Rippenpullover mit Zöpfen in Schachenmayr Merino Extrafine 120 - 5226

Rippenpullover mit Zöpfen in Schachenmayr Merino Extrafine 120 – Free Knitting Pattern Summary

This free downloadable PDF pattern from Schachenmayr guides knitters through the construction of a classic ribbed sweater with cable panels — known in German as a Rippenpullover mit Zöpfen. Worked in the brand's popular Merino Extrafine 120 yarn at a DK weight, this pullover combines elegant textural contrast with structured shaping, making it a rewarding project for intermediate knitters who want to build their cable and ribbing skills.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a fitted, seamless-style pullover sweater with a defined silhouette. The design features waist shaping through side decreases and increases, armhole shaping, shoulder bind-offs, and a rounded neckline. The garment is constructed in multiple pieces — a back panel (Rückenteil) and a front panel (Vorderteil) — which are worked separately and then joined. The finished garment measures 67 cm in total height, making it a full-length pullover suitable for everyday wear.

The pattern is offered in multiple sizes, with stitch counts and shaping instructions clearly differentiated for each size throughout, indicated in the format of small/medium/large values separated by slashes and parentheses.

Design Details and Structure

The layout of the fabric is carefully planned across the width of each panel. The stitch arrangement on the back piece is structured as follows:

• Edge stitches on each side to frame the panel
• Ribbing sections (Rippenmuster) beginning with 2 purl stitches, then alternating with knit stitches in varying groupings
• Two cable panels (Zopfmuster), each 26 stitches wide, positioned symmetrically within the fabric
• A central 46-stitch ribbing section between the two cable panels
• Additional ribbing sections of 13, 17, or 23 stitches depending on size, beginning with 4 knit stitches

After the cable panels are established, 4 stitches are increased within each cable section as indicated in the chart, bringing the stitch count to 134, 142, or 154 stitches after the 5th row.

Shaping Techniques

The pattern employs precise shaping at multiple points to achieve a tailored fit:

• Side shaping (Seitenschrägungen): 5 stitches are bound off on each side every 10th row, 5 times, reducing the count to 124, 132, or 144 stitches
• Waist increases: Beginning at 22 cm height, 1 stitch is added on each side once, then every 12th, 10th, or 10th row (depending on size) an additional 4 times, restoring the count to 134, 142, or 154 stitches
• Armhole shaping (Armausschnitte): At 44, 42, or 40 cm height, stitches are bound off in stages — first 4, 4, or 6 stitches at once on each side, then 2 stitches twice every 2nd row, then 1 stitch 4, 4, or 6 times — reducing to 110, 118, or 122 stitches
• Shoulder shaping (Schultern): Beginning at 64 cm height, shoulders are shaped by binding off in every 2nd row in a staggered sequence specific to each size, creating a clean, sloped shoulder line
• Cable decreases at shoulders: Over the cable panels, stitches are worked together — 4 times, 2 stitches knit or purl together — to smoothly reduce the cable width at the shoulder
• Neckline shaping (Halsausschnitt): At 65 cm height, the central 26 stitches are bound off straight, with additional decreases on each side — first