Kirsten is a vintage-style jumper with set-in sleeves designed for and published by Harrisville Designs for the launch of their Daylights yarn collection. Kirsten was inspired by Danish Nattrøjer or Night Sweaters that were worn in cold weather both day and night for hundreds of years. This is my take on a traditional night sweater. Nattrøjer were usually knit cropped to wear under other clothing, but Kirsten is longer, so that it can be worn alone.
Shaping in the body is achieved by changing your needle size. This design is worked from the bottom up, flat, and seamed. The hem rib and a portion of the body is worked on the smaller needle to achieve the hip measurement, then a larger needle is used for bust and upper body.
Sleeves are worked flat, then set into armhole, then sides of body and sleeves are seamed using the mattress stitch.
Stitches are picked up around neck edge and worked in the round in a stockinette facing, then sewn to the WS of neck edge using the whip stitch.
Body and sleeve lengths to the underarm are the same for all sizes. Add or remove length as desired by adjusting the ribbing depth. Note that adding length will require more yarn than specified above.
The fit is tight 0 - 1” / (0 - 2.5 cm) ease at hip. Select the size with a hip circumference closest to actual body hip measurement. If actual bust measurement is larger than the bust measurement given for that size, choose the next size up.
Note that the darling model Harrisville chose for the photoshoot was smaller than I anticipated. The sweater should fit tighter than photographed.
Sizes
XS, S, M, ML, L, XL, XXL, 3XL, 4XL
Finished Measurements
Bust Circumference: 33 (36½, 40¼, 43¾, 49, 54¾, 58¼, 62, 65½)” / 84 (92.5, 102, 111, 124.5, 139, 148, 157.5, 166.5) cm;
Hip Circumference: 30½ (34, 37¾, 41¼, 46½, 50¼, 53¾, 57½, 61)” / 77.5 (86.5, 96, 105, 118, 127.5, 136.5, 146, 155) cm, with 0 - 1” / 0 - 2.5 cm of intended negative ease at hip or bust. As this is intended to be a close-fitting garment, and all bodies may have different proportions, I recommend checking your measurements against the pattern when choosing a size to knit.
Yarn
Harrisville daylights (DK weight)
85% Cormo Wool; 15% wool
250 yards per 100 g skein
shown in chirp
3 (3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6) skeins, or 627 (734, 802, 902, 1082, 1146, 1233, 1327, 1472) yds of DK weight yarn
Needles
US 4 (3.50 mm): 16 / 32” circ.
US 5 (3.75 mm): 32” circ and 2 DPNs or spare circ for three-needle bind-off.
Notions
stitch markers
waste yarn
cable needle (optional)
tapestry needle
Gauge and Swatch
23 stitches and 32 rows = 4” / 10 cm in stitch pattern on smaller needles, after gently blocking (one 24 stitch repeat for pattern measures 4.75” wide) 21 stitches and 29 rows = 4” / 10 cm in stitch pattern on larger needles, after gently blocking (one 24 stitch repeat for pattern measures 5.25” wide)
Skills Used
Long-tail cast on
Knit
Purl
Danish traveling stitches
Bind-off
Hand sewing
