Reed Plain Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Reed Plain Cardigan in Rowan Fine Tweed Haze

What Is Being Made

The Reed Plain is a classic striped cardigan designed by Martin Storey for Rowan. This knitted cardigan features a traditional construction with front button closure, set-in armholes, and a crew neckline. The pattern is available in both a striped version and a plain version, with the photographed sample shown in Blush 010. The cardigan is designed to fit chest measurements ranging from 71-76 cm up to 152-157 cm, making it available in nine different sizes to accommodate various body types.

Knitting Techniques Used

This intermediate-level cardigan employs several fundamental knitting techniques. The construction begins with casting on stitches and working in stockinette stitch as the primary fabric. The pattern requires careful attention to stripe maintenance throughout shaping sequences, particularly when casting off at the armholes and shoulders. Decreasing stitches at each end of rows creates the fitted armhole shaping, with the pattern specifying both consecutive decreases and alternating row decreases depending on size. The back neck shaping involves casting off groups of stitches to create the neckline opening, while the front pieces are worked separately to accommodate the button bands. The pattern requires working each side of the neck separately after dividing stitches, a common technique for achieving proper neckline shaping in cardigan construction.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The primary stitch used throughout the Reed Plain cardigan is stockinette stitch (st st), which creates a smooth, classic fabric with knit stitches on the right side and purl stitches on the wrong side. The striped version incorporates color changes using the specified yarn colors, requiring the knitter to maintain stripe continuity while executing all shaping decreases and cast-offs. The pattern includes detailed row-by-row instructions for armhole shaping, shoulder shaping, and back neck shaping, all worked within the stockinette stitch foundation.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Reed Plain cardigan is designed to be knitted with Rowan Fine Tweed Haze, a yarn that comes in 50-gram balls. For the striped version, the pattern specifies three colors: Nero 009 (black), Lawn 005 (green), and Mist 007 (gray), with yardage varying by size from 3 balls of Nero for the smallest size up to 8 balls for the largest size. The plain version uses a single color, photographed in Blush 010, requiring between 4 and 8 balls depending on size.

The pattern calls for two pairs of needles: 3¼mm (US 3) needles and 4mm (US 6) needles. The smaller needles are used for the initial cast-on and ribbing sections, while the larger needles are used for the main body fabric in stockinette stitch, a common technique that creates proper gauge and fabric density. The cardigan is finished with eight wooden buttons measuring 15mm, specified as TGB4083 from Textile Garden, which provide a classic closure for the front opening.

Pattern Structure and Sizing

The Reed Plain is graded across nine sizes with actual chest measurements ranging from 81 cm to 163 cm. Each size specification includes detailed stitch counts for casting on, shaping decreases, and final garment measurements. The pattern provides comprehensive instructions for the back, left front, and other components, with all shaping instructions bracketed by size to ensure proper fit across the full range.