Rowan Lattice Armwarmers Gloves Knitting Pattern

Rowan Lattice Armwarmers

What is Being Made

The Rowan Lattice Armwarmers are a pair of seamless, tubular arm coverings designed by Martin Storey. These armwarmers measure 11 cm (4¼ inches) wide when laid flat and 30 cm (11¾ inches) in height, making them a versatile accessory for layering. The design features a decorative lattice pattern created through stranded colorwork techniques.

Techniques Used

This knitting project employs several key techniques to achieve its finished structure:

• Seamless, worked-in-the-round construction: The armwarmers are knitted in continuous rounds using either a set of four double-pointed needles or a circular needle with the magic loop technique, eliminating the need for seaming.
• Stranded colorwork: The pattern incorporates two-color stranded knitting, where yarn not in use is carried across the wrong side of the work, creating a durable, reversible fabric.
• Fairisle patterning: The main body of the armwarmers features a fairisle pattern worked from a chart, repeating an 18-stitch pattern motif three times across each round.
• Bottom-up construction: The armwarmers are worked from the cuff upward, beginning with a ribbed cuff and progressing to the patterned body section.

Stitches Used

The Rowan Lattice Armwarmers utilize fundamental knitting stitches combined in specific techniques:

• Stockinette stitch (st st): The primary stitch structure for the fairisle patterned section, worked in knit rounds to create a smooth, V-textured fabric.
• Two-color rib: The cuff features an alternating knit and purl rib worked in two colors (A and B), creating a stretchy, textured edge. This rib is worked for 7 rounds total, establishing the foundation of the piece.
• Fairisle pattern stitches: The main body incorporates the fairisle technique, where two colors are worked simultaneously in stockinette stitch following a 63-round chart pattern.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The armwarmers are knitted using Rowan Alpaca Soft DK, a double-knitting weight yarn. Two colors are required: Rainy Day (color 210) and Charcoal (color 211), with 2 x 50gm balls of each color needed to complete the pair.

Needles: The project requires two different needle sizes to achieve the correct tension in different sections. A set of four 3¼mm (US 3) double-pointed needles or a 3¼mm circular needle at least 80 cm (32 inches) long is used for the ribbed cuff. A set of four 4mm (US 6) double-pointed needles or a 4mm circular needle at least 80 cm (32 inches) long is used for the fairisle patterned body. Knitters using circular needles should be comfortable with the magic loop technique for working small circumferences.

Tension and Sizing

Achieving the correct tension is essential for this project. The two-color rib should measure 28 stitches and 25 rows to 10 cm (approximately 4 inches) when worked on 3¼mm (US 3) needles. The fairisle pattern section should measure 25 stitches and 26 rows to 10 cm when worked on 4mm (US 6) needles. These tension measurements ensure the finished armwarmers achieve their intended dimensions and fit properly.