Rowan Brekan Jumper Knitting Pattern

Rowan Brekan Knitted Sweater by Martin Storey

What is Being Made

The Rowan Brekan is a knitted sweater designed by Martin Storey. This garment is available in five size options to fit bust measurements of 81-86 cm (32-34 in), 91-97 cm (36-38 in), 102-107 cm (40-42 in), 112-117 cm (44-46 in), and 122-127 cm (48-50 in), with corresponding actual garment bust measurements ranging from 128 cm (50½ in) to 168 cm (66 in). The sweater features a structured design with careful shaping at the neckline and shoulders.

Techniques Used

The Brekan employs a bottom-up construction method, meaning the sweater is knitted starting from the lower edge and working upward toward the shoulders and neckline. The garment is worked flat on straight needles for the main body sections, with seaming used to join the various pieces together. Additionally, sections of the garment are worked in the round using a circular needle, particularly for the integrated construction of shoulder and neckline areas. This mixed approach allows for both the efficiency of flat knitting and the seamless quality of circular knitting where appropriate.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The Brekan is primarily constructed using stockinette stitch (abbreviated as st st), which creates a smooth, classic fabric with a distinctive V-pattern texture. The pattern incorporates knit and purl stitches as foundational elements. Shaping is achieved through strategic decreases, including K2tog (knit two together) and K2tog tbl (knit two together through the back loop) on knit rows, as well as P2tog (purl two together) and P2tog tbl (purl two together through the back loop) on purl rows. These decrease techniques are worked at specific intervals—sometimes on consecutive rows, then alternating rows, then every fourth row—to create smooth, graduated shaping at the neckline and shoulder edges. The pattern also uses cast-on and cast-off techniques for finishing edges and creating new stitches where sections join.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Rowan Brekan is designed to be knitted in Rowan Cashmere Tweed, a luxury yarn that combines softness with durability. The yarn is supplied in 25-gram balls, with yardage requirements varying by size: 17 balls for the smallest size through 24 balls for the largest size. The pattern was photographed in the colorway Smoke 002.

Two needle sizes are required for this project. 3¼mm (US size 3) needles are used for ribbed edgings and cuff sections, creating a tighter gauge that provides elasticity and structure. 4mm (US size 6) needles are used for the main body of the sweater worked in stockinette stitch. The pattern also specifies a 3¼mm circular needle no more than 40 cm long for working the integrated shoulder and neckline sections in the round. The working tension is 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10 centimeters measured over stockinette stitch using the 4mm needles, which is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements.

Pattern Structure and Construction Details

The sweater features a sophisticated construction where the front and back pieces are knitted separately using the bottom-up method with careful neck shaping. The neckline shaping involves multiple rounds of decreases worked at the neck edge to create a fitted crew or close neckline. The pattern uses stitch holders to temporarily secure stitches—15 stitches are held at the center front neck, and shoulder stitches are held for later joining. The shoulder sections are then joined using a three-needle technique or similar method, with new stitches cast on between the shoulder sections to create the yoke area. The garment is completed by working 219 to 243 rows (depending on size) in the round from the joined shoulders down, creating a seamless lower body section. This construction method combines the advantages of flat knitting for detailed shaping with circular knitting for efficiency in the yoke and body.