Bylgja (Lopi 31) — Long Top-Down Sweater Knitting Pattern

Guðbjörg Pálmadóttir’s Bylgja from Ístex’s Lopi 31 is a long pullover knitted from the top down in one colour of Léttlopi, light ash, with ¾-length sleeves. There is no ribbing: the neck is two knit rounds, and the hem and cuffs end with a single purl round. Down the front run four wavy lines — ash heather, dark grey heather, black heather and dark wine — crocheted onto the finished sweater with slip stitches, or sewn in duplicate stitch. Sizes XS to XL. Dark wine (9417) is no longer made; the other four colours still are. Lopi 29 has a different pattern with the same name.

What you get

• The knitting pattern in English (PDF), emailed right after purchase — nothing is posted
• Sizes XS, S, M, L and XL
• How to crochet (or sew) the waves onto the front — there is no chart; you draw the lines yourself
• Yarn and needles are not included. The kit has this pattern and the light ash yarn for the sweater — not the four wave colours: the grey kit

Yarn used in the pattern (not included)

Léttlopi — 50 g balls · sizes XS (S M L XL)
A 0056 light ash — 7 (7 8 8 9)

For the waves: Léttlopi — 50 g balls · about 2–3 metres of each — the pattern prints no letters or ball counts for these
0054 ash heather — about 2–3 m
0058 dark grey heather — about 2–3 m
0005 black heather — about 2–3 m
9417 dark wine — about 2–3 m · no longer made by Ístex; our Bylgja kit holds only the light ash body yarn, so it has no replacement

Sizes

Gauge
15 sts × 24 rows = 10 cm (4″) in stocking stitch on 5.5 mm needles.

Needles
5.5 mm (US 9) circular needles, 40 and 60 cm — the yoke, the body and the sleeves
4.5 mm (US 7) circular needles, 40 and 60 cm — the neck edge and the purl round at the hem
4.5 mm and 5.5 mm double-pointed needles (in the pattern’s list) for the sleeves, 42 to 53 stitches round
3.5 mm (US E-4) crochet hook — for the waves

You will also need
Stitch holders for the sleeve stitches, a stitch marker and a tapestry needle — the pattern’s list leaves them out — and, as the pattern suggests, a finer yarn or thread to draw the waves before you crochet them.

How it is knitted
Knitted in the round from the top down. The neck is cast on with 80 (85, 90, 95, 100) stitches on the 4.5 mm circular and knitted for 2 rounds; on 5.5 mm the yoke is increased in six rounds, four plain rounds apart — one stitch after every 5, then 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 stitches — to 176 (187, 198, 209, 220), and knitted until it measures 20 (22, 23, 24, 24) cm. The sleeve stitches go on holders and 9 (10, 10, 11, 12) stitches are cast on at each underarm; the body, 128 (137, 143, 153, 162) stitches, is knitted straight until it measures 50 (52, 54, 56, 58) cm and finished with one purl round on 4.5 mm and a loose bind-off. For each sleeve the held stitches go onto the shorter 5.5 mm circular and the underarm stitches are picked up, 42 (45, 47, 50, 53), knitted straight to 38 (40, 42, 42, 44) cm and finished the same way. Last, the waves are crocheted onto the left front with the 3.5 mm hook: the yarn is held inside the sweater and drawn up through the fabric and through the loop on the hook, a line of slip stitches on the surface — or the lines are sewn in duplicate stitch.

Design: Guðbjörg Pálmadóttir — pattern from Lopi No. 31 (no. 23), Ístex.

How you get it — the pattern is a PDF in English. It is emailed to you right after purchase; nothing is posted.

Yarn — not included. We sell Ístex lopi by the ball in our yarn shop, or choose the kit, which has this pattern and all the yarn in one parcel.

No email? Check your spam folder, then write to support@icelandicstore.is with your order number. A person answers, Monday to Friday.