Rowan Penrith Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Rowan Penrith Cardigan by Marie Wallin

What is Being Made

The Rowan Penrith is a knitted cardigan designed by Marie Wallin, available in five sizes to fit chest measurements of 102, 107, 112, 117, and 122 cm (40, 42, 44, 46, and 48 inches). This garment features a classic cardigan construction with a structured fit and decorative cable detailing throughout.

Knitting Techniques

The Penrith cardigan is constructed using several key knitting techniques:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The cardigan is worked from the lower edge upward, beginning with the back piece and front pieces worked separately before assembly.
• Worked Flat: All pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for traditional seaming during finishing.
• Cable Knitting: Extensive cable work is incorporated throughout the design, with multiple cable crossing techniques used to create textured pattern interest.
• Seamed Assembly: The individual pieces (back, left front, and right front) are seamed together after completion, creating clean, professional finishing.
• Ribbed Edging: The pattern begins with a knit-purl ribbed edge (K2, P2 rib) that provides elasticity and structure to the lower edge.

Stitches and Cable Techniques

The pattern employs a variety of cable stitches to create visual texture and dimension:

• C4B (Cable 4 Back): Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle and hold at back of work, knit 2, then knit 2 from cable needle.
• C4F (Cable 4 Front): Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle and hold at front of work, knit 2, then knit 2 from cable needle.
• C8B (Cable 8 Back): Slip 4 stitches onto cable needle and hold at back of work, knit 4, then knit 4 from cable needle.
• C8F (Cable 8 Front): Slip 4 stitches onto cable needle and hold at front of work, knit 4, then knit 4 from cable needle.
• C10B (Cable 10 Back): Slip 5 stitches onto cable needle and hold at back of work, knit 5, then knit 5 from cable needle.
• C10F (Cable 10 Front): Slip 5 stitches onto cable needle and hold at front of work, knit 5, then knit 5 from cable needle.

These cable techniques create twisted rope-like textures that cross over one another, adding depth and visual interest to the finished cardigan.

Materials and Yarn

The Rowan Penrith is designed to be knitted with Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds Chunky yarn. The pattern provides two colorway options:

• Steel Grey Suffolk (Shade 954): 11, 12, 13, 14, or 14 x 100gm balls depending on size.
• Mid Brown Jacob (Shade 952): 1, 1, 1, 1, or 1 x 100gm ball as a contrast option.

Needles

The cardigan requires two pairs of needles in different sizes to create varied fabric densities:

• 6mm (US 10) needles: Used for the main body and ribbed sections.
• 7mm (US 10½) needles: Used for specific sections to adjust fabric drape and stretch.

Construction Details

The back piece is cast on using 6mm needles with 90, 98, 102, 106, or 110 stitches depending on size. The pattern begins with a ribbed edge worked over 11 rows before transitioning to the main cable pattern. The front pieces are cast on separately with 47, 47, 51, 51, or 55 stitches and follow a similar ribbed introduction. Armhole shaping occurs after the main body reaches the appropriate length, with shoulder shaping and back neck shaping completed before se