Damen Zopfpullover in Red Heart Fina DK - LW3377DE - Downloadable PDF

Damen Zopfpullover in Red Heart Fina DK – LW3377DE

This intermediate-level knitting pattern (LW3377DE) delivers a classic women's cable sweater worked in RED HEART® Fina DK yarn. The design features a richly textured cable panel at the centre front and back, combined with smooth stockinette and a neat ribbed border, making it an ideal project for knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping and ready to explore traditional Aran-style cable construction. The pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a classic women's pullover sweater with a cable (Zopf) motif running along the body. The finished garment includes a front panel, back panel, set-in sleeves, and a collar. Finished measurements are given for three sizes:

• Size S: Chest circumference 106 cm, length 55 cm
• Size M: Chest circumference 114 cm, length 57 cm
• Size L: Chest circumference 122 cm, length 59 cm

Construction and Techniques

The sweater is constructed in separate flat pieces — front, back, and sleeves — which are then seamed together. Key construction techniques include:

• Armhole shaping: Stitches are decreased on both sides in alternating rows, working paired decreases across cable stitches to maintain pattern integrity, resulting in 67 (69–73) stitches after shaping.
• Neckline shaping: At a height of 52 (54–56) cm, the centre 35 stitches are cast off for the front neck opening. Cable stitches are worked with 2 stitches knitted together to keep the cable columns neat. Both sides are then finished separately, with 1 x 2 stitches cast off on the inner edge in every other row for the neck curve.
• Shoulder shaping: At 53 (55–57) cm height, the outer edge is shaped by casting off stitches in steps: 2 x 7 stitches (Size S), 1 x 8 and 1 x 7 stitches (Size M), or 1 x 9 and 1 x 8 stitches (Size L), again working cable stitches together as needed.
• Collar and body: The front, back, and collar pieces are worked double-stranded on needle size 6, giving the fabric a sturdy, structured weight.
• Sleeves: Worked single-stranded on needle size 4, producing a finer, more fitted sleeve fabric.

Stitches Used

The pattern employs a combination of classic knitting stitches and stitch patterns:

• Bundmuster (Rib stitch): A 1 x 1 rib alternating one knit stitch and one purl stitch, used for the lower border and cuffs to provide elasticity and a tidy edge.
• Glatt li (Reverse stockinette stitch): Right-side rows are worked in purl, wrong-side rows in knit — used as a background to make the cable motif stand out in relief.
• Glatt re (Stockinette stitch): Right-side rows knit, wrong-side rows purled — used for the main body sections flanking the cable panel.
• Zopfmuster (Cable pattern): The signature feature of the design. The cable row begins with 15 knit stitches, forming the foundation of the twisted rope cable columns. Cables are worked by crossing groups of stitches over one another at regular intervals to create the raised, braided rope effect characteristic of traditional Aran and German Zopf knitwear.

Materials Required

The pattern calls for RED HEART® Fina DK weight yarn. The quantity required depends on size:

• Size S: 14 balls
• Size M: 15 balls
• Size L: 16 balls

Two needle sizes are used throughout the project: