Oyster Cardigan in Rowan Cotton Glace - RM006-00008-DEP - Downloadable PDF

Oyster Cardigan in Rowan Cotton Glace – Quail Studio Pattern RM006-00008-DEP

The Oyster Cardigan is a knitted cardigan pattern designed by Quail Studio for Rowan, worked in the lightweight and breathable Rowan Cotton Glace yarn. This is a downloadable PDF pattern suitable for intermediate knitters who are comfortable with shaping techniques and reading multi-size instructions. The design is photographed in two colourways — Ochre 833 and Bleached 726 — giving a sense of the versatile, relaxed aesthetic this cardigan offers.

What Is Being Made

The Oyster Cardigan is a classic, wearable cardigan designed to suit a wide range of body sizes. It is a garment knitted flat in pieces and features set-in or shaped sleeves constructed with careful row-by-row increases and cast-ons. The cardigan is a staple wardrobe piece, ideal for layering in warmer months given the cotton yarn base. The finished garment has a neat, structured silhouette with shoulder shaping worked through bind-off sequences at the end of construction.

Sizing

The pattern covers nine sizes, accommodating a wide range of bust measurements:

• Actual bust measurements: 71–76, 81–86, 91–97, 102–107, 112–117, 122–127, 132–137, 142–147, and 152–157 cm
• Knitted/finished bust measurements: 104, 114, 124, 134, 144, 154, 164, 174, and 184 cm respectively

This generous range of sizing makes the Oyster Cardigan an inclusive pattern, spanning from smaller to very large sizes with full shaping instructions for each.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Rowan Cotton Glace, a DK weight yarn sold in 50 g balls. Cotton Glace is a mercerised pure cotton yarn known for its subtle sheen, smooth handle, and lightweight drape — qualities that make it particularly well suited to warm-weather garments like cardigans and tops. The yarn quantities required vary by size, and knitters should refer to the full pattern PDF for the precise ball counts per size.

The pattern is photographed in:

• Ochre 833 — a warm, golden-yellow tone
• Bleached 726 — a soft, off-white neutral

Needles

Specific needle sizes are referenced within the pattern PDF. As a DK weight project worked in Rowan Cotton Glace, knitters can typically expect to use needles in the 3.25 mm to 3.75 mm range, though knitters should always check the tension/gauge swatch instructions provided in the full pattern to ensure accurate sizing.

Construction and Techniques

The Oyster Cardigan is knitted flat, meaning the individual sections — front panels, back, and sleeves — are worked back and forth in rows rather than in the round. This is a traditional construction method that produces clean seams and a structured finish when the pieces are sewn together.

Sleeve Shaping

The sleeve construction is a notable feature of this pattern and involves a sequence of carefully staged increases:

• Both sides of a specific row are marked to indicate the beginning of sleeve shaping
• Increases are worked at each end of the next row, then once more in the following 4th row
• Further increases are then worked at each end of every 2nd row, followed by increases on every row for the next 7 rows
• After these increases, additional stitches are cast on at the beginning of the next 4 rows — for example, 37 to 39 stitches per row depending on size — to create the full sleeve width
• The sleeve section is then worked straight to a specific length from the marked row: 13.5 to 17 cm depending on size

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