Lana Grossa M Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Lana Grossa M Cardigan in Mary's Tweed

What is Being Made

This is a classic cardigan pattern featuring a structured, tailored design worked in a premium tweed yarn. The cardigan is constructed with front button closures and is available in three sizes: 48, 50/52, and 54. The design showcases a sophisticated blend of materials and traditional knitting techniques suitable for a refined, everyday garment.

Construction Method and Techniques

The Lana Grossa M Cardigan in Mary's Tweed is worked flat on straight needles using a bottom-up seamed construction. This approach means the cardigan pieces are knitted individually from the cast-on edge upward, then assembled together using seaming techniques. The flat construction allows for precise shaping and detailed stitch work throughout the garment.

The pattern includes seven buttons (UNION KNOPF item 920543, color 80) spaced 11.5 to 12 centimeters apart along the front opening, with corresponding buttonholes worked into the left front band during knitting. The buttonholes are created using a combination of slip stitches and yarn-over techniques, integrated seamlessly into the ribbed front band pattern.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns Used

• Ribbed Pattern: A two-stitch repeat rib pattern forms the foundation of the design. Row 1 (right-side) consists of selvage stitch, knit through the back loop, then repeating p2, k2tbl across, ending with p2 and k1tbl before the final selvage stitch. Row 2 (wrong-side) mirrors this with selvage stitch, then k1, p1, k1, yo, k1 purl through the back loop, repeating k2, p2tbl, and finishing with k2, p1tbl, and selvage stitch. This rib pattern is used for the front bands and creates vertical texture.
• Stockinette Stitch: The main body of the cardigan is worked in stockinette stitch (knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows), providing a smooth, classic fabric base.
• Reverse Stockinette Stitch: Used selectively for textural contrast, with purl stitches on right-side rows and knit stitches on wrong-side rows.
• Selvage Stitches: Two-stitch selvages are maintained at the edges for neat, finished seaming.
• Through-the-Back-Loop Knitting: Abbreviated as k1tbl and p1tbl, this technique creates a twisted stitch that adds definition to the ribbed sections.

Shaping and Fit

The pattern includes detailed shaping instructions with size-specific modifications. For the left front piece, decreases are strategically placed at each end of right-side rows to create the cardigan's tapered silhouette. The pattern specifies different decrease sequences for each size: the smallest size (48) requires no initial decreases, while larger sizes (50/52 and 54) include preliminary decreases followed by consistent single-stitch decreases across multiple rows, with some sizes incorporating alternate-row decreasing for gradual shaping.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The cardigan is knitted using Lana Grossa Mary's Tweed yarn in the colorway Charcoal/Light Grey Mélange (color 15). This premium yarn blend contains 33% baby alpaca, 30% Merino wool, 26% polyamide, and 11% silk, creating a luxurious, durable fabric with excellent drape and warmth. The yarn is supplied at 135 meters per 50 grams, and the total yardage required varies by size: 550 grams for size 48, 600 grams for size 50/52, and 650 grams for size 54.

Needles and Tools

The pattern calls for size 5 mm straight needles for the main body construction and a size 5 mm circular needle, 40 centimeters long, likely used for picking up stitches or working certain sections. The needle size is appropriate for the yarn weight and creates the proper gauge and fabric density for this tweed cardigan.

Design Details

The front bands feature a sophisticated ribbed pattern that frames the button placket, with the ribbed sections providing both structural support and visual interest. The integration of buttonholes directly into the pattern row sequence demonstrates advanced knitting