Rowan Designer Collection eBook Knitting Pattern

Rowan Designer Collection eBook: Shawls and Capes by Valerie Lenton

Overview

This downloadable PDF eBook features an exclusive online collection of 5 shawl and cape designs created by designer Valerie Lenton. The collection showcases elegant layering pieces crafted using premium Rowan yarns, offering versatile patterns suitable for various skill levels in knitting.

Designs Included

The collection features multiple shawl and cape patterns, with detailed instructions for the Lochdhu design prominently featured. Each design is tailored to work with specific Rowan yarn bases, allowing knitters to create sophisticated, wearable accessories.

Yarns Used

• Softknit Cotton – A breathable, natural fiber yarn ideal for lightweight shawls and layering pieces
• Kidsilk Haze – A luxurious blend offering softness and drape for delicate, flowing designs
• Truesilk – A premium silk yarn providing elegance and refined finish

Lochdhu Pattern Details

Finished Dimensions

The Lochdhu shawl measures 45 cm (17½ inches) long from neck to hem with a hem circumference of 191 cm (75 inches), creating a generous, flowing silhouette suitable for layering over shoulders and arms.

Materials and Tools

• Yarn: 8 x 50g balls of Softknit Cotton (photographed in Silver 586)
• Needles: 5mm (US 8) circular needle, minimum 100 cm length
• Notions: 2 x 23mm multi-colored buttons for closure or embellishment

Tension

18 stitches and 27 rows to 10 cm measured over stockinette stitch using 5mm (US 8) needles. Achieving correct tension is essential for accurate finished dimensions and proper drape.

Knitting Techniques

The Lochdhu design employs top-down construction, beginning at the neck and expanding outward through strategic increases. This method allows for customizable length and ensures a comfortable neckline fit.

• Charted Pattern Panels: Working from charts as set with repeating 32-row pattern sequences throughout the design
• Stockinette Stitch Panels: Smooth, classic knit texture forming the base structure
• Yarn Forward Increases (yfwd): Creating decorative eyelet details and shaping increases simultaneously
• Decrease Techniques: K2tog (knit two together) and sl 1, K1, psso (slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over) for paired decreases that create elegant lace-like elements
• Cable Stitches: C4B (cable 4 back) and C4F (cable 4 front) for textured, twisted details
• Marker Placement: Strategic use of stitch markers to organize pattern repeats and shaping sections

Construction Method

The pattern begins at the neck edge and progresses through multiple shaping rows. Increases are worked at regular intervals (every 2 rows, then every 4 rows) to create the expanding cape silhouette. The design incorporates 4 pattern repeat sections worked simultaneously, with stockinette stitch panels flanking charted pattern sections for visual interest and structural balance.

Stitch Abbreviations

• K: Knit
• P: Purl
• yfwd: Yarn forward (increase creating eyelet)
• K2tog: Knit two stitches together (right-leaning decrease)
• sl 1, K1, psso: Slip one stitch, knit one, pass slipped stitch over (left-leaning decrease)
• C4B: Slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle and hold at back of work,