuous rounds using circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming. This creates a smooth, professional finish and reduces finishing time.
• Lace Patterning: A decorative lace pattern is incorporated into the lower body of the sweater, adding visual interest and texture. The lace motif is worked over a 10-stitch repeat and is repeated four times across the body.
• Raglan Shaping: The sweater features raglan-style increases at the armholes, created using a central double decrease (CDD) stitch that serves as both a shaping element and a design detail.

Stitches Used

The Sesia Lyra incorporates a focused selection of fundamental and decorative stitches:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch throughout most of the sweater, creating a smooth, classic fabric base. This stitch is used for the body and sleeves, providing a clean canvas for the lace pattern.
• Purl Stitch: Used strategically in the pattern, particularly in the transition sections between stockinette and lace, and in the hem finishing. Purl rounds create subtle texture and help define the garment's sections.
• Yarn Over (yo): A fundamental lace stitch that creates decorative eyelets. Yarn overs are paired with decreases to form the lace motif while maintaining stitch count.
• Central Double Decrease (CDD): A specialty decrease stitch that slips two stitches together knitwise, knits the next stitch, then passes the slipped stitches over. This centered decrease creates a vertical line of decreases that shapes the raglan while adding design definition.

Lace Pattern Detail

The lace pattern in the Sesia Lyra is worked over a 10-stitch repeat and features a symmetrical design combining yarn overs and central double decreases. The pattern repeats across multiple rounds, with alternating knit rounds providing structure between patterned rounds. The lace section is worked four times before transitioning to stockinette and a garter stitch hem, creating a graduated effect that adds movement and visual interest to the lower body.

Materials and Specifications

The Sesia Lyra is designed to be knitted with Sesia Windsurf Lux, a 100% Egyptian cotton yarn. Yardage requirements vary by size: Small requires 6 balls, Medium and Large require 7 and 8 balls respectively, and XL requires 8 balls. Each ball contains 1¾ ounces (50 grams) and provides 118 yards (164 meters) of yarn.

Needles required include one pair of size 8 (5mm) circular needles in both 16-inch and 24-inch lengths for working the body in the round, plus one set of size 8 (5mm) double-pointed needles (DPNs) for the sleeves. Additional notions include a stitch holder or scrap yarn for holding sleeve stitches, stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and round beginnings, and a yarn needle for weaving in ends during finishing.

Gauge and Construction Notes

The pattern specifies a gauge of 18 stitches and 22 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in stockinette stitch. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper fit, and knitters are encouraged to knit a gauge swatch before beginning. The sweater is designed with adjustable length in the main stockinette section,