Valley Yarns Highland Lake Lace Pullover Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Highland Lake Lace Pullover

What is Being Made

The Highland Lake Lace Pullover is a seamed knit sweater designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This pullover features a sophisticated lace pattern throughout and is available in seven finished sizes ranging from 34 inches to 52 inches in circumference, making it suitable for a wide range of body measurements. The garment is constructed as a classic pullover style with set-in sleeves and a finished neckline.

Techniques Used

This pullover is worked using the bottom-up construction method, meaning the body and sleeves are knitted starting from the lower edges and working upward toward the shoulders. The sweater is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round for the main body pieces, with individual front and back panels that are later seamed together. The design incorporates lace patterning as a central design element throughout the garment. The finishing process involves seaming the shoulder seams, setting sleeves into armholes, and seaming sleeve and side seams. A neckline is worked after the main body is assembled, picked up from the neck opening and worked in the round using circular needles.

Stitches Used

The Highland Lake Lace Pattern is based on a multiple of 6 stitches plus 3. The lace pattern repeats across rows and features classic lace techniques including:

• Yarn overs (yo) to create the openwork characteristic of lace
• Knit stitches (k) for structure and definition
• Purl stitches (p) primarily on wrong-side rows
• Slip, slip, knit decreases (ssk) to pair with yarn overs and create balanced lace
• Knit two together (k2tog) decreases for shaping and lace definition

The pattern rows alternate between wrong-side rows worked in garter stitch edges (knit 1, purl to last stitch, knit 1) and right-side rows featuring the lace repeat. Additional shaping stitches include standard bind-offs and increases worked at garment edges during sleeve cap and body shaping.

Materials and Tools

The Highland Lake Lace Pullover is knitted with Valley Yarns Goshen, a blend yarn composed of 48% Peruvian Cotton, 46% Modal, and 6% Silk. Each skein contains 92 yards and weighs 50 grams. The project requires 8 to 14 skeins depending on the finished size selected, with the color used in this pattern being 7035 Seafoam. Knitting is worked on US size 8 (5.0 mm) needles for the main body and sleeves. Circular needles of the same size are used for the neckline finishing. The recommended gauge is 16 stitches and 21 rows equal 4 inches when worked in the lace pattern, which is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements.

Construction Details

The back and front panels are worked identically until the armhole shaping begins. Armholes measure between 2.5 and 5.5 inches depending on size. The front features neck shaping worked by placing a group of stitches on a holder and working left and right fronts simultaneously with two separate skeins of yarn. Shoulder shaping is accomplished through bind-offs of 5 to 9 stitches at the beginning of rows across 6 rows total. Sleeves are made in pairs and begin with cast-on stitches ranging from 33 to 45 depending on size. Sleeve length increases are worked at the beginning and end of every 6th row, with 13 to 18 increases per sleeve. Finished sleeve length ranges from 17 to 20.5 inches. Sleeve cap shaping involves progressive bind-offs and decreases to taper the sleeve head for a smooth armhole fit. The neckline is completed by picking up stitches around the neck opening and working in the round with purl and knit rows to finish the edge.