Rippenweste mit Zöpfen in Schachenmayr Merino Extrafine 170 - 5249

Rippenweste mit Zöpfen – Free Knitting Pattern in Schachenmayr Merino Extrafine 170

This free downloadable PDF pattern from Schachenmayr guides knitters through the construction of a classic ribbed vest with cable panels (Rippenweste mit Zöpfen), a timeless wardrobe staple that combines elegant texture with structured shaping. The pattern is worked in Schachenmayr Merino Extrafine 170, a premium 4-ply merino yarn celebrated for its fine gauge, softness, and stitch definition — qualities that make it especially well suited to showcasing both ribbing and cable detail.

Garment Overview

The design is a sleeveless vest (Weste) featuring a combination of vertical rib panels and prominent cable columns worked across the front and back pieces. The silhouette is shaped through armhole decreases and a classic round neckline, producing a fitted, polished finish suitable for layering over shirts or blouses. The pattern includes instructions for two sizes, with stitch counts given in the format small/large (e.g., 38/40 and the larger size in parentheses), allowing knitters to select the fit that suits them best.

Construction and Shaping

The vest is knitted flat in separate pieces — back, left front, and right front — which are then seamed together. Key construction details include:

• Back piece: Stitches are cast on and the first wrong-side row establishes the pattern layout, beginning with an edge stitch, followed by a cable panel (Zopf) of 19 stitches, then sections of rib pattern starting with 4 purl stitches, alternating across the row.
• Armhole shaping: At a height of 42 cm (40 cm for the larger size), armhole shaping begins on both sides by casting off 10 stitches at once, followed by gradual decreases every 2nd row — 20 times (30 times for the larger size) of 1 stitch each side. For size 38/40, an additional 4 decreases are worked every 4th row, totalling 24 (30) decreases per side.
• Decrease technique: Right-edge decreases are worked using a slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over method (sl1, k1, psso), while left-edge decreases use k2tog (two stitches knitted together), creating neat, mirrored shaping lines.
• Neckline shaping: At 63 cm height, the centre 26 stitches are cast off straight for the back neck, with further decreases of 3 stitches then 2 stitches worked every 2nd row on each side.
• Shoulder cast-off: At 65 cm height, the remaining 29 shoulder stitches per side are cast off. Notably, over the cable columns, 6 pairs of stitches are knitted together (k2tog) during the cast-off to compensate for the natural draw-in of cable fabric, ensuring a smooth, even shoulder edge.
• Left front piece: Cast on 81 (87) stitches, with the first wrong-side row beginning: edge stitch, 4 purl stitches, 19-stitch cable panel (2 knit, 15 purl, 2 knit), then 56 (62) stitches of rib pattern, continuing the established texture.

Stitch Patterns and Techniques

Rib Pattern (Rippenmuster)

The rib pattern forms the dominant background texture of the vest. It is worked in a combination of knit and purl stitches arranged in vertical columns, beginning sections with 4 purl stitches as anchors. Ribbing creates a fabric with natural elasticity and a clean, structured appearance that flatters the body and holds its shape well in fine merino yarn.

Cable Pattern (Zopfmuster)

The cable panels (Zöpfe) are each 19 stitches wide, structured as: 2 knit stitches, 15 purl stitches, 2 knit stitches. Cables are created by period