Ponza Cardigan in Adriafil Swing - Downloadable PDF

Ponza Cardigan in Adriafil Swing – Free Knitting Pattern Summary

The Ponza Cardigan is a beautifully crafted women's knitted cardigan available as a free downloadable PDF pattern. Designed to be worked in Adriafil Swing yarn, this project combines classic knitted stitch construction with an elegant open fancy stitch panel to create a garment with both structure and delicate texture. The pattern is offered in three sizes: 40, 42, and 44, making it accessible to a range of knitters looking for a versatile, wearable design.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a women's cardigan featuring shaped side seams, armhole shaping, and a decorative open lacework panel worked across the upper body. The design is finished with three sky blue mother-of-pearl buttons, adding a refined, coastal-inspired detail that complements the yarn's character. The cardigan is constructed in separate pieces — back and fronts — which are then seamed together, a traditional approach that gives the finished garment excellent shape and stability.

Yarn and Materials

• Yarn: Adriafil Swing in colour no. 84 — a fancy, aran weight yarn with an interesting texture and visual character well suited to both plain and decorative stitch patterns
• Quantity: 450 g of Adriafil Swing
• Knitting Needles: Size 4 mm (no. 4)
• Notions: Tapestry needle for seaming; 3 sky blue mother-of-pearl buttons

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 22 stitches and 28 rows over 10 x 10 cm worked in knitted (stockinette) stitch on 4 mm needles. Achieving the correct gauge is important for ensuring the cardigan fits accurately across all three sizes. Knitters are encouraged to work a tension swatch before beginning and adjust needle size if necessary.

Techniques and Construction

The Ponza Cardigan is constructed using a combination of shaping techniques and stitch pattern changes that give the garment its distinctive silhouette. Key construction steps include:

• Side shaping: Decreases worked inside 2 stitches at each end, 1 stitch every 8 rows for 3 repeats, to create a tapered waist, followed by increases of 1 stitch every 10 rows for 4 repeats to restore the hip and bust width
• Open fancy stitch panel: A 14-row section of decorative lacework is introduced at approximately 30 cm into the back piece, adding visual interest before returning to plain knitted stitch
• Armhole shaping: Stitches are cast off at the ends of rows, followed by further decreases inside 2 stitches every 2 rows, creating clean, tailored armholes
• Seaming: A tapestry needle is used to join the finished pieces

Stitches Used

• Knitted stitch (stockinette stitch): The primary stitch used throughout the body of the cardigan, creating a smooth, classic fabric
• Open Fancy Stitch No. 1: A lace-style decorative stitch pattern featuring yarn overs (yo), slip 1, k1, pass slipped stitch over (psso), and k2tog decreases, worked in a repeating sequence to create an open, airy panel. The pattern row reads: slip 1, k1, pass slipped st over, 1 yo, k6, then repeat k7, 1 yo, slip 1, k2tog, pass slipped st over with centre stitch, 1 yo, k6, ending with k7, 1 yo, k2tog

About the Fancy Stitch Technique

The open fancy stitch used in this pattern is a form of eyelet lace knitting, a technique that uses deliberate yarn overs paired with corresponding decreases to maintain stitch count while creating decorative holes in the fabric. The centred double decrease