Kloss Cardigan in Rowan Big Wool - RM007-00001-DEP - Downloadable PDF

Kloss Cardigan in Rowan Big Wool by Quail Studio – Pattern Summary

The Kloss Cardigan is a super chunky knitted cardigan designed by Quail Studio and worked in Rowan Big Wool. This is a single garment pattern offering a generous range of nine sizes to suit a wide variety of body shapes, with finished bust measurements spanning from approximately 122.5 cm to 198.5 cm, making it an inclusive and versatile design. The pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it well suited to knitters who are comfortable with basic techniques and ready to tackle textural stitch patterns such as cables.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a drop-shoulder cardigan featuring a striking combination of cable and seed stitch panels. The design is photographed in two colourways of Rowan Big Wool: Biscotti 082 and Cactus 083, giving knitters a clear sense of how the texture reads in both warm neutral and bold tones. The cardigan includes six buttons as a fastening detail, shaped shoulders with a back neck shaping, and a collar worked from held stitches.

Construction and Structure

The cardigan is worked in separate pieces — a back, a left front, and presumably a right front and sleeves — which are then seamed together. The back and front pieces feature a central 72-stitch cable panel, which measures 56 cm wide, flanked on either side by seed stitch (moss stitch) sections that expand with each size. This construction means the cable motif remains consistent across all sizes while the seed stitch borders grow to accommodate larger bust measurements.

Shoulder shaping is achieved through a combination of cast-off rows and short-row turning, with stitches held on a spare needle or waste yarn for the back neck. The collar is picked up from the held centre back neck stitches, giving a neat and integrated finish.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Seed stitch (moss stitch / Perlmuster): An alternating knit-and-purl texture worked across all stitches outside the central cable panel. Seed stitch creates a firm, slightly raised fabric with excellent drape and body, and it prevents the edges from rolling — ideal for a cardigan front band area.
• Cable stitch (Zopfmuster): A 72-stitch cable pattern worked over a 40-row repeat forms the dramatic centrepiece of both the back and front panels. Cables are created by crossing groups of stitches over one another using a cable needle, producing the classic twisted rope or braid effect that gives the Kloss Cardigan its bold, tactile character.
• Shoulder shaping: Worked using cast-off rows at the beginning of right-side and wrong-side rows, with a small additional cast-off to complete the slope, creating a neat angled shoulder seam.
• Neck shaping: Centre back neck stitches are placed on a holder and worked separately to shape both sides of the back neck evenly.
• Button band: The left front includes a button band integrated into the front edge, with six buttons as closures.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Rowan Big Wool, a 100% merino wool super chunky yarn sold in 100 g balls. The quantity required ranges from 19 to 30 balls depending on the size chosen, reflecting the generous proportions of the design. Rowan Big Wool is known for its soft, lofty texture and excellent stitch definition, which makes it particularly well suited to showcasing the bold cable and seed stitch combination in this pattern.

Needles and Notions

• Knitting needles: Sizes 9 mm and 10 mm straight or circular needles are required. The smaller needle is used for ribbing or border sections, while the larger needle is used for the main fabric.
• Cable needle (Zopfnadel): One cable needle is needed to work the central cable panel.
• Stitch holders or waste yarn: Required for holding shoulder and neck stitches during shaping.
• Buttons: 6 buttons are needed to complete the card