Rowan Cyclone Jumper Knitting Pattern

Rowan Cyclone Knitted Sweater by Lisa Richardson

What Is Being Made

The Rowan Cyclone is an intermediate-level knitted sweater designed by Lisa Richardson. This garment is available in multiple sizes ranging from 71–76 cm to 152–157 cm bust measurement, with actual finished bust measurements from 101.5 cm to 181.5 cm. The sweater features raglan armhole shaping and front neck shaping, making it a structured, fitted design suitable for various body sizes.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs several intermediate knitting techniques that create visual interest and structure:

• Raglan Armhole Shaping: The sweater uses a raglan construction method with decreases worked at each end of rows to create the characteristic diagonal seams from underarm to neckline. Decreases are performed using slip stitch, knit, pass slipped stitch over (sl 1, K1, psso) on right-side rows and purl together decreases (P2tog and P2togtbl) on wrong-side rows.
• Front Neck Shaping: The front piece includes deliberate shaping at the neckline to create a flattering garment fit.
• Stitch Pattern Integration: The pattern incorporates a stitch pattern throughout the body and sleeves, with special attention paid to maintaining pattern consistency during shaping.
• Yarn Over Technique: The pattern uses yarn overs (yf) as part of its stitch construction, with specific notation for "paired" yarn overs that sit in front of knit stitches, creating textural detail.

Stitches Used

The Cyclone sweater is constructed using fundamental and intermediate knitting stitches:

• Knit and Purl Stitches: The foundation of the garment, creating the base fabric and pattern definition.
• Slip Stitch (sl 1): Used in decrease sequences and as part of the stitch pattern to create visual texture.
• Decrease Stitches: Slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over (sl 1, K1, psso) for left-leaning decreases; knit 2 together (K2tog) for right-leaning decreases; purl 2 together (P2tog) and purl 2 together through back loop (P2togtbl) for decreases on wrong-side rows.
• Yarn Over (yf): Creates openwork elements and is integral to the pattern design, with yarn overs positioned in front of knit stitches as noted in the pattern instructions.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Rowan Cyclone pattern specifies precise materials to achieve the intended fabric characteristics and finished measurements:

• Yarn: Rowan Tweed Haze, photographed in the colorway Clear Blue 551. Yardage requirements vary by size, ranging from 7 to 14 balls of 50-gram weight, depending on the finished bust measurement selected.
• Needles: Two pairs of needles are required. A 5.5mm (UK size 5, US size 9) needle is used for ribbing or initial stitches, and a 6mm (UK size 4, US size 10) needle is used for the main body and pattern work.
• Tension: The pattern is designed to achieve 14 stitches and 28 rows over 10 centimeters when measured over pattern using the 6mm (US 10) needles. Achieving correct tension is essential for proper fit across all size options.

Pattern Notes

The pattern includes important construction notes for knitters. When working the stitch pattern, each knit stitch that follows a slipped stitch has a paired yarn over positioned in front of it. Knitters should count these paired yarn overs carefully to maintain pattern accuracy throughout the garment. The pattern is written for multiple sizes with clear bracketing to indicate which instructions apply to specific bust measurements, making it accessible for intermediate knitters working across the full size range.