Rowan Ribbed Sweater Jumper Knitting Pattern

Rowan Ribbed Sweater

What is Being Made

The Rowan Ribbed Sweater is a classic knitted pullover garment designed to fit bust sizes from 81-86 cm through 122-127 cm (32-50 inches), accommodating five size options from Small to Extra Extra Large. This sweater features a sophisticated construction combining ribbed panels with a decorative cable panel at the center front and back, creating visual interest and texture throughout the garment.

Construction Method and Techniques

This sweater is constructed using the bottom-up method, meaning pieces are knitted starting from the lower edges and working upward toward the shoulders. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, with individual pieces (front, back, and sleeves) knitted separately and then seamed together to create the finished sweater. This approach allows for precise shaping and the integration of cable patterns that would be more complex to manage in circular knitting.

The primary shaping technique involves casting off stitches at the beginning of rows to create the shoulder slopes, with 41 to 61 stitches cast off depending on the size being made. A holder is used to retain stitches for the collar, which is worked after the main body pieces are complete.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The sweater employs several key knitting stitches and techniques:

• Ribbing (K2, P2): Knit 2, Purl 2 ribbing forms the foundation of the side panels and creates vertical lines of texture. This elastic stitch pattern is used extensively on both the front and back pieces, providing shape retention and a fitted appearance.
• Cable stitches: The central panel features cable crosses, specifically Cr6LPP (Cable 6 Left Purl, Purl) and Cr6R (Cable 6 Right) stitches that create the distinctive twisted rope-like texture characteristic of cable knit sweaters. These cables are worked over 6 stitches and are repeated in a pattern with reverse stockinette stitch (purl) backgrounds to make them stand out.
• Reverse stockinette stitch (purl): Used as background stitches within and around the cable panel to create contrast and allow the cables to be visually prominent.
• Stockinette stitch (knit): Forms the basis of the overall fabric structure.

Stitch markers are used throughout the pattern to clearly delineate where the cable panel begins and ends, helping the knitter maintain pattern accuracy across the 36 central stitches that form the cable design.

Materials and Tools

The sweater is knitted using Rowan Alpaca Soft DK yarn in a double knit weight, photographed in the colorway Rainy Day 210. Yarn requirements range from 20 to 24 balls of 50-gram weight depending on the size selected, providing approximately 1000-1200 meters of yarn total.

The recommended needles are 6mm (US size 10) needles. The pattern specifies one pair of straight needles for working the flat pieces, along with a 6mm circular needle no longer than 30 cm for working the collar in the round, or alternatively a set of four double-pointed needles. A cable needle is also required for executing the cable crosses that form the decorative central panel.

Additional notions include two stitch markers to track the cable panel boundaries during knitting.

Skill Level and Pattern Details

This pattern is rated at Skill Level 3, indicating it is suitable for intermediate to advanced knitters. The complexity arises from the need to manage multiple stitch patterns simultaneously (ribbing and cables), execute cable crosses accurately, and maintain proper shaping through strategic stitch decreases and cast-offs. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF from Rowan and is part of the Quail Studio collection.