Lana Grossa M Jacket Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Lana Grossa M Jacket in Alta Moda Cotolana

What Is Being Made

This is a classic knitted cardigan jacket in a refined, tailored style. The Design 08 from the Classici collection features a structured silhouette with set-in sleeves, a button-front closure, and functional patch pockets. The jacket is available in three sizes: 48, 50/52, and 54, making it suitable for a range of body measurements. The design emphasizes clean lines and timeless elegance, perfect for layering over various outfits.

Techniques Used

This jacket is constructed using bottom-up knitting methodology, meaning the pieces are worked from the cast-on edge upward toward the shoulders and neckline. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for easier shaping and seaming. All pieces are seamed together after completion, creating professional-looking finished edges and allowing for precise fit adjustments. The construction method provides excellent control over shaping, particularly important for the tailored fit of this cardigan style.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The jacket employs a combination of fundamental knitting stitches to create both texture and structure:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): This is the primary stitch used throughout the main body of the jacket. Stockinette stitch is created by knitting on the right side rows and purling on the wrong side rows, producing the classic smooth, V-textured fabric that is the foundation of most knitted garments.
• Ribbed Pattern (Rib patt): A multi-stitch pattern worked over a multiple of 2 plus selvage stitches, the ribbing creates vertical columns of texture. The pattern alternates knit-through-the-back-loop (k1tbl) and purl stitches on the right side, with the reverse on wrong side rows. This ribbing appears at the cuffs, hem, and front bands, providing elasticity and a refined finish.
• Selvage Stitches: The first and last stitch of every row are worked as selvage stitches (knit on every row), creating clean, finished edges that are easier to seam together and give a professional appearance to the finished garment.

Materials

The jacket is knitted in Lana Grossa Alta Moda Cotolana, a premium blend yarn containing 45% Merino wool, 45% Pima cotton, and 10% polyamide. This fiber composition creates a yarn with excellent breathability, softness, and durability. The yardage is 150 meters per 50 grams, and the total yardage required varies by size: 650 grams (approximately 1,950 meters) for size 48, 700 grams (approximately 2,100 meters) for size 50/52, and 750 grams (approximately 2,250 meters) for size 54. The yarn is worked in Pastel Turquoise (color 12), a soft, sophisticated shade.

The pattern requires size 3.5 mm and 4 mm knitting needles. Straight needles are used for working the flat pieces, with a 100 cm circular needle in size 3.5 mm used for ribbed sections and potentially for picking up stitches around the neckline. The jacket is finished with four 25 mm buttons by UNION KNOPF (item 39145, color 78), which serve as both functional closures and design details on the front button band.

Construction Details

The jacket begins with ribbed edgings worked on smaller needles (size 3.5 mm) to create a snug, elastic finish. The main body sections are then worked on larger needles (size 4 mm) in stockinette stitch, with strategic increases to shape the garment. Pocket linings are constructed separately and integrated into the fronts during assembly. The neckline is shaped through bind-offs worked at each edge over multiple rows, creating a gentle slope. All pieces are subsequently seamed together using mattress stitch or similar techniques to create invisible, professional seams that maintain the integrity of the knit fabric.