Valley Yarns Laura Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Laura Sweater

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Laura is a stylish and figure-flattering pullover sweater designed by Julie Moormeier. This advanced beginner knitting project creates a comfortable, everyday garment available in five sizes ranging from XS to XL, with finished bust measurements from 30 inches to 46 inches. The sweater features a comfortable length of approximately 22 to 26 inches from back shoulder to hem, making it suitable for various body types and styling preferences.

Techniques Used

This sweater is constructed using a bottom-up seamed approach, where the front and back pieces are worked flat on straight needles and later joined together with seaming. This method allows knitters to try on the garment as they progress and make adjustments to fit. The design incorporates side slits that are left open during seaming, adding a contemporary design element. The collar is worked separately after the main body pieces are sewn together, providing a finished neckline. This construction method is particularly well-suited for advanced beginners who are comfortable with basic shaping and seaming techniques.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern throughout the Valley Yarns Laura is Mistake Rib, a textured stitch pattern that works on a multiple of 4 stitches plus 3. The Mistake Rib pattern alternates knit and purl stitches in a way that creates visual interest while remaining manageable for advancing knitters. The pattern employs standard knitting abbreviations including knit (K), purl (P), knit 2 together (K2tog), and slip, slip, knit (ssk) for decreases. Slipped stitches worked through the back leg and with yarn in back are used for edge stitches, creating clean selvage edges ideal for seaming.

Materials and Yarn

The Valley Yarns Laura is designed to be knit in Valley Yarns Monadnock, a luxurious 100% cashmere yarn. The pattern requires 8 to 13 balls depending on size, with each ball weighing 50 grams and providing 122 yards of yardage. The sample shown is worked in color 1225 Midnight. Two needle sizes are required: US 7 (4.5mm) needles for the main body and US 6 (4mm) needles for the ribbed cuff. Additional materials needed include stitch markers (including 4 locking stitch markers for marking important shaping points), stitch holders for holding stitches during construction, and a yarn needle for seaming and weaving in ends. The pattern specifies a gauge of 22 stitches and 29 rows over 4 inches in Mistake Rib pattern using the larger needles, which is essential for achieving proper fit.

Pattern Structure and Shaping

The sweater begins with a ribbed cuff created on smaller needles, which provides elasticity and a finished edge. After the cuff measures 2½ inches, knitters switch to larger needles and continue in the Mistake Rib pattern. The front and back pieces are shaped separately through strategic decreases and increases to create the body silhouette. Shoulder shaping is accomplished through bind-offs worked at the beginning of rows, with different bind-off sequences depending on the size being knitted. For example, the smallest size binds off 5 stitches at the beginning of 6 rows, while larger sizes use a combination of 6-stitch and 7-stitch bind-offs to accommodate broader shoulders. Stitches are placed on holders during construction for later finishing, allowing for a professional collar application.