Lana Grossa 21 Pullover Dress Knitting Pattern

Lana Grossa 21 Pullover in Lala Berlin Shiny

What Is Being Made

This is a pullover sweater designed by Lala Berlin, featured as Design 21 in Filati Journal 58. The garment is constructed as a classic crew-neck pullover with set-in sleeves and a ribbed neckline and cuff finish. The design is available in three size ranges: 36–40, 42/44, and 46/48, making it suitable for a variety of body measurements. The pullover features a sophisticated color combination of Red/Natural, creating visual interest through its two-tone palette.

Techniques Used

This pullover is worked using bottom-up construction, meaning the body and sleeves are knitted from the lower edges upward toward the shoulders. The garment is seamed, with individual pieces joined together after completion rather than being worked in the round as a single piece. The body and sleeves are worked flat on straight needles and circular needles used flat, allowing for easier shaping and pattern work across the rows.

The pattern incorporates strategic decreasing and shaping to create fitted sleeves and tapered sides. Sleeve cap shaping is achieved through a series of bind-offs at the beginning of rows, followed by gradual single-stitch decreases on right-side rows. This technique creates a smooth, professional sleeve cap that sits properly at the shoulder. The neckline is finished with a picked-up cuff worked in ribbing, a common method for achieving neat, elastic edges.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern featured in this design is the Trinity stitch, a textured stitch that creates dimensional interest. The Trinity stitch is worked over four rows and involves a combination of knit and purl stitches with yarn-over and decrease techniques. Specifically, the pattern alternates between purl rows and rows featuring the stitch sequence of [knit 1, purl 1, knit 1] in the next stitch, purl 3 together, repeated across the row. This creates a bumpy, three-dimensional texture characteristic of the Trinity stitch.

Ribbing is used for the neckline and cuff finishes. The rib pattern is a simple knit 1, purl 1 repeat, which provides elasticity and helps edges maintain their shape during wear and washing. Selvage stitches are worked on every row by slipping the first stitch knitwise and knitting the last stitch, creating neat, finished edges that are easier to seam.

Materials

This pullover is knitted in Lana Grossa Lala Berlin Shiny, a luxurious blend yarn. The fiber composition includes 46% baby alpaca, 30% cotton, 8% Merino wool, 8% polyester, and 8% polyamide. This blend combines the softness and warmth of baby alpaca with the breathability and structure of cotton, while Merino wool adds elasticity and durability. The polyester and polyamide fibers enhance the yarn's resilience and sheen, contributing to the "Shiny" characteristic of the yarn.

The yarn is worked at a gauge of 150 meters per 50 grams. Yardage requirements vary by size: 500 grams for size 36–40, 550 grams for size 42/44, and 600 grams for size 46/48.

The needles required include size 4.5 mm and 6 mm straight needles for working the main fabric flat, a size 6 mm circular needle measuring 100 cm long for the body sections, and size 4.5 mm and 5 mm circular needles, each 60 cm long, for picking up stitches and working the neckline and cuff finishes. The use of both straight and circular needles reflects the mixed construction method, with circular needles used flat for larger sections and for the picked-up cuff work.

Finishing

The garment is finished through blocking, a crucial step in which the pieces are pinned to their finished measurements and shaped. This process helps even out the Trinity stitch texture and ensures that all pieces align properly before seaming. The seaming joins the front and back pieces at the shoulders and sides, and the sleeves are set into the armholes using mattress stitch or a similar seaming technique suitable for knitted fabrics.