Valley Yarns Snapdragon Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Snapdragon Knit Sweater

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Snapdragon is an intermediate-level pullover sweater designed by Julie Turjoman. This luxurious garment features an all-over lace pattern and is specifically styled as a festive topper perfect for holiday parties. The sweater showcases a waist-length boxy body paired with elegant, full-length dolman sleeves. The design is intended to be worn over a camisole for modesty, making it a versatile layering piece. Available in sizes ranging from XS to 4XL, the finished bust measurements span from 33½ inches to 61½ inches, with the garment designed to be worn with 4–6 inches of positive ease for a relaxed, comfortable fit.

Techniques Used

The Snapdragon employs several advanced knitting techniques to achieve its sophisticated construction and flattering silhouette. The pullover is worked flat in pieces, meaning the body and sleeves are knitted back and forth in rows rather than in the round, which provides essential structure for the delicate lace pattern. Once all pieces are completed, they are seamed together using a tapestry needle to create clean, professional-looking joins.

Short-row shoulder shaping is incorporated into the design to enhance the fit and improve the garment's drape across the shoulders. The sleeves are handled differently from the body: stitches are picked up around the armholes and the long dolman sleeves are then worked in the round from the upper arm down to the cuff. This transition from flat to circular knitting allows for seamless sleeve construction. The blouson effect at the waist is created intentionally by working the hem ribbing on smaller needles at a tighter gauge than the lace pattern, producing a subtle gathering that enhances the sweater's silhouette.

Stitches Used

The Snapdragon features two primary stitch patterns that work together to create the garment's distinctive look. The main body showcases a Checkerboard Lace stitch pattern, which creates the elegant all-over lace texture that defines this sweater. This lace pattern is worked on the larger size needles at a gauge of 20 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches when blocked.

The crew neck, cuffs, and hem are all finished with a K1tbl/P1 Rib pattern, which stands for knit one through the back loop alternating with purl one. This ribbing technique is worked on smaller needles to create a tighter gauge of 21 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches when blocked. By working the knit stitches through the back loop—a technique that twists the stitch—the ribbing becomes even more snug and refined at the wrist and waist, ensuring a polished, fitted finish at these important edge areas.

Materials

The Snapdragon is worked in Valley Yarns Hampden, a luxurious fiber blend composed of 50% Baby Alpaca, 35% Fine Merino Wool, and 15% Mulberry Silk. This premium combination creates a soft, lustrous yarn perfect for holiday wear. Each hank contains 95 yards and weighs 50 grams. Yarn requirements range from 9 hanks for the smallest size (XS) to 22 hanks for the largest size (4XL), with the sample shown knitted in size S requiring 10 hanks in the Burgundy colorway (color 07).

The pattern calls for multiple circular needles in two sizes. Size 6 (4.00 mm) circular needles are used for the main lace pattern work, available in 16-inch, 32-inch, and 40-inch lengths, or double-pointed needles for the smaller circumferences. Size 4 (3.50 mm) circular needles in the same length options are used exclusively for all ribbing sections to achieve the tighter gauge. Additional materials include stitch markers (with four locking stitch markers recommended for tracking pattern repeats and construction points) and a tapestry needle for seaming the finished pieces together.