Pullover in Schachenmayr Soraya - S9366 - Downloadable PDF

Pullover in Schachenmayr Soraya – Pattern S9366: A Free Knitting Pattern for a Women's Textured Jumper

Pattern S9366 is a free downloadable knitting pattern from Schachenmayr for a classic women's pullover worked in the chunky-weight Schachenmayr Soraya yarn. Rated as beginner difficulty, this design is an excellent choice for newer knitters looking to build confidence with a structured, wearable garment. The pattern is available in five sizes — XS, S, M, L, and XL — making it accessible to a wide range of knitters.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a women's pullover sweater with a relaxed, cosy silhouette. The finished garment features a ribbed hem and cuffs, an all-over textured stitch pattern on the body and sleeves, shaped armhole openings, and a rounded neckline. The total length of the finished sweater measures 65 cm for sizes XS and S, and 69.5 cm for sizes M, L, and XL, measured from the cast-on edge. It is a straightforward, structured knit that results in a polished, ready-to-wear look.

Garment Construction Overview

The pullover is knitted in separate flat pieces — a back panel, a front panel, and two sleeves — which are then seamed together. This classic construction method is ideal for beginner knitters because each piece is worked independently and the shaping is gradual and clearly described.

• Back panel: Cast on 74/78/82/86/90 stitches on 4 mm needles. Work 15 cm (33 rows) in rib pattern, then switch to 5.5 mm needles and continue in the textured stitch pattern. After 30 cm from the rib, bind off stitches on both sides for the armhole shaping. Continue until the total length reaches 65/65/69.5/69.5/69.5 cm, then bind off all remaining stitches.
• Front panel: Worked identically to the back until the neckline shaping begins at 55/55/59.5/59.5/59.5 cm from the cast-on. The centre stitches are bound off and both sides are finished separately, with gradual neckline rounding achieved by binding off stitches in every second row.
• Sleeves: Cast on 50/50/58/58/58 stitches on 4 mm needles. Work 15 cm in rib pattern, then continue on 5.5 mm needles in the textured stitch pattern.

Stitches and Techniques Used

This pattern uses two primary stitch patterns, each serving a distinct structural and aesthetic purpose:

• Rib stitch (Bundmuster): Used for the cuffs and lower hem of the body, this classic ribbing creates a stretchy, form-fitting border that helps the garment maintain its shape. It is worked on 4 mm needles over 15 cm (33 rows) at the beginning of each piece.
• Textured stitch pattern (Strukturmuster): The main body of the sweater is worked in a repeating textured pattern, which is charted in the original PDF. The stitch repeat requires a multiple of 4 stitches plus 2 edge stitches, and the pattern repeats over an 8-row sequence. Importantly, Row 1 is a wrong-side (return) row, meaning the pattern's visual texture appears on the left/purl side of the fabric — a detail the pattern specifically highlights for knitters to be aware of.

Key techniques employed throughout the pattern include:

• Casting on using a standard long-tail or equivalent method
• Binding off (casting off) for armhole shaping, neckline shaping, and shoulder finishing
• Symmetrical neckline shaping worked by decreasing stitches in every second row on both sides of the centre neck opening
• Gauge swatching — essential for achieving correct sizing, as the pattern uses two different needle sizes with two different stitch patterns, each with its own gauge