Vlada Cable Sweater - Knitting Pattern for Women in Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran

Vlada Cable Sweater Knitting Pattern by Debbie Bliss

The Vlada Cable Sweater is a beautifully detailed women's pullover knitting pattern designed by Debbie Bliss. This intermediate-level pattern produces a classic, structured cable sweater with elegant embroidery accents, worked in the designer's signature Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarn. The finished garment is a seamed, bottom-up pullover with a rich cable panel at the centre front and decorative embroidery worked in contrasting colours, making it a standout piece in any handknitted wardrobe.

Garment Overview and Sizing

The Vlada Cable Sweater is designed to fit a wide range of chest sizes, from 81–86 cm (32–34 in) through to 142–147 cm (56–58 in), offering seven sizes in total. The finished chest measurements range from 120 cm (47¼ in) to 185 cm (72¾ in), with generous positive ease built into the design for a relaxed, comfortable fit. The length to back neck ranges from 66 cm to 72 cm depending on size, and sleeve lengths range from 37 cm to 41 cm, with the sleeve length adjusted slightly for larger sizes to maintain proportion.

Techniques Used

This pattern is worked using several classic knitting techniques that make it well-suited to an intermediate knitter looking to develop their skills:

• Bottom-up construction: The sweater is begun at the lower edges and worked upward, a traditional approach that gives the knitter full control over length adjustments before shaping begins.
• Worked flat: All pieces — front, back, and sleeves — are worked flat on straight needles, producing separate panels that are then joined together.
• Seamed finishing: The garment is assembled using seaming techniques, giving the finished sweater a structured, tailored appearance with clean edges.
• Cable knitting: The signature feature of this design is its cable panel, which uses a variety of cable crossings to create a textured, criss-cross pattern. Cables are worked using a dedicated cable needle to hold stitches at the front or back of the work during crossings.
• Embroidery: A decorative embroidery diagram is included in the pattern, featuring chain stitch and elongated stitch worked in contrasting yarn colours over the knitted fabric, adding a distinctive artisan detail to the finished sweater.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Vlada Cable Sweater incorporates a variety of stitches and stitch patterns throughout its construction:

• Stocking stitch (stockinette stitch): Used for the main body and sleeves, providing a smooth, classic knitted fabric as the background for the design.
• Cr2R (Cross 2 Right): Slip the next stitch onto a cable needle and hold at the back of the work, knit 1, then knit 1 from the cable needle — creating a right-leaning two-stitch cross.
• Cr2L (Cross 2 Left): Slip the next stitch onto a cable needle and hold to the front of the work, knit 1, then knit 1 from the cable needle — creating a left-leaning two-stitch cross.
• C4B (Cable 4 Back): Slip the next 2 stitches onto a cable needle and hold at the back of the work, knit 2, then knit 2 from the cable needle — a classic right-twisting four-stitch cable.
• C4F (Cable 4 Front): Slip the next 2 stitches onto a cable needle and hold to the front of the work, knit 2, then knit 2 from the cable needle — a left-twisting four-stitch cable.
• Criss-cross panel: A structured repeating cable panel that combines the above crossings to produce an interlocking, textured design. The tension over this panel is noted separately at 20 stitches and 24 rows to 10 cm, slightly denser than the stocking stitch tension.
• skpo (slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over): A left-leaning single decrease used in shaping sections.