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VARSA JACKET
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Growing up in 1990s USA, I remember watching endless coming-of-age movies, featuring the archetypes of the studious Arty Girl, and the athletic Bad Boy who won her over. At the end, there would always be a scene (perhaps at a drive-through, whilst drinking a milkshake), with his varsity jacket draped over her shoulders on a cool summer’s night.

Other matters aside, even on a sartorial level, at the age of 13, this cinematic narrative frustrated me. Because I wanted one of those jackets! But not from a boy who bestowed it upon me. And not with the letters of some sports team I had no interest in. But tailored to my proportions, and decorated with symbols which held personal meaning.

Now decades later, Varsa is exactly that.

Simultaneously slouchy and tailored, confident and dreamy, Art-girly and Bad-boyish, Varsa reimagines the classic varsity jacket, transforming it from a symbol of social belonging into a platform of personal expression.

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MATERIALS & INFORMATION 



GAUGE


main fabric in Varv:
12 sts x 22 rows = 10cm/ 4” x 10cm/ 4”
in garter stitch 


edgings in Nutiden:
18 sts x 24 rows = 10cm/ 4” x 10cm/ 4”
in 1x1 rib

YARN

main fabric: Honer och Eir Varv, Fin-weight

edgings: Honer och Eir Nutiden, held double
 


YARN QUANTITIES

Varv Fin-weight: 5 (5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8) 100g skeins in total*
Nutiden: less than one 100g plate in total
*
(for multi-colour details, see below)

NEEDLES

Needle A: circular needle 6mm in diameter
Needle B: circular needle 4mm in diameter
…or as needed to meet gauge

NOTIONS

tapestry needle, scrap yarn, stitch markers, measuring tape, 
buttons (8 or as needed; 20mm in diameter); sewing needle and colour-matched thread



TECHNIQUES

short rows; picking up stitches along selvage edge; making buttonholes; optional: ‘dreamtarsia’ (see details below)

CONSTRUCTION

worked top-down, flat, with contiguous shoulder construction.

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DREAMTARSIA

Note that the intarsia displayed in the pattern photos is not a core feature of this design, but is offered as an idea for those who enjoy the aesthetic. It was created using the ‘Dreamtarsia’ method - a process of using the intarsia technique in a spontaneous, stream-of-consciousness manner, without a chart or pre-conceived plan. The result is colourwork that is whimsical, visually compelling, and unique.

Please be aware, the Varsa pattern does not include intarsia lessons. If you wish to add an intarsia element to the jacket, the pattern assumes you already know (or will learn independently) the general basics of intarsia colourwork. Building upon that, the Dreamtarsia method is explained in the Appendix.

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SAMPLE INFO


sample knitted in Size 3, using the following May 2026 colourways -
Varv: Menta Viridi & Primula Veris; Nutiden: Loch Rún & Trá

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DETAILED YARN QUANTITIES

Varv Quantities:


single colour option:
5 (5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8) 100g skeins


2-colour option with contrasting sleeves (no intarsia):
3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5) skeins of C1 and 2 (2, 2, 2,3, 3, 3) skeins of C2


2-colour option with intarsia and 1 contrasting sleeve:
3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5) skeins of C1 and 2 (2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3) skeins of C2


2-colour option with intarsia and 2 contrasting sleeves:
3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5) skeins of C1 and 3 (3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4) skeins of C2


Nutiden Quantities:


single colour option:
up to one 100g plate in total


2-colour stripes option:
up to one 50g of each C1 and C2