Valley Yarns Bordeaux Pullover Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Bordeaux Pullover

What Is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Bordeaux Pullover is a seamless, top-down knitted sweater designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This pullover features a sophisticated cable pattern worked throughout the yoke and body, creating an elegant textured design. The sweater is available in five finished sizes: 36, 40, 44, 48, and 52 inches, making it suitable for a range of body measurements. The garment is constructed using circular needles and worked in the round for a seamless construction, eliminating the need for seaming.

Techniques Used

The Bordeaux Pullover employs several advanced knitting techniques that elevate it to intermediate difficulty level. The primary construction method is top-down seamless knitting, where the yoke is cast on and increases are worked outward to shape the shoulders and upper body. The sweater is worked in the round using circular needles, which creates a continuous spiral of fabric without seams.

Cable knitting is the signature design element, featuring a repeating cable pattern throughout the yoke. The cable pattern uses a multiple of 8 stitches and incorporates both front crosses (FC) and back crosses (BC) to create the dimensional twisted rope effect. The cables are spaced with stockinette stitch sections, creating visual rhythm and interest. Strategic increases using make-one stitches (both m1L for left-leaning and m1R for right-leaning) are worked at regular intervals to accommodate the expanding yoke shaping as the sweater grows outward from the neckline.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch: The primary stitch used for the body and between cable sections, created by knitting all stitches on round knits
• Cable stitches: Back cross (BC) and front cross (FC) cables, each created by slipping 2 stitches to a cable needle and holding them while knitting 2 stitches from the main needle, then knitting the held stitches
• Make-one left (m1L): An increase worked by picking up the strand running between stitches from front to back and knitting into the back loop, creating a left-leaning increase
• Make-one right (m1R): An increase worked by picking up the strand running between stitches from back to front and knitting into the front loop, creating a right-leaning increase

Cable Pattern Details

The cable pattern repeats over 16 rounds and uses a multiple of 8 stitches. The pattern alternates between front crosses and back crosses to create a balanced, reversible cable design. Rounds 1-7 feature front crosses with knit stitches between, while rounds 8-16 feature back crosses. Between the cable crossing rounds, plain knit rounds allow the twisted stitches to settle and create definition.

Yoke Construction

The yoke begins with 80 cast-on stitches divided into four sections: two 8-stitch sleeve sections and two 32-stitch body sections. Increases are worked every other round in a strategic pattern, with cable pattern rows interspersed among the increase rounds. The yoke is repeated 2 to 4 times depending on size, with partial repeats for some sizes, building the sweater from a fitted neckline to the desired bust circumference. Final stitch counts range from 48 to 80 stitches per sleeve and 72 to 104 stitches per body section, depending on the chosen size.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Bordeaux Pullover is designed to be knitted with Valley Yarns Colrain Lace yarn, a luxury blend of 50% Merino wool and 50% Tencel. One cone of this yarn, containing 1540 yards at 8.8 ounces, provides sufficient yardage for the complete sweater across all sizes. The Plum colorway creates a rich, sophisticated appearance that complements the cable texture. The yarn's blend of natural fibers offers breathability and drape while maintaining the structure needed for defined cables.

Needles required: US size 9 (5.50 mm) circular needles in both 24-inch and 16-inch lengths, plus double-pointed needles of the same size for working the smallest circumferences. A cable needle is essential for holding stitches during cable crosses. The gauge is 4 stitches and 6 rows per 1 inch in stockinette stitch, which should be verified before beginning the project to ensure proper finished measurements.