Rowan Grayling Jumper Knitting Pattern

Rowan Grayling Knitted Sweater by Susan Mills

What is Being Made

Grayling is a knitted sweater designed by Susan Mills and published by Rowan. This garment is a lace-detailed pullover jumper available in six sizes ranging from XS to XXL. The sweater features decorative lace patterning throughout the body and incorporates shaping at the armholes and neckline for a tailored fit.

Construction Method and Techniques

The Grayling sweater is constructed using a bottom-up, seamed, and worked-flat knitting approach. This means the garment is knitted in flat pieces starting from the bottom edge and progressing upward, with pieces later seamed together. The flat working method allows for easier pattern management and shaping compared to circular knitting.

The sweater incorporates lace techniques as a primary design element. Lace knitting involves creating decorative openwork patterns through strategic yarn-overs and decreases that form holes and textured designs. The Grayling pattern includes two distinct lace stitch patterns: Lace Flowers and Shetland Lace, which are worked in alternating sections throughout the body of the sweater.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns Used

The pattern employs several fundamental knitting stitches and techniques:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) stitches: The basic foundation stitches used throughout the garment
• Yarn-overs (yo): Essential to lace knitting, these create the decorative openwork holes characteristic of the design
• Decreases: Including ssk (slip, slip, knit), k2tog (knit two together), p2tog (purl two together), and Double Decrease (DD), which decrease stitch counts and shape the garment
• Knit through back loop (k1tbl): A twisted stitch variation used for textural detail
• Increases: Evenly distributed increases worked into the piece to adjust stitch counts between pattern sections
• Lace Flowers pattern: A 11-row repeat lace motif that forms the primary decorative element
• Shetland Lace pattern: A secondary lace pattern worked in 20-24 row sections between Lace Flowers repeats

The pattern also includes armhole and neckline shaping through strategic bind-offs and decrease rows worked at the edges of the piece.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The Grayling sweater is designed to be knitted with Rowan Creative Linen, a linen yarn. The yardage requirement is 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, or 4 x 100g balls depending on size selection (XS through XXL). The pattern was photographed in the colorway Sunflower 640. Linen yarn is an excellent choice for lace patterns as it drapes beautifully and allows lace details to be clearly visible.

Needles and Accessories: The pattern requires knitting needles in two sizes. US 8 [5 mm] needles are used as the primary needles for working the lace patterns and body of the sweater. A smaller circular knitting needle in size US 6 [4 mm] measuring 16 inches (40 cm) is also needed, likely for finishing edges or neckline work. Additional materials include removable markers or safety pins for tracking pattern repeats, stitch holders for holding stitches during construction, and stitch markers for marking pattern sections.

Gauge and Tension

The pattern specifies a gauge of 20 stitches and 25 rows to 4 inches (10 cm) when working the Shetland Lace patterns with the larger US 8 [5 mm] needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for the sweater to fit properly and for the lace patterns to display at their intended scale. Knitters are advised to check their gauge before beginning the project.

Pattern Structure and Sizing

The Grayling pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and includes detailed instructions for six size options: XS, S, M, L, XL, and XXL. The pattern provides specific stitch counts and row measurements for each size, allowing knitters to customize the fit. The sweater body measures approximately 13¾ to 15¼ inches (35 to 38.5