Glacier Ridge

Glacier Ridge Lace-Weight Knit Sweater by Jennifer Wood

Garment Overview

Glacier Ridge is an intermediate-level knitted sweater designed by Jennifer Wood and available as a downloadable PDF pattern. This elegant pullover sweater features a sophisticated construction suitable for knitters with foundational skills seeking to expand their technical repertoire. The design is offered in ten sizes, with finished bust measurements ranging from 32.25 inches (80.5 cm) to 60 inches (150 cm), accommodating a wide range of body types and fit preferences.

Construction and Design Techniques

Glacier Ridge employs a lace-weight yarn construction, which creates an airy, refined fabric with delicate drape characteristics. The sweater is modeled in size 35.5 inches (88 cm) with slight positive ease at the bust, meaning the finished garment is intentionally cut slightly larger than the wearer's actual bust measurement for comfortable wear. This approach to sizing allows for layering flexibility and movement while maintaining the design's intended silhouette.

The pattern utilizes circular needles for the majority of construction, a technique that enables seamless or nearly seamless knitting in the round. This method reduces finishing work and creates a more cohesive fabric with minimal seaming. Double-pointed needles are incorporated for working smaller circumferences, typically at the cuffs, neckline, or crown areas where circular needle diameter becomes impractical.

Yarn Materials and Specifications

Glacier Ridge calls for two coordinating yarns worked together, creating a blended fabric with enhanced depth and sophistication:

• MAD|TOSH Tosh Merino Light + Tweed in colorway Moonglow: Composed of 90% Super Wash Merino wool, 8% viscose, and 2% nylon; each skein yields 420 yards (384 meters). Yardage requirements range from 845 yards (770 meters) for the smallest size to 1,850 yards (1,690 meters) for the largest size, necessitating 2 to 5 skeins depending on size.
• Shibui Knits Silk Cloud in color 2208 Glacier: A luxurious blend of 60% kid mohair and 40% silk; each 25-gram skein provides 330 yards (300 meters). This yarn requires 3 to 6 skeins across the size range, with total yardage spanning from 845 yards (770 meters) to 1,855 yards (1,685 meters). The pattern notes recommend having an extra skein available for larger sizes to avoid running short during construction.

The combination of Merino wool with kid mohair and silk creates a sophisticated fiber blend that offers warmth, breathability, and a subtle sheen. The Super Wash treatment on the Merino component provides easy-care properties, while the viscose and nylon additions enhance durability and elasticity.

Needles and Tools

Glacier Ridge requires size 3 (3.25 mm) needles in two configurations: a 24-inch (60 cm) circular needle or longer for working the body and sleeves in the round, and a set of 4 or 5 double-pointed needles of the same gauge for working smaller circumferences. The circular needle length specification of 24 inches or longer accommodates the full bust circumference across all ten sizes without bunching or tension issues.

Difficulty Level and Skill Requirements

Classified as intermediate difficulty, Glacier Ridge is designed for knitters who have mastered fundamental techniques including cast-on methods, knit and purl stitches, and basic increases and decreases. The lace-weight yarn and the techniques employed in this pattern—likely including lace stitches, yarn overs, and strategic decreases to create openwork patterns—require attention to stitch definition and the ability to read and follow complex stitch sequences. Knitters working at the intermediate level should be comfortable troubleshooting dropped stitches and maintaining consistent tension across color changes and yarn transitions.