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I’m gonna come out and say it; if you are even slightly entertaining a handknit Christmas sweater for Christmas 2026, you have got to get searching for your Christmas Jumper knitting pattern, like now.
Needless to say, a handknit sweater takes a fair bit longer than just popping into M&S on the way home from work, so we’ve all got a bit of work to do if we wanna be eating our Christmas dinner proudly showing off our Christmas knit – and that’s what I’m here to help you out with.
It’s now September which means autumn knitting is calling and as every Christmas gift knitter (and local yarn shop) will know, Xmas will be here before we know it.
So in a bid to help you get that handknit Christmas jumper on your circular needles, I’ve had a browse through Ravelry and rounded up 9 Christmas jumper knitting patterns, all contenders to be your 2026 handknit Christmas sweater.
I’ve split them into two categories:
We’ve got Full Christmas for the knitters who want to go all in on the festive vibes,
and Subtle Christmas for those of you who’d rather knit something you can wear throughout the whole of winter. ‘Cause let’s be honest, if you’re going to spend all those hours knitting a jumper, it is nice to be able to wear it for more than a handful of days – unless you are happy to rock a reindeer in October, in which case, you go Glen Coco!
It would be a bit rude to write a blog on Christmas jumper knitting patterns without including everyone’s favourite red-nosed reindeer, wouldn’t it? And I don’t think there’s any denying that this is a proper Christmas colourwork jumper for you to consider knitting for Christmas 2026. So here we have Rudolf by Novita Design Studio, or more specifically, Minna Metsänen.
It’s worked seamlessly from the top down, with a circular yoke featuring reindeer colourwork and other festive motifs, like snow inspired polka dots across the body and sleeves. it’s an excellent unisex knit, but if you are knitting the men’s sweater, you will need an extra skein of your main colour.
Gauge: 22 stitches and 24 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stranded colourwork
Sizes: finished chest circumference of 92 to 148cm
Price: FREE
Find the Rudolf knitting pattern on Ravelry
Well, if you’re looking for a Christmas jumper knitting pattern, this one really does do what it says on the tin.
Inspired by the classic Christmas song, Let It Snow by Hanne Rimmen is a proper Christmas sweater featuring snow and tree motifs. It is knit from the top down with a circular colourwork yoke and finished simply with that snow-inspired polka dot colourwork covering the body and sleeves and ending in a neat ribbed edge.
Let It Snow’s got all the snowy Nordic Christmas vibes you need to get that warm, cosy festive feel – and it’s a free knitting pattern, too, so definiely one to stick in your Ravelry favourites if you’re planning on knitting for Christmas.
Gauge: 20 stitches and 26 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette
Sizes: to fit chest sizes of (88-98) to (132-138) cm
There’s no mention of ease or finished garment measurements in the pattern so judge the size you want to knit carefully!
Price: FREE
Find the Let It Snow knitting pattern on Ravelry
The Holly Sweater by Pernille Larsen is Knitting For Olive’s take on a classic Christmas jumper and has a circular colourwork yoke featuring a very Christmassy holly wreath pattern. It’s knit from the top down with a double folded collar and simple ribbed cuffs.
AND if you’re a particularly quick or keen knitter who would like to match their favourite little one, there’s also a kids version of this Christmas jumper knitting pattern available which I’ve linked to below. This will cover them from Christmasses aged 1 to 12 years. Love!
Gauge: 21 stitches and 33 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette
Sizes: finished chest circumference of 95 to 158cm
Designed with 12 to 19cm of positive ease
Price: kr. 50 DKK
Find the Holly Sweater Adult knitting pattern on Ravelry
Find the Holly Sweater Kids knitting pattern on Ravelry
This Christmas jumper knitting pattern sits somewhere between traditional Nordic colourwork and proper Christmas jumper territory. The colourwork is subtle, but ‘cause it’s got holly on it, I’m categorising it as full Christmas, okay?
The Holly Harvest Sweater by Mipi the Label is a circular yoke colourwork sweater that’s knit from the top down with six contrast colours and some cute festive and holly motifs. It has a split ribbed hem and bishop style sleeves that are finished off with some colourwork before a cinched cuff.
I’m a brown/beige gal, so I do quite like the neutral colourway of the sample, BUT there’s a festive green version in the projects on Ravelry that is (Christmas) cracker! If I was going to cast it on for Christmas 2026 – that’s what I would be taking knitspo from.
Gauge: 20 stitches and 28 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette
Sizes: finished chest circumference of 87 to 171cm (34.5 to 67.25in)
Designed with 5 to 15cm (2 to 6in) of positive ease
Price: €7.34 EUR
Find the Holly Harvest Sweater knitting pattern on Ravelry
These Christmas jumper knitting patterns are for something with a more wintry feel that gives those festive vibes, but wouldn’t look out of place as something for a walk over Three Stones in the middle of February. Just in case you don’t want knitting for Christmas to mean packing your jumper away on Boxing Day!
Of course I had to ask the owner of our lovely Stonehaven knitting shop her favourite Christmas jumper knitting pattern for this round-up of sweaters, so here we have it: the Dala Sweater by Elenor Mortensen.
The Dala Sweater is a top-down, stranded colourwork sweater with traditional Swedish dala horses, that are now so widely associated with Christmas, around the yoke. The rest of the sweater is very simple, with neatly fitting sleeves and ribbed cuffs.
Now, I think you can go two ways with this one. Go for reds, greens and creams and you’ve got yourself a very merry Christmas jumper. Choose softer, muted and more neutral shades, like the sample photo and you’ve got a rather pretty winter sweater you can chuck on long after the final mince pie crumb has been demolished.
Gauge: 25 stitches and 34 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette and stranded colourwork
Sizes: finished chest circumference of 84.5 to 140cm
Designed to be worn with 0cm of ease
Price: €5.50 EUR
Find the Dala Sweater knitting pattern on Ravelry
Is it okay to be talking about Harry Potter right now? Perhaps a controversial choice for this list of Christmas jumper knitting patterns, but despite everything, I am a Potterhead and absolutely cannot resist (sorry!)
The Weasly Sweater by RitaKhor is very clearly inspired by the iconic handknitted Christmas sweater Mrs Weasley gifted everyone at Christmas in the first book of the series. It’s an aran weight sweater with a double folded collar that’s worked from the top down with raglan shaping. The sweater itself is very basic, but obviously the whole Weasly sweater comes together with the duplicate stitch initial which is embroidered onto the front.
Charts are included for all letters, as well as instructions on how to actually do the duplicate stitch if you haven’t done it before.
A very cosy sweater suitable for Christmas and every other chilly day of the year? Yesiree! Potentially the perfect handknit Christmas gift for a Potterhead you love very much? You betcha!
Gauge: 17 stitches and 25 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette
Sizes: finished chest circumference of 98 to 143cm
Designed with 18 to 23cm of positive ease
Price: $8.00 USD
Find the Weasly Sweater knitting pattern on Ravelry
The Northern Augustins sweaters in general are exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about when it comes to a ‘subtle’ Christmas jumper knitting pattern. But I’m gonna highlight No 9 right now.
Northern Augustins No 9 is an incredible all-over colourwork sweater that gives you Christmas vibes, but there isn’t a snowflake, reindeer or holly leaf in sight. It’s worked top down in the round, with a double folded collar and short ribbed cuffs.
Now I think the knitted sample looks cracker in red and cream for a festive feel that isn’t too in your face, but I had a look at the projects on Ravelry, and there were a couple of more neutral ones, like this brown and pink combo which I very much appreciated as a more subtle choice for wearing autumn through winter.
Gauge: 24 stitches and 30 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stranded colourwork
Sizes: finished chest circumference of 100-170cm
Designed to be worn with approximately 20cm of positive ease
Price: kr. 50 DKK
Find the Northern Augustins No 9 Sweater knitting pattern on Ravelry
And while we’re here, it’d be remiss not to include Northern Augustins No 6.
This one probs does need to be included in the previous section, but then I’d lose this nice segue, so it’s staying put!
Yet another loooovely Christmas jumper knitting pattern that is very obviously Christmas (there’s no mistaking a candy canes/presents/Christmas trees/bow combination as anything but, right?) HOWEVER, the motifs are fairly small so it kinda just says Christmas to the person next to you, rather than the entire room, you know?
As has been the case with the majority of these handknit Christmas sweater designs, Northern Augustins No 6 is knit from the top down, with a circular colourwork yoke and a plain body. The cuffs are finished with a double layered twisted rib for a neat and cosy finish.
Gauge: 22 sts x 32 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette
Sizes: finished chest circumference of 100-170cm
Designed to be worn with approximately 20cm of positive ease
Price: kr. 50 DKK
Find the Northern Augustins No 6 Sweater knitting pattern on Ravelry
And bringing this round-up of Christmas jumper knitting patterns for your 2026 handknit Christmas sweater to end end is the Nova Sweater by The Knit Purl Girl.
The Knit Purl Girl has done a couple of these free festive releases now, inspired by traditional Nordic knitting. The Nova Sweater is an aran weight sweater with a circular colourwork yoke that is worked top down and in the round. It has a double folded collar and is finished with simple ribbed cuffs on the body and sleeves. Oh and best of all, this subtle Christmas sweater is a free knitting pattern, too.
I’ll make no secret of the fact that I love Soph’s knit designs and can personally attest to the excellence of this pattern. And there are so many ways you can go with it, too; just look at all the projects on Ravelry. Love it in a classic red or green and white for something that is more Christmassy and festive, but I LOVE the idea of using a colour changing yarn like this knitter chose here. Or playing around and using up all the scraps you have in your yarn stash for the colourwork a bit like this one here.
Gauge: 20 sts x 24 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette
Sizes: finished chest circumference of 100-170cm
Designed to be worn with between 5-10cm of positive ease for Sizes A-H, and 5-15cm of positive ease for Sizes I-L
Price: FREE
Find the Nova Sweater knitting pattern on Ravelry
There you have it. A grand total of 9 Christmas jumper knitting patterns for you to consider for your 2026 handknit Christmas sweater (or 2027 depending on how slow you wanna take it!)
I don’t know what time of the year, or even which year you’re going to be reading this, but trust me, if you want your handknit Christmas jumper to actually be finished by Christmas, you might wanna get started now.
Choose your pattern, pick your colours, order your yarn, and then get knitting!
And by knitting, I obviously mean swatch first, yeah?
Oh, and this applies even if you’re reading this in January. ‘Cause you bet future you who’s ready to pull out your full-on festive, or nice and subtle Christmas jumper the moment December rolls around, will thank you for it!
If you do cast on any of these Christmas jumper knitting patterns, please do let us know. We’d absolutely love to see your knitting progress over on Instagram (we’re @baawool). Please give us a tag in your posts so we don’t miss ’em.
Happy knitting!
