Rowan Celtic Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Rowan Celtic Cardigan by Martin Storey

What is Being Made

The Rowan Celtic is a knitted cardigan designed by Martin Storey, available as a downloadable PDF pattern. This garment is constructed to fit bust measurements ranging from 82 to 117 cm (32 to 46 inches), offering eight size options for a wide range of wearers. The cardigan features decorative cable work as a central design element, making it a sophisticated layering piece suitable for various occasions.

Knitting Techniques

This cardigan employs several key knitting techniques that contribute to its finished structure and visual appeal:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The cardigan is worked from the lower edge upward, allowing knitters to try on the garment and adjust length as needed during the knitting process.
• Worked Flat: Pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, creating distinct front and back panels that are later seamed together.
• Seamed Assembly: Individual pieces are sewn together using seaming techniques, creating clean, professional-looking joins between the back, fronts, and sleeves.
• Cable Patterning: Intricate cable designs form the visual centerpiece of the design, requiring careful stitch manipulation and pattern following throughout the knitting process.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The pattern incorporates a variety of cable stitches and abbreviations essential to creating the Celtic design:

• C4B (Cable 4 Back): Slip 2 stitches onto a cable needle and hold at the back of work, knit 2 stitches, then knit 2 stitches from the cable needle, creating a right-leaning cable cross.
• C4F (Cable 4 Front): Slip 2 stitches onto a cable needle and hold at the front of work, knit 2 stitches, then knit 2 stitches from the cable needle, creating a left-leaning cable cross.
• C6B (Cable 6 Back): Slip 3 stitches onto a cable needle and hold at the back of work, knit 3 stitches, then knit 3 stitches from the cable needle, forming a larger cable twist.
• C6F (Cable 6 Front): Slip 3 stitches onto a cable needle and hold at the front of work, knit 3 stitches, then knit 3 stitches from the cable needle, creating the opposing cable direction.
• Cr5R and Cr5L (Cable Crosses with Purl): These crossed stitches combine knit and purl elements, with Cr5R slipping 2 stitches to hold at back, knitting 3, then purling 2 from the cable needle, while Cr5L reverses this sequence for textural variation.
• Reverse Stockinette Stitch (Rev St St): Used as a background stitch between and beside the cable charts, creating contrast and allowing the cables to stand out visually.
• dec7 (Decrease 7): A complex decrease technique performed with yarn at front, involving slipping stitches and lifting stitches over one another to create a decorative decrease element.

Pattern Structure and Shaping

The cardigan features strategic shaping to create a fitted silhouette. Side seam increases are worked at each end of the 9th row and then every 10th row thereafter until the stitch count reaches 116 to 158 stitches depending on size. The pattern maintains cable charts with reverse stockinette stitch between them throughout the body. Armhole shaping is achieved by casting off 5 to 9 stitches at the beginning of two consecutive rows, depending on the size being knitted, with pattern stitches maintained throughout the shaping process.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Rowan Celtic cardigan is designed to be worked in two complementary Rowan yarns:

• Rowan Felted Tweed in Carbon (shade 159): The primary yarn, with 7 to 9 balls of 50-gram weight required depending on size selection.
• Rowan Kid Classic in Smoke (shade 831): A secondary yarn used for contrast, requiring 2 balls of 50-gram weight across all sizes.

The pattern specifies the use