Larsdatter Pattern

This sweater was designed and knit for my daughter’s 25th birthday in a weekend. I have always loved the Icelandic Yoke Sweater (Lopapeysa) for its coziness and speedy knitting. The yarn is so fat that, once you get the hang of it, these sweaters fly off the needles. But the fact that an experienced knitter can make one in a weekend, does not lessen the wow factor of these timeless sweaters if they take you a little longer. With their cozy fit and colorful yokes, they provide a powerful effort-to-impact ratio.

I love this motif. The design was inspired by Norwegian Rosemåling. I wanted to include both a heart and tulip (both are icons of love). I’ve also included our favorite almond chocolate cookie recipe with the pattern. I hope you like it.

Knit in the round. Bottom up. Larsdatter is a super quick knit using 2 strands of Plötulopi. If you have two yarn plates, you can take the strands from the inside or the outside of each plate. If you only have 1 plate left, you can knit with one strand from the inside and one strand from the outside. Plötulopi is fluffy and magically and light weight, yet super warm. After the body and the sleeves are knit, they are all joined together in the yoke and the fun begins with the color work. Carry the gold in the left hand the the white in the right hand—putting the gold in the dominant position. Decrease as indicated in the chart and the top is finished with an I-cord bind off.

I love this sweater so much, that I decided to knit it in a worsted weight also. The pattern now includes the original (13-stitches = 4 inches) pattern and a 16.5 stitches = 4 inches pattern. I have both sweaters and love them equally.

Larsdatter Icelandic Wool Version

Sizes
XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
Finished Measurements
Chest: 33( 36.5,40,42.8,45.7, 48.5, 51.4) inches.
Yarn
2- strands of Plötulopi
Natural 400 (400,400,500,500,600,600) grams
Gold 100 grams
Needles
US size 7 (4.5 mm) 32 (40) inch circular needles and DPNs
US size 9 (5.5mm) 32 (40) and 16 inch circular needles and DPNs
Please choose gauge-size needles. Swatch with both single color and colorwork. Every knitter is different.
Notions
Darning Needle
Gauge and Swatch
14 stitches and 19 rows over 4 inches (10 cm)

Larsdatter Worsted Weight Version

Sizes 
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
Finished Measurements
Chest: 34 (36, 38 ¾, 41, 43 ½ ,46, 48 ½, 51, 53 1/3 ) inches
Sleeve length: 17.5 (17.5, 18, 18.5, 19, 19, 20, 20, 21) inches
Body length to underarm: 14.5(15, 15.5, 16, 16.5, 17, 18, 19, 20) inches
Yoke: 7½ ( 7 ½, 7 ½, 7 ¾, 7 ¾, 8, 8, 8 ½ 8.75 ) inches
Yarn
Quince and Co Owl
Main Color: Buru 300 (350,350,400,450,500,550,600, 650) grams.
Contrasting color: Studio Donegal Soft Donegal Ripe Wheat 100 grams for all sizes
Needles
US Size 7 (4.5 mm) for ribbing and U.S. 8 (5 mm) for stockinette stitch in 32-inch or 40-inch circular needles.
U.S. size 7 (4.5 mm) double-point needles for ribbing and size 8 (5 mm) double pointed and/or 16-inch circular needle/flexiflips for sleeves
(or sizes needed to obtain gauge).
Notions
Darning needle
Gauge and Swatch
16 ½ stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches or 10 cm on larger needles.
Please swatch in the round to determine needle size.
Note: Swatch in both single color and in colorwork. You may need to knit the single-color part of the sweater with a smaller needle than the colorwork section. The gauge is the same throughout the sweater.
Skills Used 
Long-tail cast on
Knit
Purl
Backward loop increase for the sleeves
k2tog and ssk decreases for the yoke
Bottom-up construction
Stranded color work in yoke
I-cord bind off on the Icelandic wool version
Bind off with decreases for the worsted-weight version