Rowan Abbey Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Rowan Abbey Cardigan by Martin Storey

What is Being Made

The Rowan Abbey is an intermediate-level knitted cardigan designed by Martin Storey. This garment is available in nine different sizes, with finished chest measurements ranging from 81 cm to 162.5 cm, making it suitable for a wide range of body types. The cardigan features a classic construction with separate front and back pieces, ribbed edging, and button closures.

Knitting Techniques Used

This cardigan employs several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques. The garment begins with cast-on at the left front, followed by ribbed edging worked over the first 21 rows to create a neat, elastic border. The main body is constructed using stockinette stitch (jersey endroit in French), which creates a smooth, classic fabric surface. The pattern incorporates decreasing techniques to shape the garment, including knit two together (tric 2 m ens) decreases worked strategically to reduce stitch counts and create shaping. The back neck shaping involves binding off (rabattre) groups of stitches to form the neckline, with short-row shaping worked separately on each side of the neck opening. The cardigan is finished with button bands and features two-row striping created by alternating between different yarn colors.

Stitches Used

• Ribbed stitch – Used for the initial edging and cuffs, combining knit and purl stitches in alternating patterns to create elasticity
• Stockinette stitch (jersey endroit) – The primary stitch for the main body, created by knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows
• Twisted knit stitch (m end torse) – Used in the ribbing pattern for added texture and definition
• Purl stitch (m env) – Combined with knit stitches in the ribbed sections
• Knit two together decrease (tric 2 m ens) – Used for shaping and stitch reduction
• Bind-off (rabattre) – Used to secure stitches at the neckline and garment edges

Materials and Specifications

The Rowan Abbey cardigan is knitted using Rowan Felted Tweed Colour yarn, a 50-gram skein weight. The project photographed in the pattern uses the colorway Succulent 027. The pattern specifies the use of two different needle sizes: size 3¼ needles for the ribbed sections and size 3¾ needles for the main stockinette fabric. This needle size variation allows the ribbing to be slightly tighter and more elastic than the body. The cardigan is finished with seven brass buttons measuring 1.8 cm, which provide both functional closure and decorative detail. The gauge is specified as 10 cm equaling 24 stitches and 32 rows when worked in stockinette stitch on size 3¾ needles, which is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements.

Design Features

The Rowan Abbey incorporates a two-row striping technique created by alternating between two different pelotes (yarn balls) of Rowan Felted Tweed Colour. This color-blocking method adds visual interest while maintaining the simplicity of basic knitting stitches. The cardigan's construction includes a shaped back neck opening with symmetrical decreasing on both sides, and the front features a button band. The ribbed edging provides a professional finish and helps the garment maintain its shape through wear and washing.