Child’s Pullover in Troyer-Style in Schachenmayr Merino Extrafine Color 120 - S9052 - Downloadable PDF

Child's Pullover in Troyer-Style – Schachenmayr Merino Extrafine Color 120 (Pattern S9052)

This free downloadable knitting pattern (S9052) from Schachenmayr guides knitters through the construction of a child's pullover in a classic Troyer style — a distinctive design characterised by a short front zip placket at the neckline, giving it a sporty, structured look that is both practical and stylish for everyday wear. The pattern is sized for children in sizes 104/110 and 116/122, making it suitable for younger school-age children. It is rated as an intermediate difficulty project, ideal for knitters who are comfortable working from a chart and managing multiple techniques simultaneously.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a children's pullover sweater knitted in the round and flat, featuring a Troyer-style neckline with a short metal zip closure at the front. The sweater is worked in a rich navy colorway and features an all-over textured stitch pattern for visual interest and fabric depth. The design is clean and classic, with set-in armhole shaping, a shaped neckline at both front and back, and ribbed cuffs and hem for a neat, fitted finish.

Garment Construction and Shaping

The pullover is constructed in separate flat pieces — a back panel and a front panel — which are then seamed together. Key construction details include:

• Back piece: Begins with a cast-on of 102 stitches for size 104/110 or 112 stitches for size 116/122, worked in the textured stitch pattern following the chart. Armhole shaping begins after 23 cm (size 104/110) or 25 cm (size 116/122) of total length, with stitches bound off on both sides in a stepped sequence. The back neckline is shaped approximately 15–17 cm above the armhole opening, with the central stitches bound off and each shoulder side finished separately with additional neckline shaping.
• Front piece: Worked identically to the back until approximately 25 cm (size 104/110) or 29 cm (size 116/122) from cast-on, at which point the work is divided at the centre front to create the Troyer-style zip placket opening. Both sides are then completed separately, each with a bobble/knot selvedge edge (Knötchenrand) worked along the placket opening for a neat, stable edge that supports the zip insertion.
• Total garment length is approximately 40 cm for size 104/110 and 44 cm for size 116/122.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs a range of knitting techniques that place it firmly in the intermediate skill level:

• Chart reading: The textured stitch pattern is presented as a knitting chart, with stitches shown as they appear on the right side of the work. Knitters must be comfortable reading and repeating chart rows and understanding stitch repeats marked with double arrows.
• Armhole and neckline shaping: Involves stepped bind-offs worked over multiple right-side and wrong-side rows, requiring careful attention to row counts and stitch counts for each size.
• Dividing for the front placket: The work is split at the centre front to create the zip opening, and both sides are worked independently — a technique that requires managing two separate yarn ends and maintaining pattern continuity on each side.
• Knötchenrand (bobble/knot selvedge): A decorative and functional selvedge technique where the edge stitches are knitted on both right-side and wrong-side rows in garter stitch fashion, creating a firm, rolled-resistant edge ideal for the zip placket.
• Zip insertion: A 14 cm metal zip (Opti Metallreißverschluss, Art. 9200, colour 0235) is sewn into the front placket opening using a blunt tapestry needle, adding a professional, durable finish to the neckline.
• Gauge/tension management: The pattern specifies a precise tension of 25 stitches and 36