Rowan Butternut Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Rowan Butternut Cardigan by Lisa Richardson

What Is Being Made

The Rowan Butternut is an intermediate-level knitted cardigan designed by Lisa Richardson. This garment is a classic cardigan construction featuring a button-front closure with decorative pin or brooch fastening. The cardigan is available in five size options to fit bust measurements ranging from 81-86 cm (32-34 in) up to 122-127 cm (48-50 in), with corresponding finished bust measurements from 96 cm (37¾ in) to 136 cm (53½ in).

Techniques Used

The Butternut cardigan employs several fundamental knitting techniques suitable for intermediate-level crafters. The primary construction method involves working flat pieces—back, left front, and right front—which are subsequently assembled. The pattern incorporates strategic shaping techniques including neck shaping through decreases worked at specific intervals, shoulder shaping using graduated cast-off sequences, and waist shaping to create a tailored fit. The fronts are shaped with progressive neckline decreases, while the shoulders are constructed using a stepped cast-off method that varies by size. Sleeve cap shaping is also included in the pattern construction.

Stitches Used

The Butternut cardigan is constructed almost entirely in moss stitch, a fundamental textured stitch that creates a dense, reversible fabric. Moss stitch is formed by alternating knit and purl stitches across rows, with the pattern shifted on alternate rows to create the characteristic bumpy texture. This stitch is worked throughout the back, fronts, and sleeves, providing both visual interest and structural stability to the garment. The moss stitch creates a fabric with a tension of 19 stitches and 33 rows to 10 cm when worked on the specified needles.

Materials

• Yarn: Rowan Creative Linen in the colorway Straw 622 (as photographed). The pattern requires 4, 5, 5, 6, or 6 balls of 100gm yarn depending on size selected.
• Needles: One pair of 4½mm (US size 7) needles for all pattern pieces.
• Notions: A decorative pin or brooch is required to fasten the cardigan fronts.

Pattern Details

The back piece is cast on with 91 to 129 stitches depending on size, and worked straight in moss stitch until the piece measures 32 to 40 cm in length before shoulder shaping begins. The left and right fronts are cast on with 58 to 77 stitches and feature neckline shaping that occurs 2 to 10 rows before the back reaches its shoulder shaping point. The neckline decreases are worked over multiple rows at varying intervals—some consecutive and some on alternate rows—to create a smooth, curved neckline. Shoulder shaping on both fronts and back uses a combination of cast-off stitches at the beginning of rows and simultaneous neckline decreases to create a fitted shoulder line. A neckband is worked from stitches held during front shaping. The sleeves are also included in the pattern with their own shaping instructions.