Rowan Aichi Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Rowan Aichi Cardigan by Brandon Mably

What is Being Made

The Aichi is a knitted cardigan designed by Brandon Mably for Rowan. This garment is available in five sizes to fit bust measurements from 81–86 cm (32–34 in) through 122–127 cm (48–50 in). The cardigan features a button front closure with seven buttons and is constructed using a combination of garter stitch and patterned stockinette stitch.

Techniques Used

This cardigan is worked using several key knitting techniques:

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is knitted from the lower edge upward, allowing for straightforward shaping and sizing adjustments.
• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted flat on straight needles or circular needles (used as straight needles), rather than in the round.
• Seamed assembly: Individual pieces—back, fronts, and sleeves—are knitted separately and then seamed together to create the finished garment.
• Stranded colorwork: The pattern incorporates stranded knitting techniques to create the design motifs using multiple yarn colors worked simultaneously.
• Striped patterning: The design includes striped elements worked from a chart that guides color placement and stitch placement throughout the garment.

Stitches Used

The Aichi cardigan employs fundamental knitting stitches to create its structure and visual interest:

• Garter stitch: Used for the front opening edges (8 stitches in garter stitch using yarn A), providing a finished, non-curling edge suitable for a button band.
• Stockinette stitch: The primary stitch used throughout the body and sleeves, creating a smooth fabric base for the patterned design.
• Patterned stockinette stitch: Stockinette stitch combined with stranded colorwork techniques, worked from a detailed chart that specifies row-by-row color changes and stitch placement.

Materials and Gauge

The Aichi is knitted using Rowan yarn in two colors. Yarn A (Pumice 461) requires 12–16 balls of 50-gram weight depending on size, while Yarn B (Grit 473) requires 5–7 balls of 50-gram weight. The pattern specifies 3¼mm (US 3) needles for the initial cast-on and garter stitch sections, and 4mm (US 6) needles for the main patterned sections. A circular needle may be preferred due to the high stitch count. The tension is measured at 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10 centimeters over patterned stockinette stitch using 4mm (US 6) needles. The pattern calls for seven RW5004A buttons from Bedecked to complete the front closure.

Pattern Structure and Shaping

The cardigan is constructed in separate pieces with careful attention to pattern matching. The left front begins with a cast-on of 104–131 stitches (depending on size), followed by five rows of garter stitch worked on 3¼mm needles. An additional eight stitches are cast on at the beginning of row 6 to create the front band. The main body is then worked on 4mm needles in patterned stockinette stitch from a detailed chart. The front opening edge maintains eight stitches in stockinette stitch using yarn A throughout, creating a clean selvage for button placement. Neck shaping is accomplished through decreases at the neck edge over four rows, with the center stitches held on a stitch holder. The right front is worked as a mirror image, with the chart reversed to ensure the design matches correctly along the side seams. Shoulder shaping is completed with cast-off stitches, and the pattern includes detailed instructions for working each side of the neck separately to achieve proper fit.