Sagittario Pullover in Adriafil Virgola - Downloadable PDF

Sagittario Pullover in Adriafil Virgola – Free Knitting Pattern (Downloadable PDF)

The Sagittario Pullover is a beautifully textured knitted pullover designed by Adriafil Yarns and worked in their Virgola yarn. This free downloadable PDF pattern produces a classic fitted sweater with a distinctive ribbed surface texture created through a clever lifted-stitch technique, making it an appealing project for confident intermediate knitters who want to explore decorative stitch construction beyond basic ribbing.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a pullover sweater worked in separate flat pieces — a back, a front, and sleeves — that are seamed together. The design features shaped armholes, a rounded neckline on both the front and back, and a neat ribbed hem edge. The pullover is sized for a size 44 (with 42 and 46 as alternate sizes), making it suitable for a range of adult fits. The structured texture of the fancy rib stitch gives the finished sweater a refined, tactile surface that catches the light and adds visual interest without relying on complex colourwork.

Materials Used

• Yarn: Adriafil Virgola in colour 74 — a DK weight yarn. Approximately 400 g is required for the main size.
• Knitting Needles: Size 6 knitting needles (metric sizing as referenced in the pattern).
• Additional Tools: A tapestry needle for seaming the finished pieces together.

Tension and Gauge

The stated gauge is 12.5 stitches and 18 rows over 10 × 10 cm worked in the fancy rib stitch on size 6 needles. Achieving this gauge is important for accurate sizing, and knitters are advised to work a tension swatch before beginning the main pieces.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• K2/P2 Rib Stitch: A standard two-by-two rib used for the hem edging, worked over 4 rows (approximately 2 cm) to create a neat, slightly elasticated border at the cast-on edge.
• Fancy Rib Stitch: The main pattern stitch of the pullover, worked over multiples of 5 + 4 stitches. This is a 13-row repeat that combines columns of purl stitches with a single knit stitch that is periodically replaced by a lifted stitch technique. On the key rows (rows 5 and 13 of the repeat), the knitter uses the right needle to lift a stitch from 4 rows below, places it on the right needle, knits the next stitch, and then passes the lifted stitch over — creating a subtle gathered or bobble-like column of texture running vertically through the fabric. The remaining rows of the repeat maintain the purl-and-knit column structure, giving the stitch its ribbed character.
• Shaping Techniques: The pattern involves multiple simultaneous shaping elements, including:
  • Side decreases worked inside edge stitches at regular intervals to shape the waist.
  • Centre panel shaping on the back, where two centre stitches are worked together in knit every 2 rows five times, followed by further decreases at the centre stitch edges, and then a later increase to restore the centre panel — creating a subtle vertical design detail down the back.
  • Armhole shaping achieved by binding off stitches at the ends and then working paired decreases every 2 rows.
  • Neckline shaping on both the back (stitches placed on hold for the centre back neck) and the front (the work is divided in half and decreases are worked centrewise every 2 rows to create the front neckline curve).
• Edge Stitches: Each row of the main fabric begins and ends with a single edge stitch, which keeps the selvedges tidy for seaming.
• Seaming: The completed pieces are joined using a tapestry needle, a standard finishing technique in flat-knit garment construction.