Lana Grossa Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Lana Grossa Cardigan in Alta Moda Alpaca

What Is Being Made

This is a classic cardigan design crafted from premium alpaca yarn. The garment features a sophisticated cable pattern on the front panels combined with smooth stockinette stitch body sections. The cardigan is designed in multiple sizes ranging from 36/38 through 48/50, making it suitable for various body measurements. The finished piece showcases elegant shaping with fitted armholes and a tailored neckline, creating a refined silhouette.

Knitting Techniques

The Lana Grossa Cardigan is constructed using several fundamental knitting techniques that build a structured, professional-looking garment:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The cardigan is knitted from the bottom edge upward, allowing for straightforward shaping and easy adjustments during the knitting process.
• Flat Knitting: All pieces are worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, which is typical for cardigan front and back panels.
• Seamed Assembly: Individual pieces (left front, right front, and back) are knitted separately and then seamed together to create the finished garment, providing clean, durable seams.
• Cable Patterning: Decorative cable stitches are incorporated into the front panels, adding visual interest and textural depth to the design.
• Full-Fashion Decreasing: Shaping techniques including full-fashion decreases are used for the neckline and armhole shaping, creating neat, finished edges.
• Stitch Pattern Transitions: The pattern transitions from cable work in the lower sections to stockinette stitch in upper areas, demonstrating skilled pattern management.

Stitches Used

The cardigan employs two primary stitch patterns that work together to create the finished design:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): Formed by knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows, stockinette stitch creates the smooth, classic fabric that comprises the majority of the cardigan body and upper sections.
• Cable Pattern: A repeating cable motif worked over a multiple of 6 stitches plus 5 additional stitches. The cable pattern is charted and repeats over 4 rows, creating the textured front panel design. The pattern requires a cable needle for crossing stitches to form the characteristic twisted rope effect.

Materials and Tools

The cardigan is knitted using high-quality materials specified for optimal drape and comfort:

• Yarn: Lana Grossa Alta Moda Alpaca in Light Grey Mélange (color 12). The yarn composition is 90% baby alpaca, 5% Merino wool, and 5% polyamide, creating a luxuriously soft and breathable fabric. Yardage requirements range from 600 grams for the smallest size (36/38) to 750 grams for the largest size (48/50), with the yarn providing 140 meters per 50-gram ball.
• Needles: Size 6 mm needles are used for the initial cable pattern sections, while size 6.5 mm needles are used for the stockinette stitch body sections. The needle size increase creates subtle shaping transitions in the garment.
• Additional Tools: A cable needle is required for working the cable pattern crossings throughout the front panels.

Construction Details

The cardigan is constructed in separate pieces that are later seamed together. The left and right front panels begin with 47 to 59 stitches depending on size, with the cable pattern worked according to a provided chart. After working the cable section for 8 centimeters, the needles are changed to the larger size and the stitches transition to stockinette stitch with strategic decreases. The front panels include shaping for the armholes and neckline, with the neckline featuring full-fashion decreases worked at regular intervals. A front band worked over 27 stitches is added according to a separate chart, repeating over 12 rows. The right front is worked identically to the left front with all shaping reversed for proper symmetry.