Rowan Leona Cardigan Crochet Pattern

Rowan Leonie Long Sleeve Crochet Cardigan

What Is Being Made

The Rowan Leonie is a long sleeve crochet cardigan designed by Kim Hargreaves. This garment is available in a short version with long sleeves and comes in nine size options to fit bust measurements ranging from 71-76 cm (28-30 inches) up to 152-157 cm (60-62 inches). The actual bust measurement of the finished garment ranges from 87.5 cm (34½ inches) to 167.5 cm (66 inches), providing comfortable ease across the size range.

Crochet Techniques Used

The Leonie cardigan employs several key crochet construction techniques:

• Bottom-up construction: The cardigan is worked from the bottom edge upward, allowing for easy length adjustments and a natural garment progression.
• Worked flat: All pieces are crocheted in flat rows rather than in the round, making this an accessible project for crocheters who prefer traditional flat panel construction.
• Seamed assembly: Individual pieces are sewn together after completion, creating clean, finished seams throughout the garment.
• Lace stitch patterns: The cardigan features decorative lace elements that add visual interest and create an elegant, lightweight fabric suitable for the yarn weight.

Crochet Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The pattern incorporates fundamental crochet stitches with specific stitch repeat sequences:

• Half treble crochet (htr): The primary stitch used throughout the garment construction, providing a balanced fabric weight and drape.
• V stitch patterns: The design features V stitches as a central design element, with the pattern notes indicating varying numbers of V stitches across different sizes. For example, the smallest size contains 41 V stitches, while the largest size contains 81 V stitches, demonstrating how the lace pattern scales proportionally.
• Decreases: Strategic stitch decreases are worked throughout the pattern, particularly visible in the shaping rows where stitches are decreased at specific intervals to create fitted shaping at the edges and waist areas.
• Chain spaces: Turning chains and chain spaces are used to create the openwork lace effect characteristic of the design.

Materials: Yarn and Hooks

The Rowan Leonie is designed to be worked in Rowan Summerlite 4 ply yarn, a lightweight fingering-weight yarn sold in 50-gram balls. The pattern shown is photographed in the colorway Blushes 420. Yarn quantities vary by size, with the short version featuring long sleeves requiring between 7 and 13 balls depending on the chosen size.

Two crochet hook sizes are specified for this project:

• 2.00mm (US B1) crochet hook – used for specific sections of the pattern
• 2.50mm (US B1/C2) crochet hook – used for other sections of the pattern

The use of two hook sizes allows the crocheter to adjust fabric density and drape in different areas of the garment, creating varied texture and structure where desired.