Exmoor Jumper Knitting Pattern

Exmoor Sweater by Chloe Thurlow

What is Being Made

The Exmoor is an advanced-level knitted sweater designed by Chloe Thurlow and published by Rowan. This garment is available in nine sizes ranging from 71–76 cm to 152–157 cm chest circumference, making it suitable for a wide range of body types. The finished sweater features an actual chest measurement range of 96.5 cm to 179.5 cm, providing generous fit options across the size scale.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs multiple advanced knitting techniques that contribute to its sophisticated appearance and advanced difficulty rating. The primary techniques include:

• Cable knitting: A prominent cable pattern band forms a key design element, created using cable crosses (Cr4L and Cr4R) that are repeated throughout the garment. Each 32-row repeat of the cable pattern measures 13 cm in length.
• Fairisle colorwork: The sweater incorporates fairisle technique, a method of working with two colors simultaneously to create patterned stockinette stitch. The fairisle section is worked from a chart with a 10-stitch pattern repeat that is repeated multiple times across each row.
• Stitch manipulation: The pattern includes strategic decreases (K2tog) and increases (M1P for make-one purl) to shape the garment and manage stitch counts at various points in construction.

Stitches Used

The Exmoor pattern combines several fundamental and intermediate stitches to achieve its textured and patterned design:

• Stockinette stitch (st st): The base stitch used throughout much of the garment, including the entire fairisle patterned section.
• Reverse stockinette stitch: Created by purling on right-side rows and knitting on wrong-side rows, used to frame and define the cable pattern sections.
• Cable crosses: Cr4L (cable 4 left) and Cr4R (cable 4 right) stitches form the twisted rope-like texture characteristic of cable knitting.
• Knit and purl combinations: The cable pattern band is worked with alternating knit and purl stitches (K2, P2, K4 sequences) to create definition and structure.
• Decreases and increases: K2tog (knit two together) for decreases and M1P (make one purl) for increases are used for shaping and stitch management.

Materials

The Exmoor is worked using Rowan Kid Classic yarn, a soft and luxurious fiber choice. The pattern requires two colors from the Rowan palette:

• Yarn A – Feather 828: The main color, with yardage requirements ranging from 115 to 201 grams (approximately 460–804 meters) depending on size selected.
• Yarn B – Tiger 913: The contrast color used in the fairisle section, required in 2–3 grams (approximately 8–12 meters) across all sizes.

The pattern is worked on two needle sizes to achieve proper tension and fabric characteristics:

• 4.5 mm (US 7) needles: Used for ribbed or edging sections requiring a tighter gauge.
• 5 mm (US 8) needles: The primary needle size for the main body, cable pattern, and fairisle sections.
• Cable needle: Required for executing the cable crosses that form the pattern bands.

The pattern specifies two different tension measurements: 29 stitches and 27 rows over 10 cm for the cable pattern, and 24 stitches and 22 rows over 10 cm for the patterned stockinette stitch, both measured using 5 mm needles. Achieving correct tension is essential for proper fit across the nine available sizes.