Valley Yarns Rhodonite Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Rhodonite Pullover Sweater

What Is Being Made

The Rhodonite is a women's pullover sweater designed by Julie Turjoman, featuring a modern and feminine silhouette. This garment is versatile enough to wear as a standalone piece during spring or layered under a jacket. The sweater showcases a simplified colorwork motif at the hem, combining a main color with a contrasting accent, and is constructed with careful waist shaping to create a flattering, fitted shape.

Construction Method and Techniques

The Rhodonite is worked from the bottom up in the round using seamless construction, eliminating the need for seaming pieces together. The sweater is knitted continuously from the hem through the body and up to the yoke, allowing for a smooth, uninterrupted garment. This bottom-up, in-the-round approach makes for efficient knitting and a professional finish.

The design incorporates stranded colorwork technique at the hem, where two colors are carried simultaneously to create the geometric motif. The body features waist shaping through strategic decreases and increases, worked at regular intervals to achieve the garment's feminine, contoured fit. The main fabric is worked entirely in Stockinette stitch, a fundamental knitting stitch that creates a smooth, classic appearance.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch: The primary stitch throughout the sweater, creating a smooth, flat fabric with a polished appearance
• Knit (K) and Purl (P) stitches: The foundational stitches that form Stockinette when worked in alternating rows or rounds
• Knit Two Together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease used for waist shaping
• Slip, Slip, Knit (SSK): A left-leaning decrease used to balance decreases on either side of the waist
• Make One (M1): An increase technique used to add stitches during waist shaping and yoke construction
• Stranded Colorwork: Two colors are carried together in the hem motif, creating a traditional Fair Isle-style pattern

Yarn and Materials

The Rhodonite is designed to be knitted with Valley Yarns Valley Superwash Sport, a premium yarn composed of 100% Extrafine Superwash Merino Wool. This fiber choice provides softness, breathability, and easy care through machine washing. The main color (MC) is Orchid, requiring 7 to 13 skeins depending on size, while the contrast color (CC) is Classic Navy, requiring 1 to 2 skeins. Each skein weighs 50 grams and yields 153 yards.

Circular needles in US size 5 (3.75 mm) are used for the main fabric, with sizes available in 16-inch, 24-inch, and 32- to 40-inch lengths to accommodate different sections of the garment. US size 3 (3.25 mm) circular needles and double-pointed needles (DPN) are used for ribbed edgings and smaller circumference areas. Additional materials include stitch markers to denote pattern repeats and shaping points, stitch holders for managing live stitches, and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends.

Sizing and Fit

The Rhodonite is available in nine sizes ranging from XS to 4XL, with finished bust measurements from 32¾ inches to 62¾ inches. The pattern is designed to fit with 0 to 2 inches of positive ease, meaning the finished garment will be slightly larger than the wearer's actual measurements for comfortable movement and a relaxed fit. The waist shaping creates definition at the narrowest part of the body, enhancing the sweater's flattering silhouette.

Gauge and Difficulty Level

The Rhodonite is rated as an intermediate-level knitting project, suitable for knitters with experience in circular needle techniques and colorwork. The required gauge is 24 stitches and 28 rounds over 4 inches when worked in Stockinette stitch on US size 5 needles. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements and fit. The intermediate difficulty reflects the combination of seamless in-the-round construction, stranded colorwork, and fitted shaping techniques required to complete this sweater successfully.