Designed to use warm but relatively light yarn, this is a great pattern for a more experienced knitter or someone less advanced who wants to try stranded colourwork. It could even work as your first sweater project. Bleideag is a loose-fitting, drapey style that mixes the more affordable Létt Lopi as the main colour of the sweater and highlighting the yoke with Einrúm yarn. It’s available in sizes XS-5XL.
‘Bleideag’ is the Scottish Gaelic word for snowflake, which felt appropriate given the delicate snowflake-inspired yoke on this sweater style.
To make the Bleideag sweater, you work up from the bottom in the round. We've included directions for optional short row bust shaping and hope you can use this to create the fit you're looking for on the chest. The sleeves are joined to the body at the underarm, before moving on to the yoke. The yoke is also worked in the round, and decreases are subtly incorporated into the colourwork.. Short rows are used to lower the yoke at the front and raise the back of the neck so you end up with a shape that's right for you.
Build your skills by following the links to our clear step-by-step tutorials.
16 sts and 21 rnds = 4˝" in st st in the rnd.
Learn all of the skills you need to make Bleideag with our beginner colourwork course. The Stranded Colourwork Basics course is a 4 week self-guided online knitting course, with continued access to the course so that you can return to each chapter for a refresher, again and again, whenever you need.
Aran weight yarn with good elasticity, wool or wool blends are ideal. Shown in Ístex Létt Lopi (100% Icelandic wool, 109yds / 100m, 50g). MC – 0005 Black Heather
Contrast colours shown in Einrúm L+2 (92% Icelandic Wool, 8% Thai Silk, 102yds / 93m, 50g). CC1 – 2005, CC2 – 2001, CC3 – 2008
US 9 / 5.5mm 24” / 60cm or longer circular needle.
For your selected size you will receive the number of balls of MC Ístex Létt Lopi and CC Einrúm L+2 in each colour as shown in the table below.
Size | 1–3 | 4–5 | 6–7 | 8–10 | 11–12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
MC | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
CC1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
CC2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
CC3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
1[2, 3, 4, 5, 6] (7, 8, 9, 10, 11) [12, 13, 14, 15]
38[40, 42, 44, 46, 48] (50, 52, 54, 56, 58) [60, 62, 64, 66]" / 95[100, 105, 110, 115, 120] (125, 130, 135, 140, 145) [150, 155, 160, 165]cm finished chest circumference)
Our models are wearing the size 7 with C/D bust darts with between 4 and 9" of positive ease.
Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
Inches | |||||||||||||||
chest | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 48 | 50 | 52 | 54 | 56 | 58 | 60 | 62 | 64 | 66 |
body length | 12 1/2 | 12 3/4 | 13 | 13 1/4 | 13 1/2 | 13 3/4 | 14 | 14 1/4 | 14 1/2 | 14 3/4 | 15 | 15 1/4 | 15 1/2 | 15 3/4 | 16 |
upper arm | 12 | 12 1/2 | 13 1/2 | 14 | 14 1/2 | 15 | 16 | 16 1/2 | 17 | 17 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 19 | 19 1/2 | 20 | 21 |
cuff | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
sleeve length | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 18 1/2 |
back yoke depth | 8 1/2 | 8 1/2 | 8 1/2 | 8 3/4 | 8 3/4 | 9 1/4 | 9 1/2 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 1/4 | 10 3/4 | 10 3/4 | 11 | 11 |
CM | |||||||||||||||
chest | 95 | 100 | 105 | 110 | 115 | 120 | 125 | 130 | 135 | 140 | 145 | 150 | 155 | 160 | 165 |
body length | 31.5 | 32 | 32.5 | 33 | 34 | 34.5 | 35 | 35.5 | 36.5 | 37 | 37.5 | 38 | 39 | 39.5 | 40 |
upper arm | 30 | 31.5 | 34 | 35 | 36.5 | 37.5 | 40 | 41.5 | 42.5 | 44 | 46.5 | 47.5 | 49 | 50 | 52.5 |
cuff | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
sleeve length | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 |
back yoke depth | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25.5 | 26.5 | 26.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 |