Handmade Wardrobe | Pheasant Pullover

Alex is wearing a brown sweater with colour work yoke called the Pheasant Pullover. She is standing next to her desk with a cup of tea.

The Pheasant Pullover by Amy Christoffers has been off my needles for over a year at the time of writing this, and I can truly say it’s become a staple in my wardrobe.

The boxy straight fit gives this colour work sweater pattern a modern feel and the Jamieson & Smith 2ply Jumper Weight yarn is wonderfully lightweight and comfortable. I honestly reach for this colour work sweater all the time as it’s so easy to wear.

Pheasant Pullover Knitting Pattern

Knitted from the top down, the pattern was simple to follow and could be a fun project for an adventurous beginner ready to tackle colour work.

The colour work pattern is charted and easy to follow as it’s shown in colour. Each round uses only two colours and float management is fairly easy as the longest stretch between colours is just 5 stitches.

The yoke is shaped a little using short rows before the chart begins and the body is knitted straight once you divide for the sleeves.

Alex is knitting the Pheasant Pullover, a colour work yoke sweater pattern by Amy Christoffers

Alex is knitting the Pheasant Pullover, a fair isle yoke sweater pattern by Amy Christoffers in Jamieson & Smith yarn

Jamieson & Smith 2ply Jumper Weight Yarn

This was my first time using a Jamieson & Smith yarn and I’m really happy with how the 2ply Jumper Weight performed.

I initially started swatching with my favourite set of interchangeables from Hiya Hiya but I quickly changed to an Addi circular that had a more rounded tip which was a better match for this airy 2ply 100% Shetland wool.

The yarn has produced a beautiful lightweight, cosy fabric that has worn incredibly well. There is minimal pilling after many, many wears and it’s held its shape well.

Because of the fine, light fabric, I find the Pheasant Pullover more versatile than some of the thicker DK and worsted weight jumpers in my handmade wardrobe. I just love how cosy it is with zero bulk.

Everyone’s tolerance to wearing wool against the skin is different, but this is a woolly yarn I can happily wear without irritation.

Jamieson & Smith have a wonderful range of colours with depth and variation in every shade. I think you can see in the images below that the brown is not a flat, natural brown, but it’s a colour that subtly incorporates shades of blue, green, and red which bring the yarn to life.

I’m so pleased I went with Amy Christoffers original colour selection as the shades she chose are absolutely perfect together.

I’m drawn to browns and warm shades of orange but I never would have chosen the lilac or the deep blue/purple which has pops of a rich teal shade running through it. Knitted together in the yoke, the colours are nicely balanced and they compliment each other beautifully.

Alex is wearing a colour work yoke sweater knitting pattern called the Pheasant Pullover by Amy Christoffers

A colour work yoke sweater knitted in Jamieson & Smith 2ply jumper weight yarn.

Alex is wearing a fair isle sweater designed by Amy Christoffers knitted in Jamieson and Smith 2ply Jumper Weight yarn

Fit and Modifications

Once I had separated for the sleeves the yoke looked very deep and the arm holes very low.

I decided to knit 3 or 4 inches on the body and then transfer it to some scrap yarn so I could begin knitting one of the sleeves. Once I had knit half the sleeve I was able to try the sweater on to see how the garment felt and check the fit. This is the beauty of knitting a top down sweater.

I needn’t have worried as the sweater felt comfortable and I realised there was no reason not to trust the designer and continued on with the pattern as it was written.

I knit the body for 8.5” and added the 2” of ribbing called for in the pattern. I also only knit the sleeves for 10.5” before adding the ribbing so my sleeves are 12.5” from under arm to cuff which fit me well.

I really do enjoy this type of sweater construction as I can check the fit as I go and make sure the length is just right for me.

My finished sweater is approx 21.5” from the top neck to hem which matches my actual body measurement from shoulder to hip bone.

The sweater fit well before blocking so I measured yoke depth, sleeves and body so I could make sure the garment didn’t change too much after soaking in water with a little wool wash. The yarn blocked nicely, my stitches bloomed and looked even throughout.

The size didn’t change drastically so I gently blocked, pinning my Pheasant Pullover to the measurements I took pre-soak.

As I said earlier, the Pheasant Pullover has worn well over the last year and I’m happy to say it looks almost as good as the day it came off the blocking boards. There is little pilling or change to the shape so I won’t hesitate to use Jamieson & Smith 2ply Jumper Weight yarn in a future project.

Alex is wearing Pheasant Pullover by Amy Christoffers

Project Notes

Pattern: Pheasant Pullover by Amy Christoffers

Yarn: 8 balls of Jamieson & Smith 2ply Jumper Weight (25g each) in FC58 and 1 ball of each contrast colour in FC14, FC38, 202 and FC51.

Size: 38"

Needles: 3 mm (US 2.5) Addi Circular Needle

Started: 1st Feb 2020

Finished: 25th April 2020

Medium Project Bag

Each fully lined organic cotton project bag is screen printed by hand and sewn by Alex.

Surprisingly roomy, each bag can hold approximately 9 skeins (900g) of fingering weight yarn so it's a wonderful choice for large shawls, summer tops and tees, sweaters and cardigans.