Rowan Haze Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Rowan Haze Cardigan: Knitted Bottom-Up Design

What is Being Made

The Rowan Haze is a classic knitted cardigan available in five sizes ranging from XS to XL, with finished bust measurements from 103cm (40½in) to 144cm (56¾in). This garment is designed as a skill level 2 project, making it accessible to knitters with some experience beyond absolute beginners. The cardigan features a traditional construction method that builds the garment from the bottom upward.

Knitting Techniques

The Rowan Haze employs several fundamental knitting techniques that define its structure and construction method:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The cardigan is worked beginning at the lower edge and progressing upward toward the shoulders and neckline, allowing knitters to try on the garment as it develops and easily adjust length if needed.
• Worked Flat: All pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, creating separate front and back panels that are later joined together.
• Seamed Assembly: The individual pieces—back, left front, and right front—are sewn together using seaming techniques to create the finished cardigan structure.
• Bobble Detail: The pattern includes a special abbreviation for "make bobble" (MB), which involves knitting into the front, back, front, back, and front of a single stitch, then slipping stitches back and forth on the needle to create a textured three-dimensional embellishment.

Stitches Used

Garter Stitch forms the primary fabric of the Rowan Haze cardigan. Garter stitch is created by knitting every row on both right-side and wrong-side rows, producing a dense, textured fabric with horizontal ridges that look identical on both sides. This stitch is ideal for garments as it lies flat, provides good structure, and creates a classic aesthetic. The pattern also incorporates ribbing at the lower edge, which uses alternating knit and purl stitches to create an elastic, fitted band that helps the cardigan maintain its shape.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Rowan Haze is knitted using Rowan Big Wool, a chunky-weight yarn that creates quick results and a substantial fabric. The photographed sample is worked in shade Prize 064. The pattern requires 13 to 17 balls of 100g yarn depending on size selection.

Knitting needles specified for this project include 8mm (US 11) straight needles for working the flat pieces and 8mm (US 11) circular needles measuring at least 100cm (40in) long for certain sections. The pattern tension is established at 12 stitches and 26 rows to 10cm (4in) when measured over garter stitch using 8mm needles.

Additional Materials and Notions

Beyond yarn and needles, the Rowan Haze pattern requires stitch holders to temporarily secure stitches during construction—particularly useful for holding back neck stitches during shoulder shaping—and stitch markers to identify important points in the pattern, such as the markers placed at each end of rows during back and front piece construction.

Pattern Structure and Sizing

The cardigan is available in five distinct sizes with corresponding finished bust measurements: XS (71–76cm / 28–30in, finished 103cm / 40½in), S (81–86cm / 32–34in, finished 113cm / 44½in), M (91–97cm / 36–38in, finished 124cm / 48¾in), L (102–107cm / 40–42in, finished 134cm / 52¾in), and XL (112–117cm / 44–46in, finished 144cm / 56¾in). The back and front pieces are worked to specific lengths before shoulder shaping, with the back measuring between 78–86cm (30¾–33½in) depending on size.