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 .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. 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. I hope you like it.

Knit in the round. Bottom up. It’s a super quick knit. Made with 2 strands of Plötulopi. If you have two plates, you can take the strands from 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. It’s 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.

Larsdatter Icelandic Wool Version

Sizes
XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL

Finished chest measurements are 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

Please choose gauge-size needles. Swatch with both single color and color work. Every knitter is different, but I used a U.S. size 7 (4.5 mm) for the ribbing and U.S. size 9 (5.5mm) for the gauge-size needles in 32 (40 inch for larger sizes) circular needles and double-pointed needles/flexiflips in size 7 (4.5 mm) and 16-inch circular needles in US 9 (5.5mm)circular needle for the sleeves.

Additional materials
Tapestry Needle

Gauge is 14 stitches and 19 rows over 4 inches (10 cm)

Larsdatter Worsted Weight is now included in the pattern.

I love this sweater so much, that I decided to knit it in a worsted weight. I have updated the pattern so now it includes the original 13-stitches = 4 inches pattern and a 16.5 stitches =4 inches pattern. I have both sweaters and love them both. Here are the details on the newest version.

LARSDATTER SWEATER (WORSTED WEIGHT)

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.

Additional Materials
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
Long-tail cast on
Knit
Purl
Backward loop increase for the sleeves
K2 tog 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