Costanza Pullover in Adriafil Zaffiro - Downloadable PDF

Costanza Pullover in Adriafil Zaffiro – Free Knitting Pattern Summary

The Costanza Pullover is a classic, elegantly shaped knitted sweater designed for women, offered as a free downloadable PDF pattern. It is worked in Adriafil Zaffiro, a fine 3-ply yarn, producing a lightweight, delicate fabric that makes this pullover suitable for layering or wearing as a refined standalone piece. The pattern covers a single garment in size 42, with clear shaping instructions for the back, front, and integrated short sleeves formed by the sleeve hole shaping.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a fitted pullover sweater with shaped sleeve holes, a V-neckline, and shoulder shaping. The construction follows a traditional flat-knitting method, working the back and front pieces separately before seaming. The sleeve holes are shaped directly into the body panels rather than having set-in sleeves attached separately, giving the garment a clean, streamlined silhouette. The neckline is carefully graduated with a series of decreases worked over multiple row intervals, creating a smooth, tapered V-shape at the front.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting on straight needles, working back and forth in rows
• Incremental side shaping – stitches are increased at each end of the body every 10 rows to subtly widen the silhouette as the garment grows
• Sleeve hole shaping – achieved through a sequence of bind-offs at each end, working 4 stitches, then 1 stitch twice, every 2 rows
• Shoulder slant shaping – stitches bound off in stages (7 stitches every 2 rows, twice) to create a neat, angled shoulder line
• V-neckline shaping – the front is divided at the centre and each side worked independently, with decreases at graduated intervals: every 2 rows, every 4 rows, and every 6 rows, producing a graceful, elongated V
• Crochet finishing – a crochet hook is used to add a neat edging around the neckline and other edges using chain stitch and double crochet
• Seaming with a tapestry needle to join the front and back panels

Stitches Used

• Knitted stitch – the primary fabric stitch used throughout both the back and front panels, creating a smooth, even texture across the entire body of the pullover
• Chain stitch – used as part of the crochet edging and finishing details
• Double crochet – worked as a crochet border to finish and stabilise edges such as the neckline, giving the garment a polished, professional look

Materials Required

• Yarn: Adriafil Zaffiro in colour no. 25 – 100 g required. Zaffiro is a fine 3-ply yarn from Adriafil Yarns, known for its smooth finish and suitability for detailed, lightweight knitwear.
• Knitting needles: No. 5½ (metric), used for the main body fabric
• Crochet hook: No. 5.00 mm, used for the finishing edging
• Tapestry needle for seaming the finished pieces together

Tension and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 21 stitches and 30 rows over 10 × 10 cm, worked in knitted stitch on No. 5½ knitting needles with Adriafil Zaffiro yarn. Achieving this exact tension is important for the finished pullover to match the intended size 42. Knitters are advised to work a tension swatch before beginning and adjust needle size if necessary. The back begins with a cast-on of 60 stitches and