Gilda Pullover in Adriafil Zebrino - Downloadable PDF

Gilda Pullover in Adriafil Zebrino – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Gilda Pullover is a beautifully designed knitted pullover sweater created by Adriafil, available as a downloadable PDF pattern. Worked in the brand's distinctive Adriafil Zebrino yarn, this garment is suitable for beginner knitters and is offered in four sizes: Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large. The pattern's approachable construction and straightforward stitch work make it an ideal project for those who are building confidence in garment knitting while still producing a polished, wearable result.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a pullover sweater — a classic, over-the-head style jumper designed to be worn as a comfortable everyday garment. One of the most distinctive design features of the Gilda Pullover is its shaped lower edge, which is constructed in a unique, sculptural way rather than as a simple cast-on hem. The front panel features a carefully shaped rounded lower edge built from two mirrored sections, giving the finished sweater a refined and fashion-forward silhouette. This thoughtful construction detail elevates the garment beyond a basic pullover and makes it a rewarding make even for newer knitters.

Construction Technique

The Gilda Pullover uses an interesting and beginner-friendly shaped hem construction for the front panel. The first section of the lower edge begins by casting on 7 stitches and working in Reverse Stocking stitch, with increases made at the end of right-side rows to gradually build the curved shape. Once complete, these stitches are placed onto a stitch holder while the second mirrored section is worked. The two shaped pieces are then joined, and additional stitches are cast on — 48, 52, 60, or 64 stitches depending on the size being worked — to complete the full body width before continuing upward. This method of building a shaped lower edge in stages is a wonderful introduction to short-row-style shaping logic and stitch holder usage, both of which are foundational skills in garment knitting.

Stitches Used

• Reverse Stocking Stitch (Reverse Stockinette): The primary stitch used throughout the construction of the Gilda Pullover. In standard Stocking stitch, the smooth knit side faces outward; in Reverse Stocking stitch, the purl side is worn as the right side of the fabric, creating a softly textured, matte surface. This gives the Gilda Pullover a subtly different look that works particularly well with a variegated or self-striping yarn.
• Increase shaping: Used during the construction of the lower edge to build the curved, rounded hem shape on the front panel.

Materials Required

The pattern calls for Adriafil Zebrino yarn, a self-striping aran weight yarn that creates bold, automatic colour effects without the need for manual colour changes. Depending on the size being knitted, the pattern requires 7, 8, or 9 balls of Adriafil Zebrino. The recommended needle size is 4.5 mm (US 7 / UK 7), used in both straight knitting needles and double pointed knitting needles for different stages of construction.

As noted in the pattern, the Gilda Pullover can also be knitted using Adriafil Knitcol, another self-striping yarn from the Adriafil range, giving knitters a degree of flexibility in their yarn choice while maintaining the intended aesthetic of the design.

About Adriafil Zebrino

Adriafil Zebrino is a self-striping aran weight yarn produced by Adriafil, an Italian yarn company based in Rimini, Italy. Self-striping yarns like Zebrino are wound with long colour sequences that automatically produce stripe patterns as you knit, making them especially popular for garments where visual interest is desired without the complexity of working with multiple yarn balls. The aran weight of Zebrino means the fabric knits up relatively quickly, which — combined with the beginner-friendly difficulty rating of this pattern — makes the Gilda Pullover a satisfying and achievable project.

Pattern Format and