Rowan Bluebell Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Rowan Bluebell Cardigan by Georgia Farrell

What is Being Made

The Rowan Bluebell is an intermediate-level knitted cardigan designed for babies, available in four sizes to fit ages 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, and 9-12 months. The finished garment features actual chest measurements ranging from 50 cm to 56 cm (19¾ to 22 inches). This is a classic button-front cardigan with a sophisticated construction that combines textured patterning with clean finishing details.

Techniques Used

The Bluebell cardigan employs several intermediate knitting techniques that add visual interest and structure to the piece. The garment begins with garter stitch edging on both the back and front pieces, providing a neat, defined border. The main body is worked from a 56-row pattern repeat charted design, which creates the textured appearance of the finished garment. The pattern incorporates strategic shaping throughout, including armhole decreases and front slope shaping that are worked simultaneously to create a well-fitted garment. The front opening edge is maintained in garter stitch throughout to frame the button band, while the interior stitches transition into the patterned sections. Shoulder shaping is worked with cast-off decreases to create proper garment structure.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch (g st): Used for the initial 6-row borders on back and front pieces, and maintained on the front opening edge throughout the garment for a clean, defined frame
• Stockinette Stitch (st st): Single purl stitches are incorporated within the pattern sections to add textural variation
• Knit 2 Together (K2tog): Used for decreasing stitches during armhole and front slope shaping to create the fitted silhouette
• Charted Pattern: A 56-row repeat pattern that forms the main textured design of the cardigan body

Materials

Yarn: The Bluebell is designed to be worked in Cotton Wool yarn by Rowan. The yardage requirement is 2 balls of 50-gram weight for the smallest size (0-3 months), increasing to 3 balls for the largest size (9-12 months). The photographed sample is shown in the colorway Moon 211, which displays the pattern beautifully.

Needles: One pair of 4mm (US 6) needles are required for this project. The pattern specifies these as size no. 8 in UK sizing.

Notions: The cardigan requires 3 embossed coconut buttons, each measuring 1.4 cm, which are used with the reverse side showing for a subtle design detail.

Tension and Gauge

The pattern is designed to be worked at a tension of 20 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm (measured over the patterned sections) using 4mm (US 6) needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for the cardigan to fit properly across all four size options, as the sizing is built into the stitch counts rather than significant length adjustments.