Malone In Rowan Alpaca Sparkle Jumper Knitting Pattern

Malone Sweater by Lisa Richardson in Rowan Alpaca Sparkle

What is Being Made

The Malone is a knitted sweater designed by Lisa Richardson, available in multiple sizes ranging from 28-30 inches to 60-62 inches chest measurement. This garment is offered in two versions: a plain version and a striped version. The pattern is suitable for advanced beginners seeking to develop their knitting skills with a classic pullover construction.

Techniques Used

The Malone sweater incorporates several fundamental knitting techniques appropriate for the advanced beginner level. The construction begins with a ribbed cuff worked on smaller needles, which is then increased and transitioned to stockinette stitch on larger needles. The pattern includes shaping techniques such as decreasing stitches for armhole and neckline shaping, as well as casting off for shoulder seams. For those choosing the striped version, the pattern requires joining in and breaking off colours as needed while maintaining the stripe sequence throughout the body. The back neck shaping involves decreasing one stitch at the neck edge over multiple rows while simultaneously casting off shoulder stitches, demonstrating intermediate shaping methods.

Stitches Used

• Ribbing: K2, P2 ribbing (knit 2, purl 2) forms the foundation of the cuff, creating elasticity and structure at the lower edge
• Stockinette Stitch: The main fabric is worked in stockinette stitch (alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side), creating a smooth, classic sweater fabric
• Decreasing: P2tog (purl 2 together) is used during the transition row to reduce stitches before changing to larger needles
• Casting Off: Used to bind off stitches at the shoulders and neckline to finish the garment edges

Materials

The Malone sweater is knitted using Rowan Alpaca Sparkle yarn in 50-gram balls. The yardage requirements vary by size, ranging from 8 balls for the smallest sizes up to 13 balls for the largest size. The pattern offers flexibility in colour choices: the plain version is photographed in Onyx (10025), while the striped version combines multiple colours including Arctic (10023), Ballet Slipper (10022), Onyx (10025), and Almond (10020), with specific quantities listed for each colourway depending on the chosen size.

Two pairs of needles are required: 7mm (US 10½) needles for working the ribbed cuff and initial cast-on, and 9mm (US 13) needles for the main body worked in stockinette stitch. The needle size change creates the necessary gauge adjustment and helps establish the sweater's drape and fit.

Pattern Construction Details

The back piece begins with casting on between 71 and 122 stitches depending on size, worked in K2, P2 ribbing for 7 centimetres. A decrease row using purl 2 together reduces the stitch count before changing to the larger needles and beginning stockinette stitch. The back continues straight until it reaches the required length (ranging from 59 to 73 centimetres depending on size), at which point shoulder and back neck shaping begins. The pattern demonstrates proper garment construction with clearly defined sections for shaping the shoulders and neckline, essential techniques for creating a well-fitted sweater.