Lana Grossa Jacket Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Lana Grossa Jacket in Cara

What Is Being Made

The Lana Grossa Jacket in Cara is a knitted cardigan jacket available in three sizes (36/38, 40/42, and 44). This intermediate-level knitting project creates a structured jacket with button closure, featuring a tailored fit with shaped shoulders and armholes. The design includes front bands, a back panel, and left front shaping, making it a sophisticated layering piece suitable for everyday wear.

Knitting Techniques Used

This jacket employs several intermediate knitting techniques to achieve its polished appearance. Half-brioche ribbing is used as the primary stitch pattern, worked from a chart to create texture and elasticity throughout the body of the jacket. Full-fashion decreases are used at the neckline and armholes for a professionally finished edge. Selvage stitches are incorporated at the edges to create neat, finished seams. The pattern includes strategic increases worked into the half-brioche rib at the sides to shape the jacket, and bind-off techniques are employed to shape the shoulders using a graduated method with varying stitch counts across the three sizes.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

• Rib Pattern: A classic knit one, purl one (K1, P1) rib used for the front bands and initial ribbing sections, creating an elastic, fitted edge
• Half-Brioche Rib: A textured stitch pattern worked according to chart, where one stitch and one yarn over are treated as a single stitch unit, creating a distinctive brioche effect
• Full-Fashion Decreases: Double decreases worked at the neckline for a tailored appearance
• Selvage Stitches: Edge stitches maintained throughout to ensure clean seaming

Materials and Specifications

The Lana Grossa Jacket in Cara requires 700 to 800 grams of yarn depending on size, using Lana Grossa Cara yarn in the Beige colorway (color 3). This yarn blend consists of 57% baby alpaca, 33% cotton, and 10% Merino wool, providing a luxurious, breathable fabric with excellent drape and softness. The yarn is worked on size 3.5 mm and 5 mm straight needles, with a size 3.5 mm circular needle for certain sections. The jacket is finished with eight 15 mm mother-of-pearl buttons by UNION KNOPF (item 37604, color 12), adding an elegant detail to the front closure.

Construction Details

The jacket is constructed in separate pieces—back, left front, and right front—that are later seamed together. The back piece is cast on with size 3.5 mm needles and worked in rib pattern before switching to size 5 mm needles for the main half-brioche rib pattern. Increases are worked at each end of rows to shape the body, with the increased stitches incorporated into the half-brioche rib pattern. The front bands are maintained at 9 stitches throughout, creating a neat button band. Armhole shaping and shoulder shaping are worked using bind-off sequences that vary across the three sizes to ensure proper fit. Neckline shaping includes bind-offs and double decreases for a refined finish.