Rowan Enderbury Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Rowan Enderbury Cardigan by Georgia Farrell

What is Being Made

The Rowan Enderbury is a knitted cardigan designed by Georgia Farrell. This garment is available in five sizes to fit bust measurements ranging from 81–86 cm (32–34 inches) up to 122–127 cm (48–50 inches), with actual finished bust measurements of 93 cm to 133 cm. The cardigan features a structured, tailored construction suitable for everyday wear.

Knitting Techniques

The Enderbury cardigan is constructed using bottom-up seamed construction, meaning the back and front pieces are knitted separately from the hem upward, then joined together with seams. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for precise shaping and pattern placement across the front and back panels.

The cardigan incorporates waist shaping and armhole shaping to create a fitted silhouette. The back piece measures 19–25 cm at the armhole depth depending on size, and the shoulders are shaped through strategic cast-offs. The neckline features a back neck shaping technique where stitches are cast off at the center back, and each shoulder is completed separately with decreases worked at the neck edge over multiple rows to create a smooth, finished neckline.

Stitches Used

The Enderbury employs fundamental knitting stitches to create both textured and smooth sections:

• Garter stitch (g st): Used for the lower 14 rows of both the back and front pieces, creating a textured, reversible fabric that provides structure at the hem
• Stockinette stitch (st st): The primary stitch for the main body, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric
• Patterned stitches: The cardigan incorporates a stitch pattern worked over the main body sections, featuring alternating knit and purl stitches in a repeating sequence (K3, P3 repeats with variations) that creates visual interest and texture

The pattern instructions specify precise tension measurements: 26 stitches and 34 rows to 10 cm over stockinette stitch, and 25 stitches and 43 rows to 10 cm over the pattern stitch, both measured using 3¼mm needles. This detailed tension guidance ensures proper fit and drape across all sizes.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Enderbury cardigan is designed to be knitted with Rowan Island Blend Fine yarn. The yardage requirement varies by size, ranging from 8 × 50g balls for the smallest size up to 12 × 50g balls for the largest size (sizes 81–86 cm through 122–127 cm). The pattern is photographed in the colorway Regalia.

The cardigan is worked entirely on 3¼mm (US size 3) needles, one pair of straight needles. These needles are used for both the garter stitch foundation rows and the main stitch pattern sections, maintaining consistent gauge throughout the construction.

Construction Details

Each piece begins with a garter stitch border worked over 14 rows to create a finished, textured edge. The back piece is cast on with 116–166 stitches depending on size, while the left front is cast on with 60–85 stitches. After the garter stitch foundation, both pieces transition into the main stitch pattern, which combines knit and purl stitches in a structured repeat. The pattern maintains 8 stitches of garter stitch at the front edge (the button band area) while the body works in the patterned stitch.

Shaping progresses through the armholes with cast-offs at the beginning of rows, followed by shoulder shaping through additional cast-offs. The back neck shaping involves casting off a center section and completing each shoulder separately with decreases worked at the neck edge over 8 rows, creating a smooth transition from shoulder to neckline. The right front piece mirrors the left front with reversed shapings to create a symmetrical cardigan.