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Penguin Shuffle Knit Sweater

Designed by Marly Bird

The Penguin Shuffle Knit Sweater is a playful yet polished stranded colorwork sweater that combines cozy comfort with whimsical charm. Featuring a cheerful penguin motif marching around the yoke, this sweater is designed to make you smile while still delivering a well-fitting, wearable garment you’ll reach for season after season.

Worked top-down and seamlessly, Penguin Shuffle allows you to try on your sweater as you go, making it easier to customize length and fit. The stranded colorwork yoke is bold without being overwhelming, and the use of worsted weight yarn makes the colorwork more approachable and satisfying to knit.

This pattern is perfect for knitters who want a fun, confidence-building colorwork sweater project with plenty of support built in.

Construction & Techniques

Top-down seamless yoke construction

Stranded colorwork knitting in the round

German short rows for improved neckline fit

Charted colorwork motifs for every size

Solid body and sleeves for easy wearability

Skill Level

Intermediate

This pattern is best suited for knitters who:

Are comfortable knitting in the round

Have worked at least one garment or colorwork project before

Want to strengthen skills like float management, color dominance, and chart reading

Designer Tip: Because this sweater is knit in worsted weight yarn, it’s more forgiving than finer-gauge colorwork projects and a great way to level up your skills.

Sizing & Fit

Finished Bust Circumference:
32 (40, 48, 56, 64)”
81.5 (101.5, 122, 142, 162.5) cm

Recommended Ease:
Designed to be worn with 2–4” of positive ease.

Sample shown in size XL–2X.

Gauge

20 sts and 24 rows = 4” / 10 cm
in stranded stockinette stitch (colorwork pattern)

Take time to save time — checking gauge is especially important for stranded knitting.

Yarn & Materials

Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Tweed
(97% Premium Acrylic, 3% Viscose; 218 yds / 200 m per 100 g; CYCA #4 – Worsted)

Multiple colors are used to create the penguin motifs and background. Exact yardage and color breakdowns are included in the pattern.

Needles:
US 8 (5.0 mm) circular needles (various lengths)
DPNs or preferred method for sleeves

Notions:
Stitch markers, tapestry needle, stitch holders, blocking supplies

Pattern Support

This pattern includes extensive video support for key techniques, including:

Long tail cast on

Stranded colorwork tips

German short rows

Adding underarm stitches

Washing and blocking a finished sweater

You’ll also receive links to Stitch Fiddle charts to help track your progress and customize your colorwork experience.

Free Pattern Option

The full written instructions for the Penguin Shuffle Knit Sweater are available here: https://marlybird.com/blog/penguin-shuffle-sweater-free-knit-yoke-sweater-pattern/

An ad-free, printable PDF is available here on Ravelry for knitters who prefer a clean, downloadable version for tablets or pattern binders.