Rowan Breath Jumper Knitting Pattern

Rowan Breath Knitted Sweater by Lisa Richardson

What is Being Made

Rowan Breath is a knitted sweater designed by Lisa Richardson, available in five sizes to fit bust measurements from 81-86 cm (32-34 inches) up to 122-127 cm (48-50 inches). The finished garment features actual bust measurements ranging from 93 cm (36½ inches) to 133 cm (52¼ inches), offering a comfortable fit across multiple size ranges.

Knitting Techniques

This sweater is constructed using bottom-up seamed construction, meaning the pieces are knitted individually from the lower edges upward and then sewn together. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for traditional seaming of the body and sleeves.

The design incorporates raglan shaping at the armholes, a classic technique that creates diagonal decreases from the underarm toward the neckline, resulting in a comfortable, sloped shoulder line. Neck shaping is worked separately on each side, with decreases strategically placed to create a finished neckline.

Sleeve construction includes incremental increases worked at regular intervals to shape the sleeve cap, with the increases occurring at different row frequencies depending on the size being knitted. This graduated increase method ensures proper sleeve length and cap fit across all five size options.

Stitches Used

• Ribbing: Used for the cuffs and lower body edges to create elasticity and a finished appearance
• Stockinette Stitch (st st): The primary stitch throughout the body and sleeves, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric
• Decreases: K2tog (knit two together) decreases are used for raglan shaping and neck shaping
• Cast-off: Used to finish edges, particularly at the raglan armhole shaping

Materials and Needles

The sweater is knitted using Rowan Cashmere Haze yarn in a luxurious blend, with the photographed sample shown in the colorway Polar Night 703. The pattern requires 3-4 balls of 25-gram yarn depending on the size selected.

Two needle sizes are required for this project: 4mm (US 6) needles for the ribbed sections and initial cast-on, and 5mm (US 8) needles for the main stockinette stitch fabric. A 4mm circular needle no longer than 60 cm is also needed, likely for the neckband finishing.

Tension and Fit

The pattern is designed to be worked at a tension of 17 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm measured over stockinette stitch using the 5mm needles. Achieving the correct tension is essential for obtaining the intended finished measurements and proper garment fit.

The sweater features a raglan sleeve cap that requires careful decreasing over multiple rows, with the number of decrease rows varying by size. Sleeve length is consistent across most sizes at approximately 45-46 cm from the ribbed cuff to the raglan shaping.