Fern Feast

Knitted jumper in DROPS Belle or DROPS Sky. The piece is worked top down with saddle shoulders and short sleeves. Sizes S - XXXL.

DROPS 220-26
DROPS Design: Pattern no vs-070
Yarn group B
-------------------------------------------------------

SIZES:
S - M - L - XL - XXL - XXXL

MATERIALS:
DROPS BELLE from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group B)
300-300-350-350-400-450 g colour 10, moss green
Or:
DROPS SKY from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group B)
200-200-200-250-250-300 g colour 07, light sea green

KNITTING TENSION:
20 stitches in width and 26 rows in height with stocking stitch = 10 x 10 cm.

NEEDLES:
DROPS DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES SIZE 4.5 MM.
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 4.5 MM: Length 40 cm and 80 cm for stocking stitch.
DROPS DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES SIZE 3.5 MM.
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 3.5 MM: Length 40 cm and 80 cm for rib.
Needle size is only a guide. If you get too many stitches on 10 cm, change to a larger needle size. If you get too few stitches on 10 cm, change to a smaller needle size.

-------------------------------------------------------

EXPLANATIONS FOR THE PATTERN:

-------------------------------------------------------

INCREASE TIP-1 (evenly spaced):
To work out how to increase evenly, count the total number of stitches on the needle (e.g. 92 stitches) and divide by the number of increases to be made (e.g. 12) = 7.7. 
In this example, increase by making 1 yarn over after alternately each 7th and 8th stitch (approx.). On the next round work the yarn overs twisted to avoid holes.

INCREASE TIP-2:
BEFORE MARKER:
The new stitch twists towards the right.
Use the left needle to pick up the strand between 2 stitches from the previous round, picking it up from the back and then knitting in the front loop.
AFTER MARKER:
The new stitch twists towards the left.
Use the left needle to pick up the strand between 2 stitches from the previous round, picking it up from the front and knitting in the back loop.

DECREASE TIP (for sides of body and under sleeves):
Decrease 1 stitch on each side of the marker as follows:
Work until there are 3 stitches left before the marker, knit 2 together, knit 2, slip 1 stitch as if to knit, knit 1 and pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch.

CASTING-OFF TIP:
To avoid the cast-off edge being tight you can cast off with a larger size needle. If the edge is still tight, make 1 yarn over after approx. each 4th stitch at the same time as casting off; the yarn overs are cast off as normal stitches.

-------------------------------------------------------

START THE PIECE HERE:

-------------------------------------------------------

JUMPER – SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE PIECE:
The piece is worked in the round, top down.
Stitches are increased on the yoke for the saddle shoulders and then stitches are increased for the sleeves.
The yoke is divided for body and sleeves and the body continued in the round with circular needle. The sleeves are worked in the round with double pointed needles, top down.

NECK:
Cast on 92-96-100-108-112-116 stitches with circular needle size 3.5 mm and Belle or Sky.
Knit 1 round, then work rib (knit 2, purl 2) in the round for 2 cm.
Knit 1 round where you increase 12-12-20-20-24-28 stitches evenly spaced – read INCREASE TIP-1 = 104-108-120-128-136-144 stitches.
YOKE:
Change to circular needle size 4.5 mm and insert a marker at the beginning of the round (mid-back) – THE PIECE IS MEASURED FROM HERE!
In addition, insert 4 new markers in the piece as described below – without working the stitches and inserting the markers between 2 stitches; the markers are used when increasing for the shoulders and should have a different colour from the marker on the neck.
Marker-1: Start mid-back and count 18-19-20-22-22-24 stitches (= ½ back piece), insert the marker before the next stitch.
Marker-2: Count 16-16-20-20-24-24 stitches from marker-1 (= shoulder), insert the marker before the next stitch.
Marker-3: Count 36-38-40-44-44-48 stitches from marker-2 (= front piece), insert the marker before the next stitch.
Marker-4: Count 16-16-20-20-24-24 stitches from marker-3 (= shoulder), insert the marker before the next stitch.
There are 18-19-20-22-24-24 stitches left on the back piece after marker-4. Allow these 4 markers to follow your work onwards.

INCREASES FOR SADDLE-SHOULDER:
Work stocking stitch in the round.
AT THE SAME TIME, on the first round, increase 4 stitches for the shoulders as follows:
Increase BEFORE markers 1 and 3 and AFTER markers 2 and 4 – read INCREASE TIP-2. Here you only increase on the front and back pieces, so the number of shoulder stitches remains the same.
Continue working in the round and increase like this every round a total of 21-21-24-24-26-26 times = 188-192-216-224-240-248 stitches. REMEMBER THE KNITTING TENSION!
After the last increase the piece measures 8-8-9-9-10-10 cm from the marker on the neck. Then increase for the sleeves as described below.

INCREASES FOR SLEEVE:
Work stocking stitch in the round.
AT THE SAME TIME, on the next round, increase 4 stitches for the sleeves as follows:
Increase AFTER markers 1 and 3 and increase BEFORE markers 2 and 4 – remember INCREASE TIP-2.
Here you only increase on the shoulders, so the number of stitches on the front and back pieces remains the same (the increased stitches are worked in stocking stitch).
Increase like this every 2nd round a total of 17-18-18-17-17-17 times = 256-264-288-292-308-316 stitches.
The piece now measures 21-22-23-22-23-23 cm from the marker on the neck. Continue with stocking stitch if necessary, without further increases, until the piece measures 21-22-23-22-23-23 cm. Then increase for the yoke as described below.

INCREASES FOR YOKE:
Move the 4 markers so each marker sits in the outermost stitch on each side of the front piece and the back piece. There are now 50-52-56-54-58-58 stitches between the marker-stitches on each sleeve.
On the next round increase 8 stitches by increasing both before and after each marker-stitch – remember INCREASE TIP-2. Here you increase on both the front and back pieces and on the sleeves.
Increase like this every 2nd round a total of 4-5-6-10-11-14 times = 288-304-336-372-396-428 stitches.
When the increases are finished, the piece measures 24-26-28-30-31-34 cm from the marker on the neck. Continue with stocking stitch if necessary, without further increases, to the correct length.

Now divide the yoke for body and sleeves as follows:
Work the first 42-45-49-54-59-65 stitches as before (= ½ back piece), place the next 60-62-70-78-80-84 stitches on a thread for the sleeve, cast on 8-10-10-10-12-12 new stitches on the needle (= in side under sleeve), work 84-90-98-108-118-130 stitches as before (= front piece), place the next 60-62-70-78-80-84 stitches on a thread for the sleeve, cast on 8-10-10-10-12-12 new stitches on the needle (= in side under sleeve), work as before over the last 42-45-49-54-59-65 stitches (= ½ back piece).
Body and sleeves are finished separately. THE PIECE IS NOW MEASURED FROM HERE.

BODY:
= 184-200-216-236-260-284 stitches. Insert 1 marker in the middle of the 8-10-10-10-12-12 stitches under each sleeve; these markers are used when decreasing in the sides.
Work stocking stitch in the round.
When the piece measures 3 cm from the division, decrease 1 stitch on each side of both markers – read DECREASE TIP (= 4 stitches decreased).
Decrease like this every 3-3-2½-2½-2½-2½ cm a total of 4 times = 168-184-200-220-244-268 stitches.
When the piece measures 14-14-13-13-12-12 cm from the division, knit 1 round where you increase 32-36-40-44-48-56 stitches evenly spaced = 200-220-240-264-292-324 stitches.
Change to circular needle size 3.5 mm and work rib (knit 2, purl 2) in the round for 3 cm. Cast off with knit over knit and purl over purl – read CASTING-OFF TIP!
The jumper measures approx. 44-46-48-50-52-54 cm from the shoulder down.

SLEEVE:
Place the 60-62-70-78-80-84 stitches from the thread on the one side of the piece on double pointed needles/short circular needle size 4.5 mm and knit up 1 stitch in each of the 8-10-10-10-12-12 stitches cast on under the sleeve = 68-72-80-88-92-96 stitches.
Work stocking stitch in the round. When the piece measures 5 cm from the division, change to circular needle size 3.5 mm.
Work rib (knit 2, purl 2) in the round for 2 cm. Cast off with knit over knit and purl over purl – remember CASTING-OFF TIP. The sleeve measures 7 cm from the division in all sizes. Work the other sleeve in the same way.

Diagram explanations

Have you finished this pattern?

Tag your pictures with #dropspattern #fernfeasttop or submit them to the #dropsfan gallery.

Do you need help with this pattern?

You'll find 28 tutorial videos, a Comments/Questions area and more by visiting the pattern on garnstudio.com.
Have you purchased DROPS yarn to make this pattern? Then you are entitled to receive help from the store that sold you the yarn.

© 1982-2025 DROPS Design A/S. We reserve all rights. This document, including all its sub-sections, has copyrights. Read more about what you can do with our patterns at the bottom of each pattern on our site.