Rowan Tactile Jumper Knitting Pattern

Rowan Tactile Knit Sweater by Martin Storey

What Is Being Made

The Rowan Tactile is a knitted sweater designed by Martin Storey, available in five sizes to fit bust measurements from 81–86 cm (32–34 inches) up to 122–127 cm (48–50 inches). The finished garment features an actual bust measurement ranging from 95.5 cm (37½ inches) in the smallest size to 137 cm (54 inches) in the largest size. This is a classic pullover-style jumper crafted using traditional knitting methods.

Techniques Used

The Rowan Tactile employs several advanced knitting techniques to create visual interest and texture:

• Cable knitting: The sweater features a prominent cable panel at the center front, incorporating cable crosses such as C4F, C4B, and C8B. These cable stitches create raised, twisted columns of fabric that add dimension and a tactile quality to the design.
• Lace knitting: Eyelet lace patterns are worked throughout the garment using yarn forward (yfwd) and knit two together (K2tog) decreases. This creates an open, decorative pattern that alternates with solid knit sections.
• Seamed construction: The sweater is worked flat in separate pieces and then seamed together, allowing for precise shaping and a professional finish.
• Worked flat: Rather than being knitted in the round, the garment pieces are worked back and forth on straight needles, which is the traditional method for creating seamed sweaters with distinct front and back panels.

Stitches Used

The pattern combines fundamental and decorative knitting stitches to build the finished fabric:

• Ribbed knit: The sweater begins with a knit-purl rib (K and P stitches worked in alternating columns), which provides elasticity and helps the garment hold its shape. The rib section is worked for 24 rows total, creating a fitted cuff at the lower edge.
• Stockinette stitch: The base fabric of the sweater body is stockinette stitch, created by knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows, producing a smooth, classic knit surface.
• Cable stitches: Stitches are crossed over one another using a cable needle to create the raised cable panel. The pattern specifies cable crosses of varying sizes (C4F, C4B, C8B), where numbers indicate how many stitches are involved in each cross.
• Lace decreases: Yarn forward (yfwd) increases paired with knit two together (K2tog) decreases create the eyelet lace pattern, allowing yarn to pass through the fabric and form small decorative holes.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The Rowan Tactile is knitted using Rowan Alpaca Classic, a luxurious alpaca yarn. The pattern requires 10 to 14 balls of yarn depending on the size being made, with each ball weighing 25 grams. The photographed sample is worked in the colorway Champagne 127.

Needles: The pattern calls for two pairs of needles to accommodate the different stitch gauges required. A 3¼mm (US 3) needle is used for the ribbed cuff sections, while a slightly larger 3¾mm (US 5) needle is used for the main body and lace pattern work. A cable needle is also required to hold stitches during cable crosses.

Gauge and Tension

Achieving the correct tension is essential for this pattern. The cable panel (40 stitches) should measure 12 cm in width. Over the lace pattern, the tension is 23 stitches and 31 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) when measured using the 3¾mm (US 5) needles. Matching this gauge ensures the finished sweater will fit as designed.

Pattern Structure

The sweater is constructed using a charted cable panel at the center front, surrounded by repeating lace motifs on either side. The pattern alternates between ribbed sections for shaping and the main lace and cable pattern work. Rows are numbered sequentially, with right-side and wrong-side rows clearly indicated, allowing knitters to follow the progression of the design systematically.