Rowan Monyca Jumper Knitting Pattern

Rowan Monyca Knitted Sweater

What is Being Made

The Rowan Monyca is a knitted sweater designed by Martin Storey. This garment is a classic pullover sweater 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 from 101.5 cm to 141.5 cm (40 to 55¾ inches). The sweater features a structured design with shaping at the shoulders and back neck, making it a tailored, fitted garment suitable for everyday wear.

Techniques Used

The Monyca sweater is constructed using several key knitting techniques that create both visual interest and structural integrity:

• Bottom-up construction: The sweater is worked from the bottom edge upward, allowing for easier fitting adjustments and a more intuitive building process.
• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, which means each piece requires seaming to join the components together.
• Seamed assembly: Individual pieces (front, back, and sleeves) are sewn together after completion, creating clean, professional seams.
• Cable work: The design incorporates cable panels that add texture and visual depth to the garment. The cable panel measures 14.5 cm and contains 42 stitches, featuring a complex arrangement of knit and purl stitches that create the characteristic twisted rope effect of cables.

Stitches Used

The Monyca pattern employs a combination of fundamental and decorative stitches:

• Purl garter stitch: This forms the main fabric body of the sweater. Purl garter stitch is created by purling every row, producing a textured, bumpy fabric that is reversible and lies flat. The pattern specifies that the tension should measure 22 stitches and 38 rows to 10 cm over purl garter stitch.
• Knit and purl combinations: The cable panels utilize alternating knit and purl stitches in specific sequences (such as K2, P2, K6, P3 arrangements) to create the raised cable texture.
• Increases and decreases: The pattern includes make-one increases (M1) for shaping pocket linings and strategic decreases at the neck edge to create proper neckline shaping.
• Cast-off techniques: Multiple cast-off rows are used to shape the shoulders and back neck, creating a structured neckline opening.

Materials

The Rowan Monyca pattern calls for specific materials to achieve the intended finished garment:

• Yarn: Rowan Denim Revive yarn is used for this project. The pattern requires 15, 17, 18, 20, or 22 balls of 50-gram yarn depending on the chosen size. The photographed version is worked in the colorway Griege 215. Denim Revive is a sustainable yarn choice, aligning with modern eco-conscious knitting practices.
• Needles: Two pairs of needles are required—one pair of 3¼mm (US size 3) needles and one pair of 3¾mm (US size 5) needles. The smaller needles are typically used for ribbing or edge work, while the larger needles accommodate the main fabric.
• Cable needle: A cable needle is essential for working the cable panels, used to temporarily hold stitches while crossing them over other stitches to create the cable twist.

Pattern Details and Construction

The sweater features a sophisticated construction with multiple components. The back and front pieces are worked separately, beginning with cast-on edges at the lower edge. The pattern includes pocket linings (two pieces) that are worked in purl garter stitch and later incorporated into the front piece. These pockets add both functional and design elements to the garment.

The front features prominent cable panels arranged in a structured pattern, with the cables framed by ribbed sections created through knit and purl stitch combinations. The cable arrangement includes repeated motifs that create visual balance across the front width.

Shaping occurs at the shoulders through a series of cast-off rows that gradually reduce stitch counts, and at the back neck where stitches are divided and each side is shaped separately. The neckband will be worked from held stitches, creating a finished edge. This pattern represents intermediate