Gardenia Cardigan in Rowan Summerlite 4ply - ZB314-00004-ENPFRP - Downloadable PDF

Gardenia Cardigan by Martin Storey in Rowan Summerlite 4ply – Pattern Summary

The Gardenia Cardigan is a beautifully crafted women's knitted cardigan designed by Martin Storey and worked in Rowan Summerlite 4ply yarn. Published as a downloadable PDF (reference ZB314-00004-EN), this pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it an ideal project for knitters who are comfortable with shaping, colourwork, and working across multiple yarn colours simultaneously. The design is elegant and wearable, with a relaxed yet refined aesthetic that suits warm-weather knitting thanks to the lightweight 4ply yarn.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a women's cardigan worked in multiple pieces — including a back, left front, right front, and sleeves — that are seamed together. The garment is generously sized, with a wide range of sizes available to suit a variety of body types. It is designed to fit busts ranging from 71–76 cm (28–30 in) up to 152–157 cm (60–62 in), with actual garment bust measurements spanning from 118.5 cm (46¾ in) to 191 cm (75¼ in), indicating a comfortable, relaxed fit with positive ease built into the design.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Rowan Summerlite 4ply, a lightweight yarn sold in 50g balls. This yarn is well known for its breathable, summery quality, making the Gardenia Cardigan particularly suited to spring and summer wear. The design uses five colours, each identified by name and shade number:

• Yarn A – Still Grey (422): the main colour, used in the largest quantities (ranging from 9 to 13 balls depending on size)
• Yarn B – Washed Linen (418): a secondary colour used for ribbing and detailing (3 to 5 balls)
• Yarn C – Rooibos (441): an accent colour (2 balls across all sizes)
• Yarn D – Touch of Gold (439): an accent colour (2 balls across all sizes)
• Yarn E – Langoustino (440): an accent colour used in specific sections such as the left front

The multi-colour palette gives the Gardenia Cardigan its distinctive character, with the neutral Still Grey base complemented by warm and earthy accent tones.

Needles Required

The pattern requires three needle types:

• 1 pair of 2¾mm (UK no. 12 / US 2) needles – used for ribbing and finer detail sections
• 1 pair of 3mm (UK no. 11 / US 2/3) needles – used for the main body fabric
• A 2¾mm (UK no. 12 / US 2) circular needle of sufficient length – used for picking up and working borders or button bands

The use of two needle sizes is typical in garment knitting, where a smaller needle creates a tighter, neater tension in the ribbed edges and a slightly larger needle produces a softer, more fluid fabric in the main body sections.

Techniques and Construction

The Gardenia Cardigan is constructed using traditional flat knitting techniques, with each section worked separately on straight needles before being joined. Key techniques featured in this pattern include:

• Casting on – a standard cast-on method is used to begin each piece, with stitch counts varying by size
• Rib stitch – the lower edges and cuffs are worked in rib, providing stretch and a neat, professional finish; the ribbing is worked over approximately 4 cm before transitioning to the main fabric
• Shaping – increases and decreases are used throughout to shape the fronts, back, and sleeves; the pattern includes incremental stitch adjustments at the end of rib sections to achieve the correct stitch count for the main body
• Colourwork –