Redwood Jumper Knitting Pattern

Redwood Jumper by Sarah Hatton

What is Being Made

The Redwood Jumper is a classic knitted sweater designed by Sarah Hatton for Rowan. This intermediate-level garment features a structured silhouette with raglan armholes and is available in five size options to fit bust measurements ranging from 81-86 cm (32-34 inches) up to 122-127 cm (48-50 inches). The finished garment bust measurements range from 92 cm (37 inches) to 133 cm (52½ inches), providing a comfortable fit across multiple body types.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Redwood Jumper employs several key knitting techniques to create its distinctive design. The garment features raglan armhole shaping, which involves strategic decreases worked at the beginning and end of rows to create sloped armholes that extend to the neckline. This technique provides a flattering, tailored fit. The pattern also incorporates cable work, a decorative technique that creates twisted rope-like textures by crossing groups of stitches over one another using a cable needle. Additionally, the jumper uses stockinette stitch for the main body sections and Irish moss stitch for other areas, creating visual and textural interest. The construction includes pick-up and knit techniques, where stitches are picked up along finished edges to create seamless transitions between sections.

Stitches and Stitch Abbreviations

The pattern uses a range of standard and specialty stitches to achieve its final design. Key stitches include:

• Stockinette stitch (st st) – the primary stitch for the main body, created by alternating knit and purl rows
• Irish moss stitch – a textured stitch that creates a bumpy, woven appearance
• Rib stitch – used for edgings and hems to create elasticity and a finished look
• Cable stitches – including C6B (cable 6 back), C6F (cable 6 front), and C8B (cable 8 back), which create the characteristic twisted cable patterns
• Decreases – including slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over (sl 1, K1, psso) and knit 2 together (K2tog) for shaping the raglan armholes
• Purl decreases – P2tog and P2tog tbl (through back loop) for decreasing on wrong-side rows

Yarn and Materials

The Redwood Jumper is designed to be knitted using Rowan Kid Classic yarn. The pattern requires 6 to 9 balls of 50-gram yarn depending on the size chosen, with the photographed version shown in Cherry Red 847. This yarn weight and fiber content are specifically matched to the tension requirements of the pattern.

The project requires two pairs of needles: 4mm (US 6) needles and 4½mm (US 7) needles, plus a cable needle for working the cable stitches. The pattern is worked to a specific tension of 19½ stitches and 25 rows to 10 centimeters over stockinette stitch, and 20½ stitches and 27 rows to 10 centimeters over Irish moss stitch, both measured using the 4½mm needles. Achieving the correct tension is essential for the garment to fit properly across all five size options.

Pattern Structure

The Redwood Jumper is constructed in separate pieces: a back section, a front section, and sleeves. The back begins with a cable band worked in rib, followed by the main body worked in stockinette stitch. Raglan armhole shaping is then introduced, with decreases worked on both right-side and wrong-side rows over multiple repetitions to gradually reduce stitches. The front is worked similarly until the raglan shaping is nearly complete, at which point the front neck shaping begins, requiring careful stitch management to create a properly proportioned neckline. This intermediate-level pattern requires attention to detail, particularly when managing multiple decreases and cable crossings simultaneously.