DIY: Knit Kross Pullover by Védís Jónsdóttir

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I knit the Kross Pullover by Védís Jónsdóttir for our Etsy shop. I knit the size large using 4.5 mm and 5.5 mm needles (my gauge is loose), and it only took me eight days!

To knit the sweater, I used three shades of Canadian grown wool, milled in PEI. The wool is from Wool 4 Ewe, and I bought it at an Upper Canada Fibreshed popup shop in Chinatown in March. Wool 4 Ewe has a small flock of ewes in Ontario. Most of the ewes were of the Dorset breed, while others are Cheviot. Now Wool 4 Ewe has their own mill, and since Tomiko and I love visiting fibre farms, we would love to visit it!

The Kross Pullover calls for five colours, but I used just three: creamy white, medium grey, and a darker brown-grey. Together, these form a beautiful gradient or ombre effect. I love how I was able to do a modern yoke using undyed yarn – all the colour is from the sheep!

Body and sleeves are worked in the round from lower edge to underarms, then joined to work yoke in the round. Depending on how you like your sweaters to fit, it could fit as a small or medium loosely and comfortably. However, if you like your sweaters more fitted, it would act as a large.

Once again, I used the book Knitting with Icelandic Wool

by Vedis Jonsdottir.

I found that the criss-cross or Indian cross pattern wasn’t written accurately in the book. Either that, or I just had trouble understanding the directions! However, I could figure it out.

Since many lopapeysa have the same front and back, I decided to alter this pattern. For an improved fit, I added short row shaping to the back neck using the wrap and turn method:

• Mark centre back (CB), 31 stitches from join of back to back of sleeve.
• Knit 50 stitches, wrap and turn.
• Purl to CB, purl 49 stitches, wrap and turn.
• Knit to CB, knit 42 stitches, wrap and turn.
• Purl to CB, purl 41 stitches, wrap and turn.
• Knit to CB, knit 34 stitches, wrap and turn.
• Purl to CB, purl 33 stitches, wrap and turn.
• Knit to CB, knit 26 stitches, wrap and turn.
• Purl to CB, purl 25 stitches, wrap and turn.
• Knit to CB, knit 18 stitches, wrap and turn.
• Purl to CB, purl 17 stitches, wrap and turn.
• After that, knit all the way around, picking up wraps, ending at CB again. Follow pattern for yoke and decreases.

Since the pullover calls for a loose gauge, I was able to knit it in just eight days!

So far, I’ve knit several other pullovers from this book, including the Blaklukka Pullover and my Ar Tresins Pullover. Overall, the patterns are well written and I don’t see myself stopping yet!

The pattern is available on Ravelry here.

This finished Kross Pullover is available for sale in our Etsy shop.