Lace Yoke Sweater Knitting Patterns pinterest pin

Lace yoke sweaters are all the rage right now. They’re a lovely way to show off your best stitchwork. When you see a great lace yoke sweater you know it wasn’t store-bought; the techniques used mean that a lot of love went into making the sweater.

And a lot of math went into designing it! In order to get the geometry right on a lace yoke sweater, designers have to do many, many calculations. They also may need to use short rows in order to ensure that the sweater fits properly on a human body, since a yoke is circular but the human body generally is not. These short rows can raise the back neck, lengthen the back body or both in order to get the perfect fit. The fiendish complexity is worth it for the end result.

Have you been looking for the perfect lace yoke sweater pattern to create? We have 15 patterns here of all types – and we are sure that one will be your ideal sweater.

Love Note lace yoke sweater by Tin Can Knits

Love Note Sweater by Tin Can Knits

The Love Note lace yoke sweater knitting pattern by Tin Can Knits has become a classic. It’s so synonymous with lace yoke sweaters that Google offers it as a suggested search when you look for lace yoke sweaters. Ravelry shows that there are 9004 Love Note projects that are in process or complete! This is one of the easier lace yoke sweaters to make. In addition, there are loads of tutorials out there for it. So if you’re looking for your first lace yoke sweater pattern – this might be the one! 

This knitting pattern calls for a merino fingering weight and a silk-containing lace weight yarn held together. There are a couple of options you could try for yarn. If you would like something that is a single colour, then you could use Zealana Rimu Fingering, which is merino with the added luxe of possum, and Zealana Air Superfine, which combines silk with cashmere and possum down to make the softest yarn you’ve ever touched. If you want something with more colour shifting in the yarn, then Hedgehog Fibres Sock Yarn and Hedgehog Fibres Kidsilk Lace would be a great combo.

Petiole by Stephanie Earp

Estonia is known around the world for its unique lace stitching. Petiole, a lace yoke sweater knitting pattern by Stephanie Earp, uses Estonian lace stitching to create the extraordinary lace yoke that somehow manages to be both geometric and organic. The original was knitted with a merino/linen blend, which describes Manos del Uruguay’s Milo yarn.

Whitmoor lace yoke sweater by Ami Lowden

Whitmoor by Ami Lowden

The Whitmoor Sweater knitting pattern by Ami Lowden was inspired by a silver birch forest. The lace yoke on this sweater is both subtle and stunning. It is also one of the easier patterns on this list. It calls for a lace weight and fingering weight yarn held together. One lovely combo would be Anzula Wash My Lace yarn and Anzula Nebula yarn, which has a sparkle that will make the subtle lacework stand out.

Spirit of Trees by Irmian Design

If you want a lace yoke sweater inspired by a forest where the lacework really stands out, look no further than Spirit of Trees by Irmian Design. The botanical lacework is vivid and strong. This knitting pattern uses a sport weight yarn and we would recommend Juniper Moon Farm Patagonia Organic Merino yarn.

Magnolia Bloom lace yoke sweater by Camilla Vad

Magnolia Bloom by Camilla Vad

For another botanically inspired lace yoke sweater knitting pattern, you can’t go wrong with Magnolia Bloom by Camilla Vad. This is the kind of lacework that will catch people’s eye across a crowded room. It’s worked seamlessly in the round from the top down. Like Spirit of Trees, it uses a sport weight yarn and, just like Spirit of Trees, we’d recommend Juniper Moon Farm Patagonia Organic Merino yarn.

Orchidaceae lace yoke sweater by Susan Crawford

Orchidaceae by Susan Crawford

If you prefer orchids to magnolias than the Orchidaceae lace yoke sweater by Susan Crawford may be the knitting pattern of your dreams. It’s a relatively simple pattern that yields truly lovely results. It’s meant to be worked in a DK wool yarn such as New Zealand favourite Broadway Purely Wool DK.

Snowberry-Lace-Yoke-Jumper-Alina-Malevich

Snowberry Jumper by Alena Malevitch

Yet another botanically inspired lace yoke sweater knitting pattern, the Snowberry Jumper by Alena Malevitch has sharply defined branches, leaves and berries around the yoke as well as beautiful detailing at the wrists. The “berries” feature beads, so you can make them glisten as if there’s little bits of ice hanging from them. This knitting pattern requires a lace weight merino yarn such as Anzula Wash My Lace yarn.

Marble Mount Pullover lace yoke sweater by Joji Knits

Marble Mount Pullover by Joji Knits

Love knitting but hate finishing? We get you, and so does Joji Knits. She has exactly the lace yoke sweater pattern you want to knit in the Marble Mount pullover. It is delightfully understated and is available in a range of sizes. The pattern calls for a fingering weight yarn that is a merino/cashmere/nylon blend, and Anzula Squishy fits the bill!

Love Number lace yoke sweater by Joli House in pink, balloon sleeve sweater

Love Number Sweater by Joli House

Do you love a high neck? Then the Love Number Sweater knitting pattern might just be the lace yoke sweater of your dreams! This sweater has a high neck, those ever-so-trendy balloon sleeves, and beautiful detailing at the wrists and waist. It also offers both shaped and non-shaped versions depending on your preference (and your bustline). To keep those beautiful stitches well defined, Malabrigo Rios will be a great worsted weight yarn to use.

Balloon sleeve Electro Cardi by Disco Stitch

Also Read: 11 Balloon Sleeve Sweater Patterns You’ll Love

According to the fashion bibles WhoWhatWear and Vogue Magazine, balloon sleeves, bishop sleeves and all those other big, dramatic sleeves have proven to be trends with staying power. Embrace the romance and the joy of having free arm movement. If you’re looking for your on-trend winter knitting project, here’s 11 balloon sleeve knitting and crochet patterns. Read More

Diafania lace yoke sweater by Camila Larsen

Diafanía by Camila Larsen

Diafanía by Camila Larsen lives up to its name. This knitting pattern creates a wispy confection of a lacework yoke sweater. This scoopneck offers great sizing flexibility; it comes in a wide range of sizes (including plus sizes) and also is offered in two lengths. An ethereal confection like this needs the perfect yarn, and Hedgehog Fibres Kidsilk Lace (Fluff to its friends) is that yarn.

Rococo lace yoke sweater by Sari Nordlund

Rococo Pullover by Sari Nordlund

It seems like lately everyone is making the Kuutar lace yoke sweater knitting pattern by Sari Nordlund – and it is a gorgeous piece. But somehow, her Rococo pullover knitting pattern has flown under the radar, and we think it’s time to rectify that! The rococo movement was known for its interlacing of curves and countercurves, which is also a feature of the ornate lace yoke on this sweater. This demands a yarn with fantastic stitch definition, which you’ll find in Malabrigo Rios yarn.

Lodestar lace yoke sweater pattern by Kjerstin Rovetta from Pom Pom Quarterly

Lodestar by Kjerstin Rovetta

Technically Lodestar by Kjerstin Rovetta is a yoked lace top pattern, but the stark geometry is so alluring that we felt it was worth sneaking in here. If you’d like a paper copy, you can find it in issue 37 of Pom Pom Quarterly, and we still have a couple of issues in stock! This would look great made with Urth Yarns Harvest DK.

Smaragd lace yoke sweater by Svetlana Volkova

Smaragd Pullover by Svetlana Volkova

The Smaragd pullover by Svetlana Volkova is delightfully feminine and deceptively simple to knit. It may be the easiest sweater to knit of all the lace yoke sweater knitting patterns we are recommending. It’s knit in the round, with top-down seamless construction. You’ll want a very special yarn to show off the eyelets and lacework around the yoke, and Manos del Uruguay’s Alegria yarn is exactly the sport weight merino/nylon blend that is a fit for this pattern.

Jakers lace yoke sweater pattern by Isabel Kramer

Jakers by Isabel Kraemer

If you haven’t yet knitted anything too difficult and wish you could knit a lace yoke sweater pattern with detail at the cuffs, Jakers by Isabel Kraemer is definitely worth your time. It is rated one of the easiest knitting patterns on this list (neck-and-neck with Smaragd above), and yet it is so beautifully detailed. You can make it deliciously soft by using Broadway Purely Wool Baby or Broadway NZ Baby Merino to make this sweater.

#20 lace yoke cardi pattern by Norah Gaugan

#20 Lace Yoke Cardi by Norah Gaughan

The #20 Lace Yoke Cardi knitting pattern appeared in Vogue Knitting in 2016 and has been well loved since then. The cabled leaves are intricate and stunning and the sweater is a total showstopper. If you are looking for the right merino worsted yarn for this, we’d suggest giving Urth Yarns Monokrom Worsted a try.

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