Sweater in Schachenmayr Egypto Cotton - 5400A - Downloadable PDF

Sweater in Schachenmayr Egypto Cotton – Knitting Pattern Summary

This free downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Schachenmayr provides instructions for a classic striped cotton sweater, worked in the brand's Egypto Cotton yarn. The design is available in multiple sizes and features a clean, structured silhouette with a neat neckline finish. It is an ideal project for knitters who enjoy working with lightweight cotton yarn and want to practise colourwork stripes and simple shaping techniques.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a pullover sweater with a striped body, shaped sides, and a finished neckline with a distinctive underlap (Untertritt) detail at one shoulder. The garment is constructed in separate pieces — at minimum a back panel is described in the provided content — and is knitted flat using a circular needle used in the back-and-forth method, as well as in the round where applicable. The finished total height of the back piece ranges from approximately 30.5 cm to 41 cm depending on the size chosen, reflecting a garment suited to a range of body measurements across three sizes.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is designed specifically for Schachenmayr Egypto Cotton, a 4-ply weight cotton yarn. Three colours are called for in the construction:

• Navy – used as the primary stripe colour and for neckline finishing
• Off-White – used as the contrasting stripe colour
• Salbei (Sage) – used for the cast-on and initial ribbing rows at the lower edge

A circular knitting needle (Rundstricknadel) is used throughout, even when working flat in rows, which allows the knitter to slide stitches to the correct end of the needle when changing colours — a practical technique that avoids cutting yarn between stripes.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting (back and forth in rows) using a circular needle, enabling easy colour management during stripe sequences
• Knitting in the round where specified, with every round knitted as knit stitches to produce stocking stitch
• Stripe sequence management – alternating 7 rows in Navy and 2 rows in Off-White, with yarn carried along the needle end rather than cut between colour changes
• Side shaping via increases – stitches are increased on both sides in the 3rd, 6th, and 9th rows of the main body to create a subtle waist-to-hip shaping
• Neckline shaping via cast-offs – centre stitches are cast off and further decreases are worked every second row to shape the neck opening
• Shoulder underlap (Untertritt) – one shoulder continues for an additional 2 cm (7 rows) in Navy after the main neckline shaping, creating an overlapping finish at the shoulder join

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch / Stockinette (glatt rechts) – knit stitches on right-side rows, purl stitches on wrong-side rows; when worked in the round, every round is knitted
• 1x1 Rib (1 Masche rechts, 1 Masche links) – used for the initial cast-on row at the lower edge in Sage, providing a neat, stretchy border

Tension and Sizing

The stated tension (Maschenprobe) for this pattern is 24 stitches and 35 rows/rounds to 10 x 10 cm in stocking stitch. Achieving this tension is important for ensuring the finished garment matches the intended measurements. The pattern is written across three sizes, with stitch counts ranging from 68 / 78 / 88 stitches cast on for the back, increasing to 74 / 84 / 94 stitches after the initial shaping rows. The stripe sequence produces 9 / 11 / 13 Off-White stripes before the neck