Rowan Pleateau Plain and Stripes Knitting Pattern

Rowan Plateau Plain and Stripes Knit Garment

What is Being Made

The Rowan Plateau is a knitted garment designed to fit bust measurements ranging from 71-76 cm (28-30 inches) up to 152-157 cm (60-62 inches), offering nine size options. The pattern is available in two versions: a striped version featuring multiple colors, and a plain version photographed in Rockhopper 027. The finished garment includes seven bronze buttons measuring 1.8 units, indicating this is a button-front design.

Construction Techniques

This garment is constructed using a bottom-up seamed approach, meaning pieces are knitted individually from the lower edges upward and then joined together using seaming techniques. The pattern is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing the knitter to work back and forth in rows to create the various pattern sections.

Stitch Patterns and Techniques

The Plateau begins with a ribbed cuff worked in a 2x2 rib pattern (knit 2, purl 2 repeat), which provides elasticity and structure at the lower edge. The rib is established over the first two rows and continues for an additional 12 rows while incorporating the stripe color sequence. After the ribbed section, the pattern transitions to a more complex stitch arrangement featuring alternating knit and purl rows that create textural interest.

The main pattern body employs a garter stitch variation created through strategic placement of knit and purl rows in specific color sequences. Rows are worked in combinations such as purl-purl, knit-purl, and knit-purl-knit progressions, which build dimensional texture across the garment surface. This technique creates subtle ridges and visual interest while maintaining a relatively straightforward knitting rhythm suitable for intermediate skill levels.

Stripe and Color Work

The striped version features color changes worked throughout the pattern, with colors joined in and broken off as required across multiple rows. The stripe sequence spans 19 rows and incorporates six distinct yarn colors from the Rowan Pebble Island collection:

• Yarn A: Kelp 028 – used in multiple sections totaling 2-4 hanks depending on size
• Yarn B: Macaroni 029 – used for the initial ribbed cuff, 2-4 hanks
• Yarn C: Desire 021 – featured in the mid-pattern sections, 2-3 hanks
• Yarn D: Tussac 023 – incorporated in early pattern rows, 2-3 hanks
• Yarn E: Diddle Dee 026 – used in pattern rows 8-10, 1-2 hanks
• Yarn F: Rockhopper 027 – used in row 11 and as the solid color for the plain version, 1-2 hanks

The plain version eliminates color changes and is photographed entirely in Rockhopper 027, simplifying the knitting process while maintaining the same stitch structure and garment shaping.

Materials and Tools

The pattern requires two sizes of knitting needles: 4mm (US 6) needles for the ribbed cuff section in the striped version, and 4½mm (US 7) needles for the main pattern body. The yarn used is Rowan Pebble Island, supplied in 50-gram hanks. Yarn quantities vary by size, ranging from 7 hanks for the smallest size to 14 hanks for the largest size in the striped version. The garment is finished with seven bronze buttons, which serve as functional closures for the button-front opening.

Skill Level and Sizing

This pattern is rated as intermediate skill level, appropriate for knitters with experience in basic techniques who are ready to work with color changes and more complex stitch sequences. The nine available sizes accommodate a broad range of body measurements, with actual finished bust measurements ranging from 81 cm (32 inches) to 163 cm (64¼ inches), allowing for appropriate ease and fit across different body types.