A Yorkshire spinner with a design habit
Rowan started in Yorkshire in 1978 and built its name on two things: well-spun natural fibre yarns and a design studio that publishes proper collections rather than one-off leaflets. That combination shows in the yarn itself. The wools are plied to hold a stitch, which is why Rowan cables look crisp and Fair Isle motifs stay legible; the mohair and silk blends are spun fine so they can be held double with something else; the cottons are firm enough for structured summer garments. Shade cards are developed as families, so pulling five colours for a stranded yoke is much easier than it usually is.
Choosing the right Rowan yarn
- Cables and textured knitting: a smooth, round plied wool in DK or aran, where every crossing stands proud.
- Colourwork: a slightly sticky woollen-spun 4 ply, which grips itself and blocks into an even fabric.
- Lightweight layers: a fine mohair-silk blend, held alone for a halo or doubled with 4 ply for warmth without weight.
- Summer garments: cotton and cotton blends, sized down slightly because cotton has no memory and grows with wear.
- Drape and softness: alpaca blends, best in loose shapes rather than fitted ones.
Tension and quantity
Rowan patterns quote tension over 10cm in the stated stitch pattern, and they mean it. Knit at least a 15cm square, wash and dry it the way you will treat the garment, then measure the middle. Half a stitch out over 10cm becomes several centimetres across an adult chest. For quantity, work from metres rather than balls: an adult jumper commonly needs 900 to 1,800 metres depending on size, weight and length, a hat one ball, a large shawl in laceweight or mohair anywhere from 400 metres upwards. Buy the full amount in one dye lot and keep one spare ball back for repairs rather than using it in the body.
Substituting within the range
Rowan yarns are frequently substituted for one another, and the trick is to match tension and fibre behaviour, not the name of the weight. Swapping a plied wool DK for an alpaca-blend DK at the same tension will still give you a heavier, droopier fabric with less recovery. If a pattern's charm is in the cables, stay with a smooth wool. If you want the pattern softer, hold a fine mohair blend alongside a lighter yarn and re-swatch, because holding two strands changes both tension and drape.
Blocking, seaming and care
Natural fibre yarns reward blocking more than any other kind. Soak the finished pieces in lukewarm water with wool wash, roll in a towel, and pin out to the pattern measurements; wool relaxes, cables open, lace becomes legible and colourwork evens out. Seam with mattress stitch in the project yarn for vertical seams, backstitch across shoulders. Wash finished knitwear by hand unless the ball band says superwash, dry flat, and store folded – never hanging, which stretches the body permanently. Keep ball bands, because they carry the dye lot and the care symbols you will want in two years' time.
Rowan yarn questions
Is Rowan yarn made in the UK?
Rowan has been a Yorkshire-based British yarn brand since 1978. Fibre sourcing and spinning vary by individual yarn, so check the ball band.
Which Rowan yarn is best for a first jumper?
A smooth plied DK or aran wool. It shows your stitches clearly, blocks well and forgives small tension wobbles.
Can I machine wash Rowan yarn?
Some yarns in the range are superwash treated and some are not. The ball band is definitive.
What tension does Rowan DK knit to?
Usually around 22 stitches to 10cm on 4mm needles, but always swatch and follow the individual ball band.
Where do I find patterns?
See Rowan knitting patterns or all knitting patterns.
