Lana Grossa Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Lana Grossa Cardigan in Cashmere Fine

What is Being Made

This is a seamed cardigan jacket knitted in a luxurious cashmere blend yarn. The design, labeled as Design 25 from Filati Classici 17, is offered in three sizes: 36/38, 40/42, and 44. The cardigan features a classic construction with front button closure, shaped armholes, and tailored shoulder and neckline shaping.

Knitting Techniques Used

The cardigan is constructed using bottom-up seamed construction, meaning pieces are knitted individually from the cast-on edge upward and then joined together with seams. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for traditional two-stitch selvage edges that facilitate neat seaming.

Key shaping techniques include:

• Side shaping with strategic decreases worked at regular intervals (every alternate right-side row 3 to 5 times, then every 6th row twice, depending on size)
• Armhole shaping with bind-offs to create fitted sleeve caps
• Shoulder shaping using graduated bind-offs (6 to 8 stitches depending on size) worked multiple times to create a smooth shoulder line
• Neck shaping with center stitches bound off and graduated decreases at neck edges

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern is twisted rib, which creates an elastic, refined texture. This rib is worked over a multiple of 2 stitches plus 1, with selvage stitches on each side.

Twisted rib pattern structure:

• Row 1 (Right Side): Selvage stitch, *purl 1, knit 1 through back loop; repeat from * to last 2 stitches, purl 1, selvage stitch
• Row 2 (Wrong Side): Selvage stitch, *knit 1, purl 1; repeat from * to last 2 stitches, knit 1, selvage stitch

A two-stitch selvage is maintained throughout, which involves slipping stitches purlwise with appropriate yarn positioning (yarn in back on right-side rows, yarn in front on wrong-side rows). This creates clean, professional edges ideal for seaming.

Materials and Specifications

The cardigan is knitted with Lana Grossa Cashmere 16 Fine yarn, a premium fiber blend containing 80% pure wool, 10% cashmere, and 10% polyamide. This composition provides warmth, luxury, and durability. The yarn is available in Red (color 22) and comes in 50-gram balls with a yardage of 320 meters.

Yarn requirements vary by size:

• Size 36/38: 300 grams
• Size 40/42: 350 grams
• Size 44: 400 grams

Needles: Size 4.5 mm straight needles are used for the main fabric construction.

Notions: The cardigan is finished with two 15 mm buttons by Union Knopf (item 46286, color 22) to match the yarn.

Construction Details

The back piece is cast on with 93 to 105 stitches depending on size. Side shaping decreases are worked to create a fitted silhouette, followed by armhole shaping. The armhole depth measures 20 to 22 centimeters depending on size before shoulder shaping begins.

Front pieces are cast on with 66 to 76 stitches and feature mirrored shaping. The left front includes a two-stitch selvage at the left edge for seaming, with decreases worked at the right edge for side shaping. After 20 centimeters of twisted rib, increases are worked to match the back piece width. Neck shaping is introduced when the piece reaches 30 to 32 centimeters from the cast-on edge.

The armhole measurement of 20 to 22 centimeters and the graduated shoulder bind-offs ensure a well-fitted, professional finish typical of tail