Knit Modern Scandi Sweaters: Knitting Patterns for Bright and Beautiful Nordic Knits

A fresh take on the iconic Icelandic sweater known as the lopapeysa. These sweaters are traditionally knitted using unspun, undyed yarn, known as lopi so they are usually made in combinations of neutral colours.

Author, Marita Clementz, was inspired to design her bright, colourful sweaters when she couldn’t find any knitting patterns that featured the kind of designs she was looking for. She has taken the concept of the traditional Scandinavian sweater and given it a fresh new look by using her own beautiful patterns and colours to make gorgeous sweaters that are as warm and snuggly as the traditional versions but look very contemporary.

The sweaters are all knitted top down and in the round so they can be easily adapted to change the length of the body and arms. They are designed to have a loose fit which means they work as unisex sweaters and can be worn by the whole family.

Marita uses unspun but not undyed yarn from Norway, Sweden and Iceland to get the same beautiful halo effect, and the same lightness and warmth you get with a traditional lopapeysa sweater.

This collection includes 12 top down sweater designs. Each design has an alternative colourway so you can see how it might look in a different palette and experiment with your own colour choices.

Marita is based in Sweden and as well as knitting she loves to go hiking. This collection of designs has been inspired by nature with its organic shapes and motifs including large flower blooms. The colour choices have also been inspired by the natural world with combinations influenced by the midnight sun in Sweden and midsummer flower meadows.

The sweaters are all graded to fit 10 different sizes and the fit is quite loose so will suit a wide range of body types. This really is a sweater collection for the whole family regardless of age, gender or body shape.

Marita Clementz is a designer based in Sweden. She sells her patterns on Ravelry and teaches the techniques she uses in her sweater designs at workshops and events.