Bibby in Rowan Moordale - ZB297-00005-UK - Downloadable PDF

Bibby Sweater in Rowan Moordale – Knitting Pattern by Martin Storey (ZB297-00005-UK)

Bibby is a classic striped sweater designed by Martin Storey for Rowan, knitted in the brand's Moordale DK weight yarn. This downloadable PDF pattern (reference ZB297-00005-UK) produces a relaxed, comfortable pullover jumper featuring a carefully sequenced multi-colour stripe design. It is rated as an intermediate skill level project, making it an ideal next step for knitters who are confident with the basics and ready to work with multiple yarn colours and structured stripe repeats.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a knitted sweater or jumper worked in a bold stripe sequence across the body. The pattern offers six sizes, designed to fit chest measurements ranging from 81–86 cm (32–34 in) up to 132–137 cm (52–54 in), with actual garment chest measurements spanning from 91.5 cm (36 in) to 141.5 cm (55¾ in), providing a comfortable, slightly relaxed fit across all sizes.

Stripe Design and Colour Sequence

One of the most distinctive features of Bibby is its structured and rhythmic stripe sequence, worked using four carefully chosen shades of Rowan Moordale. The stripes are introduced in a precise order that creates a balanced, repeating colour rhythm throughout the garment. The four colours used are:

• Yarn A – Pepper 002: The dominant background colour, used for the longest stripe blocks (rows 1–10, 21–30, and 41–50 within the repeat), requiring the most yarn at 6 to 10 x 100g skeins depending on size.
• Yarn B – Turmeric 003: A warm accent colour introduced in narrow two-row stripes, requiring 1 x 100g skein across all sizes.
• Yarn C – Thai 005: A second accent colour used in the same narrow two-row stripe format, also requiring 1 x 100g skein.
• Yarn D – Bronzed 006: A further accent shade worked in two-row stripes, again requiring 1 x 100g skein across all sizes.

The stripe sequence alternates between longer blocks of Yarn A (Pepper) and pairs of rows in the accent colours, creating a classic, graphic stripe effect. The accent stripes appear in pairs — for example, rows 11–12 in Yarn B, rows 13–14 returning to Yarn A, rows 15–16 in Yarn B again — before the pattern transitions to Yarn C and then Yarn D in subsequent sections. This careful alternation gives the sweater a structured yet visually interesting rhythm that is satisfying to knit and striking to wear.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is written specifically for Rowan Moordale, a DK weight yarn. Moordale is a Rowan yarn known for its natural, rustic character, making it well suited to classic knitwear designs with strong colour work. The yarn is sold in 100g skeins, and the quantity required for Yarn A (Pepper 002) ranges from 6 skeins for the smallest size up to 10 skeins for the largest, while each of the three accent colours (Turmeric, Thai, and Bronzed) requires just 1 skein regardless of size. Knitters should use the needle size recommended for DK weight yarn as specified in the full pattern tension/gauge section of the PDF.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

Bibby is a knitting pattern worked using techniques appropriate for an intermediate knitter. Key techniques and skills involved include:

• Stripe knitting with multiple yarn colours, requiring confident management of yarn ends and colour changes across rows.
• Tension/gauge swatching in DK weight yarn to ensure accurate sizing across the six available sizes.
• Standard sweater construction techniques, which typically include working separate front, back, and sleeve pieces that are seamed together — consistent with Rowan