Jo Sharp Rebecca Cable Sweater Jumper Knitting Pattern

Jo Sharp Rebecca Cable Sweater

What is Being Made

The Rebecca Cable Sweater is a women's fitted knit sweater featuring a prominent cable panel at the centre front. This design is suitable for knitters with some cable experience and is available in four sizes (A, B, C, and D). The sweater combines classic cable work with a tailored silhouette, making it an elegant layering piece or standalone garment.

Craft and Project Type

This is a knitting project that falls within the sweaters and jumpers category. The pattern is provided as a downloadable PDF, allowing crafters to access the full instructions digitally.

Techniques Used

• Cable work: The sweater features cable panels worked using C8B (Cable 8 Back) and C8F (Cable 8 Front) techniques, where stitches are slipped onto a cable needle and held while working subsequent stitches to create the characteristic twisted rope effect
• Seamed construction: The sweater is assembled using seaming techniques, joining separate pieces together for a polished finish
• Worked flat: The pattern is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, with pieces knitted separately and then seamed together
• Shaping: The pattern includes shoulder shaping using cast-off techniques and decreasing methods such as k3tog tbl (knit 3 together through back loop) to create a fitted garment
• Ribbed edging: The sweater begins with k2, p2 rib at the lower edge for elastic recovery and a professional finish

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st): The primary stitch used for the body of the sweater, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric
• Ribbing (k2, p2): Used for the cuff and lower edge, providing stretch and structure
• Cable stitches: C8B and C8F create the decorative cable panel, with the pattern repeating every 8 rows across 16 stitches at the centre front
• Decreasing stitches: Techniques such as k3tog tbl are used for shoulder shaping and creating fitted lines
• Purl stitches: Used in the cable panel framing (p2 on either side) to define and highlight the cable work

Materials

Yarn: The Rebecca Cable Sweater is designed for Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed yarn. Two versions are available: Version 1 uses Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in the Wintergrass colourway, requiring 115g, 8, 9, 9, or 10 balls depending on size. Version 2 uses Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran in the Temple colourway (now discontinued; the Silkroad Aran Tweed is recommended as a substitute), requiring 104g, 10, 11, 11, or 12 balls depending on size. This aran-weight yarn provides excellent stitch definition for cable work.

Needles: The pattern calls for 4.50mm needles for the ribbed cuff and lower edge, with a change to 5.00mm needles for the main body and cable panel work. This needle size progression allows for proper gauge and fabric drape while accommodating the aran-weight yarn.

Pattern Details

The cable panel at the centre front is the focal point of the design, featuring an 8-row repeat pattern. The panel is framed with reverse stockinette (purl stitches) to make the cables stand out against the smooth stockinette background. The front and back pieces are worked separately flat, with the front incorporating the cable panel after establishment rows. Shoulder shaping is worked using cast-off techniques on right-side rows, with decreases worked symmetrically on both sides to create a fitted neckline. The pattern includes multiple size options with corresponding stitch counts and shaping row adjustments, ensuring a proper fit across different measurements.