Rowan Tern Jumper Knitting Pattern

Rowan Tern Knitted Sweater by Georgia Farrell

What is Being Made

The Rowan Tern is a knitted sweater designed by Georgia Farrell, available in five sizes ranging from 81-86 cm to 122-127 cm bust (32-34 in to 48-50 in). The finished garment features an actual bust measurement of 93.5 cm to 133.5 cm (36¾ in to 52½ in), making it suitable for a range of body sizes. This is a classic pullover-style sweater constructed using traditional knitting methods.

Techniques Used

The Rowan Tern employs several key knitting techniques to create its finished structure:

• Bottom-up construction: The sweater is knitted from the bottom edge upward, allowing for straightforward sizing adjustments and a logical progression through the pattern.
• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, which means seaming is required to join the finished pieces together.
• Seamed assembly: Individual pieces are sewn together using a seaming technique, creating clean, professional-looking joins.
• Striped colorwork: The sweater features decorative stripes and chevron motifs created by alternating between two yarn colors across the lower portion of the garment.

Stitches Used

The Rowan Tern is primarily constructed using stocking stitch (also called stockinette stitch or st st), which is the most fundamental and versatile knit stitch. Stocking stitch creates a smooth, flat fabric with a distinctive V-pattern texture on the right side and horizontal bumps on the wrong side. The pattern specifies working rows that begin with a knit row (K row) to maintain consistent stocking stitch throughout the main body of the sweater. The colorwork sections utilize the same stocking stitch base but incorporate two contrasting yarns to create the striped and chevron pattern details across 26 rows of the lower garment.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Rowan Tern is designed to be knitted using Rowan Summerlite 4ply yarn, a lightweight four-ply weight yarn suitable for creating garments with excellent drape and breathability. Two yarn colors are required:

• Yarn A - Seashell (color 437): The primary yarn color, with quantities ranging from 5 to 8 x 50gm balls depending on the size being knitted.
• Yarn B - Anchor Grey (color 446): The contrasting color used for the striped and chevron sections, requiring 1 x 50gm ball across all sizes.

Two sizes of needles are required to achieve proper tension and construction:

• 2¼mm (US size 1) needles: Used for casting on and initial ribbed sections to create a fitted edge.
• 3mm (US size 2/3) needles: The main needles used for the body of the sweater, worked at a tension of 28 stitches and 36 rows to 10 cm measured over stocking stitch.

Pattern Structure and Shaping

The pattern includes detailed shaping instructions for armholes, shoulders, and back neck. Armhole shaping involves casting off stitches at the beginning of rows followed by graduated decreases worked at the edges. Shoulder shaping is accomplished through strategic cast-offs at the beginning of right-side rows, while neck shaping incorporates decreases at the neck edge worked simultaneously with shoulder cast-offs. The pattern provides row-by-row instructions for each of the five sizes, ensuring proper fit across the full range of measurements.