Varsavia Pullover in Adriafil Twin - Downloadable PDF

Varsavia Pullover in Adriafil Twin – Free Knitting Pattern Summary

The Varsavia Pullover is a classic, relaxed-fit knitted sweater designed for sizes 42, 44, and 46. Published by Adriafil and available as a free downloadable PDF, this pattern is worked in pieces — back, front, and two sleeves — then seamed together for a clean, structured finish. The design is characterised by a textured twist stitch body, a neat garter stitch border, and a generous folded garter stitch collar, making it a satisfying project for knitters with intermediate experience.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a chunky-weight pullover sweater with set-in sleeves, a shaped neckline, and a wide rolled or standing collar. The silhouette is classic and wearable, with subtle shaping at the armholes and shoulders. The finished garment is constructed in four separate flat pieces that are sewn together, with the collar picked up and worked after assembly.

Construction and Techniques

• Flat knitting in pieces: The back, front, and both sleeves are each worked flat on straight needles, then joined using mattress stitch or seaming with a tapestry needle.
• Armhole shaping: Both the back and sleeves feature classic set-in armhole shaping, achieved by binding off stitches at each side and then working paired decreases every two rows.
• Neckline shaping: The front neckline is shaped by binding off centre stitches and finishing each shoulder section separately, with further decreases worked every two rows to create a smooth curved edge.
• Shoulder shaping: Shoulders are slanted on both back and front pieces for a neat, professional fit.
• Sleeve increases: Stitches are increased at each end of the sleeve at a specific length to create the traditional tapered sleeve shape before armhole shaping begins.
• Collar construction: After sewing one shoulder seam, stitches are picked up around the entire neckline and the collar is worked in garter stitch for 22 rows (approximately 8.5 cm), then cast off. The second shoulder and collar sides are then seamed.
• Selvedge stitches: The pattern specifies working selvedge stitches at the ends of rows, particularly for the extra sizes, to ensure clean edges for seaming.

Stitches Used

• Twist Stitch (Twine Stitch): The primary stitch pattern used across the body and sleeves. It is worked over a multiple of 8 stitches plus 1 and is charted in the original PDF. Twist stitches create a subtle rope-like or braided texture that adds visual interest and structure to the fabric without being overly complex.
• Garter Stitch: Used for the lower border of the back and front pieces (6 rows, approximately 2.5 cm), as well as for the collar (22 rows). Garter stitch is created by knitting every row when working flat, producing a ridged, reversible fabric with good elasticity.
• Knit Stitch: Used as a panel of plain knit stitches worked inside the decrease lines at the armholes, keeping the shaping area clean and distinct from the textured body.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Adriafil Twin, shade no. 51 — approximately 350 g required. Twin is a chunky-weight yarn from Adriafil, known for its soft, blended composition and subtle colour variation, which complements the twist stitch texture beautifully.
• Knitting Needles: Two sizes are used — 5 mm needles for the garter stitch borders and collar, and 5.5 mm needles for the main twist stitch fabric.
• Tapestry Needle: Required for seaming the finished pieces together.

Tension / Gauge

The stated tension is 14.5 stitches and 18 rows to 10 cm × 10 cm worked in twist stitch on 5.5 mm needles. Achieving this tension