35 Cardigan in Lana Grossa Cool Wool - Downloadable PDF

Design 35 Cardigan in Lana Grossa Cool Wool – Pattern Summary

This downloadable PDF pattern from Lana Grossa presents Design 35 from the Merino Edition collection: a classic, structured knitted cardigan worked in the brand's popular Cool Wool yarn. The design is available in four sizes — 36/38, 40/42, 44/46, and 48/50 — making it accessible to a wide range of knitters. The pattern is offered as a free downloadable PDF, making it an excellent starting point for intermediate knitters looking to build a timeless wardrobe staple.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a set-in sleeve cardigan featuring a shaped sleeve cap, ribbed cuffs and bands, and a front button band worked in the round using a circular needle. The garment is constructed in separate pieces — left front, right front, sleeves, and presumably a back — which are then seamed and finished together. Six 20 mm buttons fasten the front opening, giving the cardigan a clean, polished look. The silhouette is fitted and tailored, with careful full-fashion shaping throughout.

Materials Used

• Yarn: Lana Grossa Cool Wool (100% pure wool; 160 m / 50 g per ball) in Grey/Brown, colour 558
• Yarn quantity: 500 g (size 36/38), 550 g (40/42), 600 g (44/46), or 650 g (48/50)
• Needles: 3.5 mm straight needles and a 3.5 mm circular needle, 80 cm long
• Notions: Six 20 mm buttons

Cool Wool is a fine, lightweight pure wool yarn known for its smooth stitch definition and excellent drape — qualities that make it particularly well suited to structured garments like cardigans where stitch clarity and clean shaping lines are important.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st): Knit on right side rows, purl on wrong side rows. This forms the main body fabric of the cardigan, providing a smooth, classic surface.
• Rib pattern (K2, P2): Used for the cuffs and front/neckband, the two-by-two rib creates a stretchy, neat edge that frames the garment and helps it retain its shape at the openings.
• Full-fashion decreases: A hallmark of quality knitwear construction. At the beginning of a right side row, decreases are worked as k2tog or k3tog a few stitches in from the edge; at the end of the row, skp or sk2p is used. This technique keeps the decrease visible and decorative, set neatly inside the selvage stitches rather than at the very edge, creating a refined, professional finish.
• Selvage stitches: Single edge stitches are maintained throughout to ensure clean seaming and a tidy construction.
• Sleeve shaping: Stitches are increased at each end of the sleeve beginning on the 11th row and then at regular intervals (varying by size) to achieve the correct sleeve width before the cap shaping begins.
• Sleeve cap shaping: Worked with a combination of bind-offs and full-fashion decreases over multiple right side rows, creating a smoothly curved cap designed to set neatly into the armhole.
• Picking up stitches: The front and neckband is worked by picking up stitches evenly along the front edges using the circular needle — 328 (336, 348, 360) stitches depending on size — and working in rib pattern to create a continuous, professional-looking band.
• Blocking: The finishing instructions specify pinning pieces to measurements and blocking before seaming, which is essential with wool yarns to even out stitches and set the final dimensions of each piece.

Gauge

The stated gauge is 23 stitches and 32 rows = 10