Rowan Fleetwith Cowl Knitting Pattern

Rowan Fleetwith by Lisa Richardson

What is Being Made

Rowan Fleetwith is a collection of knitted garments including a sweater and cowl, designed by Lisa Richardson. The sweater is available in two sizes to fit bust measurements of 81-102 cm (32-40 in) and 107-127 cm (42-50 in), with actual garment bust measurements of 168 cm (66¼ in) and 205 cm (80¾ in) respectively. The cowl is a smaller accessory piece that complements the sweater design.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques to create visual interest and texture. The garment is worked flat, meaning it is knitted in separate pieces rather than in the round, and then seamed together to form the finished sweater. The construction is bottom-up, beginning at the lower edge and working upward toward the shoulders and neckline. Cable work is a primary design feature throughout the pattern, with multiple cable panels creating the distinctive textured appearance of the finished piece.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The pattern incorporates a variety of stitches and repeating stitch panels:

• Basket stitch forms the main fabric background, providing a textured base for the cable panels
• Cable stitches are central to the design, worked using a cable needle to create twisted rope-like textures. Specific cable abbreviations include C6B (cable 6 back), C6F (cable 6 front), and Cr6F (cross 6 front)
• Panel A (8 stitches) features a repeating 10-row pattern combining knit stitches with yarn forward decreases (yfwd, sl 1, K1, psso) to create an openwork lace effect within the cable structure
• Panel B (8 stitches) uses a 10-row repeat with K2tog and yarn forward decreases arranged in a different sequence to create variation
• Panel C (increases to 10 stitches) incorporates a 12-row repeat with increases worked purlwise, ribbed sections in (P2, K2) pattern, and cable crosses
• Panel D (increases to 10 stitches) mirrors Panel C with similar increases and ribbed texturing
• Panel E (12 stitches) forms the centre cable panel with its own distinct cable pattern
• Additional stitches used throughout include knit (K), purl (P), yarn forward (yfwd), slip stitches (sl), and various cable crosses

Materials

The sweater and cowl are knitted using Rowan Valley Tweed yarn in the colourway Janet's Foss 110. The sweater requires 8 x 50gm balls for the smaller size and 10 x 50gm balls for the larger size. The cowl requires 2 x 50gm balls. Both the sweater and cowl together require 10 x 50gm balls of yarn when made as a set.

The pattern is worked on 3¼mm (US 3) needles, with one pair of straight needles for the flat-worked pieces and a 3¼mm circular needle no longer than 40 cm for any in-the-round sections. A cable needle is essential for manipulating stitches when working the cable panels.

Tension and Finished Measurements

The pattern is designed to achieve a tension of 23 stitches and 38 rows to 10 cm measured over basket stitch using 3¼mm needles. The cable panels have specific width measurements: the centre cable panel E measures 3.5 cm, while all other cable panels (A, B, C, and D) measure 3 cm each. Achieving correct tension is essential for the garment to fit as intended and for the cable panels to display their proper proportions.