Rowan Skirt Knitting Pattern

Rowan Skirt: Seamless Top-Down Knit Skirt

What is Being Made

The Rowan Skirt is a seamless, top-down knitted skirt designed to fit bust sizes from 81–127 cm (32–50 inches). This downloadable knitting pattern produces a fitted skirt with a ribbed construction that stretches to flatter the wearer. The skirt features an elasticated waist casing and is available in five sizes ranging from Small to XXL, with hip measurements from 70 to 110 cm unstretched.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs seamless construction, meaning the skirt is knitted as one continuous piece without requiring seaming. The top-down method allows the knitter to start at the waist and work downward toward the hem, making it easy to try on and adjust length as needed. The entire skirt is worked in the round using a circular needle, which eliminates the need for seaming side seams and creates a smooth, professional finish. Strategic increases are worked at marked side positions on alternating rounds (every 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th round) to shape the skirt from the waist down to the hip, creating a flattering silhouette. The pattern uses herringbone stitch to attach the elastic waist casing, a traditional finishing technique that secures the elastic while maintaining the skirt's stretch and comfort.

Stitches Used

• Rib stitch (alternating knit and purl): Forms the primary fabric throughout the entire skirt. This elastic stitch is worked continuously in rounds and is noted as being particularly stretchy, allowing the skirt to fit snugly despite appearing small when laid flat unstretched.
• Herringbone stitch: Applied during finishing to stitch the elastic waist casing securely to the cast-on edge while preserving the fabric's stretch and comfort.

Materials and Specifications

This pattern requires Alpaca Soft DK yarn in quantities ranging from 11 to 13 x 50-gram balls depending on size (the photographed sample is shown in Charcoal 211). A 3½mm (US 4) circular needle no longer than 70–110 cm is used to accommodate the cast-on stitches and maintain even tension throughout the rounds. Additional materials include a length of 2.5 cm wide elastic trimmed to fit snugly around the waist and two stitch markers to denote the side "seam" positions during construction. The pattern specifies a tension of 36 stitches and 36 rounds to 10 cm measured over rib in the unstretched state using the 3½mm needle.

Pattern Difficulty and Finishing

Rated at Skill Level 3, this pattern is suitable for intermediate knitters with experience in circular needle techniques and shaping. The skirt measures between 75 and 77 cm from the cast-on edge to the finished hem, depending on size. Finishing involves pressing the completed skirt according to standard instructions, then creating a waist casing by stitching the elastic using herringbone stitch next to the cast-on edge. The ribbed fabric's natural stretch means the skirt will fit comfortably in wear despite appearing snug when unstretched and laid flat.