Janie Cardigan in Rowan Kid Classic- Downloadable PDF

Janie Cardigan by Marie Wallin in Rowan Kid Classic – Pattern Summary

The Janie Cardigan is a beautifully textured knitted cardigan designed by Marie Wallin and published by Rowan. This free downloadable PDF pattern is rated as intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping and are ready to explore more tactile stitch techniques. The design is worked in Rowan Kid Classic, a luxurious aran-weight yarn, and produces a relaxed, cosy cardigan with a distinctive ribbed and textured fabric.

What Is Being Made

The Janie Cardigan is a full-sized women's cardigan available in five sizes to fit bust measurements ranging from 81–86 cm up to 122–127 cm (approximately 32–50 inches). The finished garment has a generous body length of approximately 68–76 cm and a sleeve seam of around 40–42 cm, giving it a comfortable, wearable silhouette. The width across the back ranges from 61 cm to 84 cm depending on the size chosen. It is a classic shaped cardigan with side seam shaping, armhole shaping, and set-in or shaped sleeves.

Techniques Used

• Casting on with yarn held double, adding extra warmth and body to the fabric from the very start
• Ribbing worked at the lower back for approximately 5 cm before transitioning to the main pattern, providing a neat, elasticated edge
• Side seam shaping through carefully placed increases on the 19th row and subsequent 24th rows, with increased stitches incorporated into the pattern
• Needle changes mid-garment — moving from 7mm (US 10½) needles for the rib section to 8mm (US 11) needles for the main body pattern, a technique that helps create a smooth transition between the tighter rib and the looser textured fabric
• Slipping stitches at the beginning of rows, a neat finishing technique that creates a tidy selvedge edge throughout the garment
• Working below stitches (knitting or purling into the stitch one row below), which is the defining technique of this pattern and creates the signature raised, dimensional texture

Stitches Used

• 2x1 Rib (K1, P1 rib): Used for the welts and cuffs, worked over an odd number of stitches with a simple knit-one, purl-one repeat on right-side rows and the reverse on wrong-side rows
• Slip stitch selvedge: Each row begins with a slipped stitch (sl 1), giving the edges a clean, chained appearance that is particularly useful for seaming
• K1 below (knit one below): The main pattern stitch, where the needle is inserted into the stitch directly below the next stitch on the left needle rather than into the stitch itself. This pulls up a loop from the previous row and creates a raised, elongated stitch with a beautiful textural effect reminiscent of brioche or fisherman's rib, but worked flat
• P1 below (purl one below): The purl equivalent of the above, worked on alternating stitches to create the balanced, two-sided texture of the main fabric

The combination of K1 below and P1 below stitches worked in a regular alternating pattern produces a fabric that is thick, squishy, and highly insulating — ideal for a cosy aran-weight cardigan. This technique is sometimes referred to as brioche-adjacent knitting and gives the Janie Cardigan its distinctive raised, almost quilted appearance.

Materials

Yarn

• Rowan Kid Classic — an aran-weight yarn in 50g balls
• Quantity required ranges from 18 to 23 balls depending on size, reflecting the generous proportions of the garment
• Kid Classic is a blend of