Thea Cardigan MODE Collection in Rowan Summerlite 4ply PDF

Thea Cardigan – MODE Collection in Rowan Summerlite 4ply by Martin Storey

The Thea Cardigan is a beautifully crafted women's knitted cardigan designed by Martin Storey as part of the MODE Collection. This intermediate-level knitting pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is worked in Rowan Summerlite 4ply, a lightweight yarn perfectly suited to the delicate stitch patterning featured throughout the design. The sample garment is photographed in Pure White 417, showcasing the crisp, elegant aesthetic of the piece.

About the Design

The Thea Cardigan is a classic, wearable layering piece with a refined, feminine silhouette. It is designed to fit a wide range of chest sizes, spanning from 71–76 cm (28–30 in) through to 152–157 cm (60–62 in), with actual garment chest measurements ranging from 110.5 cm (43½ in) to 190.5 cm (75 in), offering generous ease across all nine sizes. This inclusive size range makes the pattern accessible to a broad audience of knitters.

The cardigan features a repeating lace or textured chart pattern worked across the body pieces, using a 14-stitch pattern repeat and a 40-row pattern repeat. This charted motif adds visual interest and a handcrafted quality to what might otherwise be a straightforward garment construction. The pattern is worked flat in separate pieces — back, left front, right front, and sleeves — before being seamed together, a traditional construction method well suited to intermediate knitters.

Construction and Techniques

The Thea Cardigan is constructed using conventional flat knitting techniques, with each section worked back and forth in rows on straight needles. Key construction techniques include:

• Chart-based patterning – The body and fronts are worked from a charted stitch pattern with a 14-stitch horizontal repeat and a 40-row vertical repeat, requiring the knitter to read and follow a knitting chart throughout.
• Neck shaping – The back neck is shaped by working each side separately, with decreases worked at the neck edge over several rows and stitches cast off at the beginning of rows to create a neat, fitted neckline. A centre group of stitches is placed on a holder for the neckband.
• Stitch holders – Stitches are held on holders at the back neck and during front shaping, a common technique in garment knitting that allows for neat joins and finishing.
• Neckband finishing – A circular needle is used to pick up and work the neckband, requiring a 2¾mm (US 2) circular needle at least 130 cm long.
• Seaming – As a pieced garment, the Thea Cardigan requires the knitter to join the front, back, and sleeve sections after blocking.

Stitches Used

The pattern draws on a combination of foundational and more advanced knitting stitches and techniques:

• Stocking stitch (st st) – Used as the base fabric and as the reference for tension/gauge measurement.
• Knit (K) and Purl (P) stitches – The fundamental building blocks of the fabric.
• K2tog (knit two together) – A standard right-leaning decrease used in shaping and within the stitch pattern.
• sL2togK (slip 2 stitches as though to K2tog) – A special abbreviation used in the pattern, forming part of a centred double decrease.
• p2sso (pass 2 slipped stitches over) – Used in conjunction with sL2togK to create a centred double decrease, a technique commonly found in lace and decorative stitch patterns. Together, sL2togK and p2sso reduce three stitches to one, creating a neat, symmetrical decrease point.
• Cast on and cast off – Standard long-tail or cable cast on at the beginning of pieces, with cast offs used during neck and shoulder shaping.

Yarn and Materials