"Marianne Sweater" - Sweater Knitting Pattern For Women in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran - DB223

Marianne Jacket Knitting Pattern – Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (DB223)

The Marianne Jacket is a women's colour-block knitted jacket designed by Debbie Bliss, worked in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarn. Despite the product listing referencing a jumper, the pattern itself is for a structured, open-fronted jacket featuring a striking combination of four colours and a fitted zip closure. It is an intermediate-level knitting pattern available as a downloadable PDF, making it suitable for knitters who are comfortable with shaping, colour changes, and seaming.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a women's colour-block jacket with long sleeves, a broken rib texture throughout, and an open-ended zip fastening at the centre front. The design is worked in four distinct colours, each assigned to a specific section of the jacket, creating a bold, graphic look. The jacket is sized to fit bust measurements ranging from 81–86 cm (32–34 in) up to 112–117 cm (44–46 in), with finished bust measurements of 126 cm (49½ in) to 158 cm (62¼ in), reflecting a generous, relaxed ease. The length to back neck ranges from 67 cm to 73 cm (26½ in to 28¾ in) depending on size, and the sleeve length is a consistent 44 cm (17¼ in) across all sizes.

Construction Techniques

The Marianne Jacket is constructed using a bottom-up, worked flat method, meaning each piece — the back, right front, left front, and sleeves — is knitted separately from the cast-on edge upward. The pieces are then joined using seaming, a traditional construction approach that produces a stable, structured fabric with clean edges. This method is well suited to a garment intended to carry a zip, as seamed edges provide the necessary firmness and durability for attaching an open-ended zip neatly along the centre front opening.

Colour changes are managed by switching yarn at designated points within each piece rather than using stranded or intarsia colourwork, keeping the technique accessible for intermediate knitters. Each section of the jacket is worked in a single colour, making the colour-block effect clean and straightforward to execute.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern throughout the jacket is a broken rib, which creates a subtly textured, semi-elastic fabric with excellent drape and structure. The broken rib is formed over a simple two-row repeat:

• Row 1: Knit to end
• Row 2: K1, [p2, k1] to end (with a slight variation at the left front edge for the button/zip band)

This combination of knit and purl stitches produces a fabric that is more relaxed than a traditional rib but retains a degree of elasticity and visual interest. The stitch pattern is consistent across all pieces, unifying the garment despite its multi-colour design. Shaping is achieved through cast-off sequences at the upper arm and shoulder, using standard decrease and cast-off techniques. The abbreviation skpo (slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over) is also referenced for shaping within the pattern.

Materials

The pattern calls for Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, a luxuriously soft yarn that blends merino wool with cashmere and microfibre, giving the finished jacket exceptional warmth, softness, and a beautiful drape. The yarn is used in four colourways:

• Navy 04 (A) – 8 (8:9:9) × 50g balls
• Maroon 88 (B) – 3 (4:4:5) × 50g balls
• Blackberry 55 (C) – 3 (4:4:5) × 50g balls
• Burnt Orange 48 (D) – 4 (4:5:5) × 50g balls

Two sizes of knitting needles are required: a pair of 4.5mm (US 7) needles and a pair of 5mm