Valley Yarns First Violet Pullover Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns First Violet Pullover

What Is Being Made

The Valley Yarns First Violet Pullover is a baby pullover sweater designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This garment features a henley-style collar with button closure and is available in four finished sizes: 16, 18, 20, and 22 inches. The pullover combines classic construction with modern design elements, making it both practical and visually appealing for infants and toddlers.

Construction and Techniques

This pullover is constructed using top-down seamless construction, which allows knitters to try the garment on as they work and adjust fit easily. The sweater features raglan sleeves that are increased evenly from the yoke down, creating a comfortable, well-proportioned fit. The yoke is worked in garter stitch, a reversible textured stitch created by knitting every row, which provides visual interest and structure at the shoulders.

The design incorporates jogless single-row stripes, a technique that eliminates the jog or step that typically appears when changing colors in striped knitting worked in the round. This creates clean, professional-looking horizontal stripes throughout the body and sleeves. The sweater is worked in the round using circular needles, which eliminates the need for seaming and creates a seamless, comfortable garment.

The henley collar features a buttoned opening with strategically placed buttonholes. The front hem sections are worked flat with garter stitch, while the sleeves transition to double-pointed needles for the smaller circumference.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st) — The primary stitch for the body and sleeves, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric
• Garter Stitch — Used for the yoke and hem sections, providing texture and definition
• Make One (m1) — Used for the raglan increases to shape the yoke evenly
• Yarn Over (yo) and Knit Two Together (k2tog) — Creates buttonholes for the henley collar closure

Materials and Yarn

This pattern calls for Valley Yarns Valley Superwash DK Hand-Dyed, a high-quality yarn composed of 100% Extrafine Merino Superwash. Each 100-gram skein yields 274 yards of yarn. The pattern uses two colors: one skein each of Cobalt and First Violet, providing the two-color striped effect. The superwash treatment makes the finished garment easy to care for, an important feature for baby clothing.

Knitters will need US size 5 (3.75mm) circular needles in 16-inch length and double-pointed needles of the same size, or whatever size is necessary to achieve the specified gauge. Additional materials include 3 to 4 stitch markers (depending on size), 4 buttons for the henley collar, and 2 stitch holders for managing stitches during construction.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 5.5 stitches and 8 rows per 1 inch in stockinette stitch. Achieving proper gauge is essential for the sweater to fit correctly across the four available sizes. The finished measurements range from 16 inches for newborns to 22 inches for larger babies and toddlers.

Design Features

The combination of garter stitch yoke and striped body creates visual contrast and texture variation. The buttoned henley collar adds a sophisticated, finished look while providing practical functionality for dressing babies. The jogless stripe technique demonstrates advanced colorwork skills while maintaining a polished appearance that appeals to both knitters and those receiving the finished garment.