Honeycomb Coat in MODE at Rowan Alpaca Cotton - Downloadable PDF

Honeycomb Coat in MODE at Rowan Alpaca Cotton – Pattern Summary

The Honeycomb Coat is a beautifully textured knitted coat designed by Quail Studio for the Mode at Rowan collection. Worked in a delicate lace pattern that creates the signature honeycomb effect, this coat is an elegant and wearable project rated as beginner difficulty, making it an accessible introduction to lace knitting for those new to the technique. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF (pattern reference MIP112-ENP).

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a full coat with structured shaping, including armhole and front shaping. The garment is designed with a generous fit, offering nine sizes to suit a wide range of body measurements. Chest sizes range from 71–76 cm (28–30 in) up to 152–157 cm (60–62 in), with actual garment chest measurements spanning from 86 cm (33¾ in) to 164 cm (64½ in), providing comfortable positive ease throughout. The coat features a classic construction with a back panel and shaped left and right fronts, worked flat in pieces before seaming.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting – all pieces are worked back and forth in rows using a standard pair of needles
• Lace knitting – a repeating 2-row lace chart creates the honeycomb texture across the fabric
• Armhole shaping – stitches are cast off at the armhole edges to create structured sleeve openings
• Front shaping – the left front is shaped independently, with the pattern maintained throughout the shaping process
• Stitch holders – used to hold stitches aside during construction, keeping live stitches safe for later finishing
• Tension/gauge swatching – achieving the correct tension of 20 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm over the lace pattern is essential for accurate sizing

Stitches Used

• Lace pattern stitch – the primary stitch pattern, worked from a 2-row repeating chart, produces the honeycomb visual texture that defines this coat
• Knit stitch (garter stitch) – the wrong-side foundation row is worked entirely in knit, establishing the base before the lace pattern begins
• Cast on and cast off – standard techniques used at the beginning of each piece and during armhole shaping

Materials

The coat is knitted in Rowan Alpaca Cotton, a lightweight DK weight yarn sold in 25 g balls. The sample garment is photographed in the colourway Sun Valley 021, a warm and natural-toned shade that beautifully highlights the open lace texture. Yarn quantities range from 10 balls for the smallest sizes up to 14 balls for the largest size, making this a relatively economical project given the scale of the garment.

A single pair of 4 mm (UK no. 8 / US 6) knitting needles is all that is required, along with stitch holders as an additional notions requirement. The combination of alpaca and cotton fibres in the yarn gives the finished coat a soft drape and a subtle sheen, ideal for a coat with delicate lace detailing.

About the Lace Pattern

Lace knitting involves creating decorative yarn-over increases paired with corresponding decreases to form intentional holes or eyelets within the fabric. In the Honeycomb Coat, these eyelets are arranged in a repeating geometric formation that mimics the structure of a honeycomb. Because the lace repeat is only two rows, it is straightforward to memorise and maintain, which is why this pattern is accessible to beginner knitters who are ready to move beyond plain stocking stitch. Keeping the lace pattern correct while simultaneously working armhole and front shaping is the primary skill challenge in this design, and the pattern guides the knitter through each stage clearly