Herrenjacke Fire

Herrenjacke Fire Men's Cardigan Jacket

Garment Overview

The Herrenjacke Fire is a men's cardigan jacket designed by Ellen Hildebrandt, sized for men's size 50/52 (Large). This intermediate-level knitting project creates a finished garment with approximately 120 cm circumference, making it a substantial and wearable piece suitable for layering or wearing as an outer layer.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a button-front cardigan jacket for men, featuring a structured fit and professional construction. The jacket is designed with a classic men's silhouette and includes eight buttons for closure, creating a refined, tailored appearance suitable for casual or semi-formal wear.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Flat knitting construction – The jacket is worked primarily in flat rows rather than in the round, allowing for traditional cardigan shaping
• Shortened rows with double stitches – Advanced shaping technique used to create fitted areas and contoured sections without visible gaps
• Stitch markers – Two markers are used throughout to track pattern repeats and construction sections
• Button bands – Structured edging worked to accommodate eight buttons for a professional finish

Stitches and Stitch Abbreviations

The pattern uses standard German knitting abbreviations and fundamental stitches including:

• Rechts (re) – Right stitch (knit stitch)
• Links (li) – Left stitch (purl stitch)
• Verschränkt stricken (vs) – Twisted stitch, worked by inserting the needle into the back loop of the stitch for a refined appearance
• Umschlag (U) – Yarn over for creating eyelet details or increases
• Zusammenstricken (zuss) – Knit two stitches together for right-leaning decreases
• Überzogen zusammenstricken (übzuss) – Slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over for left-leaning decreases, creating balanced decreases
• Abheben (abh) – Slip stitch, used for edge stitches and shaping
• Verkürzte Reihe – Shortened rows for three-dimensional shaping

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Herrenjacke Fire requires 700 grams of yarn in a worsted weight. The recommended yarn is Heron from Zealana, a premium blend composed of 80% New Zealand Merino wool and 20% possum fiber. This yarn provides excellent warmth, softness, and durability. The example shown uses color H04 (Red). The yarn is supplied in 50-gram balls with a yardage of 100 meters per ball, providing approximately 1,400 meters of total yardage for the complete jacket.

Needles and Notions

• Circular needles in 4 mm and 4.5 mm sizes – Two needle sizes allow for gauge control, with the smaller size typically used for ribbed edgings and the larger size for the main fabric
• Two stitch markers – Essential for tracking pattern sections and maintaining consistency throughout construction
• Eight buttons – Required for the button-front closure, completing the cardigan's functional and aesthetic design

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate, suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle structured garment construction. The use of shortened rows with double stitches and fitted shaping techniques requires understanding of advanced shaping methods beyond basic increases and decreases.

Pattern Information

The Herrenjacke Fire pattern was designed by Ellen Hildebrandt and published in March 2019. This is a downloadable PDF pattern intended exclusively for private use. The pattern includes detailed German-language instructions with comprehensive abbreviation guides to support knitters through each construction phase of this men's cardigan jacket project.