Rowan Summer Selects New Yarns eBook Knitting Pattern

Rowan Summer Selects New Yarns eBook

Overview

This downloadable eBook from Rowan presents a curated collection of new yarns from their 2016 Summer Selects range, paired with exclusive knitting patterns designed to showcase these materials. The collection includes the Angelou pattern by Martin Storey, an online exclusive design that demonstrates the versatility and drape of Rowan's contemporary yarn selections.

Featured Design: Angelou by Martin Storey

What Is Being Made

The Angelou pattern is a tailored knit garment designed to fit bust sizes ranging from 81 to 127 cm (32 to 50 inches), offering ten size options to accommodate a wide range of body measurements. The design features a structured construction with shaped armholes, defined shoulders, and a back neck shaping detail that creates a polished, fitted silhouette suitable for warm-weather wear.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several fundamental knitting techniques to achieve its refined appearance. Ribbed edging is used to create the front border and cuff details, providing elasticity and a neat finish. The pattern incorporates shaping through decreases and increases worked evenly across sections to adjust stitch counts between the ribbed border and main pattern areas. Armhole shaping is achieved through strategic cast-offs at regular intervals to create a tailored fit. The design also demonstrates shoulder shaping and back neck construction, where stitches are cast off in stages to create a professional neckline and shoulder line. The pattern note indicates the use of slipped stitches worked with yarn positioned at the right, a technique that creates neat, refined edges and contributes to the overall polished appearance of the finished piece.

Stitches Used

• Knit (K) – the fundamental stitch forming the primary fabric
• Purl (P) – used in combination with knit stitches to create textured ribbed sections
• Ribbing (K2, P2) – a two-stitch alternating pattern that provides elasticity and structure to borders and edges
• Slip stitches (Sl 1P) – stitches slipped purlwise to create neat selvage edges and refined finishing details
• Cast-off – used throughout to bind off stitches and shape the garment, including shoulder and neck shaping
• Cast-on – the foundation technique for beginning the left front panel

Materials and Specifications

The Angelou pattern is designed to be worked in Rowan Summerlite DK, a yarn weight classification that provides excellent drape and breathability ideal for warm-weather garments. The pattern requires 7 to 11 balls of 50-gram yarn depending on size selection, allowing crafters to calculate yardage requirements based on their chosen size. Construction requires two pairs of needles: 3¼mm (UK size 10, US size 3) needles for the ribbed sections and 3¾mm (UK size 9, US size 5) needles for the main pattern fabric. The tension specification of 23 stitches and 42 rows to 10 centimeters, measured over pattern using the larger needles, is critical for achieving the intended finished measurements. The design is completed with five BN1302 buttons from Bedecked, adding a functional and decorative closure element to the finished garment.

Pattern Structure

The left front panel begins with a cast-on of 48 to 76 stitches depending on size, with the first rows establishing a ribbed pattern combined with a front border stitch pattern. The rib section measures 8 centimeters before transitioning to the main pattern area, where stitch adjustments are made evenly across the ribbed section. The garment continues straight until the armhole reaches specified measurements ranging from 17.5 to 22 centimeters, at which point shoulder and back neck shaping begins through a series of cast-offs. The pattern uses a methodical approach to shaping, with separate instructions for each side of the neck to ensure symmetrical construction and professional finishing.