Damenpullover in Schachenmayr Extra Soft Merino Color - 2008 - Downloadable PDF

Damenpullover in Schachenmayr Extra Soft Merino Color – Design 2008 – Free Knitting Pattern (Downloadable PDF)

This free downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Schachenmayr presents a classic women's pullover sweater (Damenpullover) knitted in the luxuriously soft Schachenmayr select Extra Soft Merino Color yarn. The pattern is published under design number 2008 and is suitable for a range of women's sizes, with instructions provided sequentially from the smallest to the largest size, separated by hyphens. The design is worked in multiple separate pieces that are then seamed together, and it also includes a coordinating pair of arm warmers with a thumb opening (Armstulpen), making this a versatile and complete knitwear project.

What Is Being Made

Women's Pullover Sweater

The main garment is a women's pullover sweater worked in multiple vertical halves — specifically a right back panel and a right front panel — that are shaped along one edge to create the sweater's silhouette. The construction involves careful stitch increases along the side edge to build out the body width, followed by armhole and collar shaping through a series of bind-offs. A collar section of approximately 20 cm is worked in stockinette stitch directly from the shoulder stitches, then continued in a ribbing pattern to complete the neckline finish. The sweater is designed with a shaped body that flares gently from the ribbed hem upward, giving it a flattering, fitted silhouette.

Arm Warmers (Armstulpen)

The pattern also includes instructions for a pair of matching arm warmers worked to approximately 20 cm in circumference and 27 cm in height. These are knitted flat in stockinette stitch and seamed so that the purl (wrong) side faces outward, giving a distinctive textural appearance on the outside. A thumb opening of approximately 5 cm is left unseamed near the top of each arm warmer, beginning at 18 cm height, making them both functional and stylish. Both arm warmers are worked identically.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Schachenmayr select Extra Soft Merino Color, a 100% pure new wool (Merino, superwash) yarn with a running length of approximately 130 metres per 50 g. The recommended colourway is Mint/Royal, shade number 05293. Depending on the size being knitted, the total yarn requirement ranges from 600 g to 800 g, in increments of 50 g across the five sizes. This is a DK weight yarn, making it a relatively quick knit while still producing a fine, well-defined fabric. The superwash Merino treatment means the finished garment is machine washable — a practical advantage for everyday knitwear.

The recommended needles are Milward knitting needles in size 3.5–4 mm, along with circular needles in both 80 cm and 60 cm lengths in the same size range. The circular needles are used for working sections such as the collar and potentially for joining seams or working in the round on smaller circumferences.

Tension and Gauge

The stated tension (Maschenprobe) is 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm × 10 cm worked in stockinette stitch on the recommended needle size. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for this pattern, as the sizing is carefully calibrated across multiple sizes. Knitters are encouraged to work a tension swatch before beginning the main project.

Stitches and Techniques Used

Stitch Patterns

• Stockinette stitch (Glatt rechts): Knit stitches on right-side rows, purl stitches on wrong-side rows. This is the primary stitch pattern used throughout both the sweater body and the arm warmers.
• 2×2 Ribbing (Bündchenmuster): A classic alternating pattern of 2 stitches knit, 2 stitches purl, repeated across the row. This is used for the hem cuffs of the sweater and for the collar finish, providing elasticity and a neat, structured edge.