Ladies' Sweater in Schachenmayr Catania - 6346 - Downloadable PDF

Ladies' Sweater in Schachenmayr Catania – Pattern 6346

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Schachenmayr (Design S6346) provides instructions for a ladies' fitted sweater, described in the original German as a Damenshirt. The design is a stylish women's top featuring a sophisticated combination of ribbing and eyelet (lace) patterns, making it a rewarding project for knitters with some experience in reading stitch charts and working textured pattern repeats. The pattern is available in three sizes: 36/38, 40/42, and 44/46, with all relevant stitch counts and row figures provided for each size throughout the instructions.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a women's sweater or fitted top worked in a vibrant Signal Red (Fb 00115) colorway. The sweater is constructed in separate pieces — a back piece (Rückenteil) and a front piece (Vorderteil) — which are then seamed together. The front piece features a shaped neckline (Halsausschnitt) that begins at a defined height, distinguishing it from the back. Shoulder shaping is worked through a series of bind-offs on both sides, creating a neat, tailored fit. The total height of the garment varies by size, reaching approximately 50, 52, or 54 cm in overall length depending on the size being knitted.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting on straight needles for the main body pieces (back and front)
• Stitch chart reading — both the ribbing pattern and the eyelet mix pattern are worked from printed charts, with specific instructions for right-side (Hinreihe) and wrong-side (Rückreihe) rows
• Pattern repeats — the stitch patterns are worked in repeating Rapport sections as indicated on the charts, with defined starting and ending points for each piece
• Shoulder shaping via stepped bind-offs — stitches are cast off in multiple stages (e.g., 6 sts, then 4 sts, then 3 sts, then 2 sts on each side every other row) to create a sloped shoulder line
• Neckline shaping on the front piece, beginning at a set row height and worked symmetrically on both sides
• Yarn-over (Umschlag) management — the pattern specifically notes that when decreasing near yarn-overs in the eyelet mix, knitters must work two stitches together to compensate for each yarn-over; if this is not possible, a single stitch is worked instead
• Embellishment attachment — brick-red glass cube beads are sewn onto the finished sweater using red sewing thread and a thin sewing needle

Stitches Used

• Glatt links (reverse stockinette stitch) — wrong-side rows are knitted, right-side rows are purled, creating a smooth purl-face fabric on the right side
• Rippenmuster (ribbing pattern) — a textured rib stitch worked from a chart, following the stitch chart below the first dashed line; wrong-side rows are worked as the stitches appear
• Rippenmix (eyelet rib mix) — a more decorative pattern worked from the chart above the first dashed line, incorporating yarn-overs (Umschläge) to create eyelet openings; on wrong-side rows, each double yarn-over is resolved by working one stitch through the back loop as a purl and one as a knit, creating an open lace effect within the ribbed structure
• Knit two together (2 M links/rechts zusammenstricken) — used as a decrease technique, particularly in conjunction with yarn-overs during pattern shaping

Materials

• Yarn: Schachenmayr Catania in Signal Red (Fb 00115) — a sport weight yarn, with quantities of 350 g, 400 g, or 450 g required for sizes 36/38, 40/42, and 44/46 respectively.