Martha Jumper in Rowan Alpaca Soft DK - RTP003-0002-ENPFRP - Downloadable PDF

Martha Jumper by Emma Wright in Rowan Alpaca Soft DK – Crochet Pattern Summary

The Martha Jumper is an intermediate-level crochet sweater pattern designed by Emma Wright and published by Rowan. It is worked in Rowan Alpaca Soft DK, a luxuriously soft double knitting weight yarn, and is available as a downloadable PDF. The design is a classic pullover jumper featuring a beautifully textured striped bobble pattern that gives the finished garment a rich, tactile surface interest. With nine sizes available, the Martha Jumper is designed to fit a wide range of bust measurements, making it an accessible and versatile project for crocheters who have moved beyond the beginner stage.

What Is Being Made

The Martha Jumper is a crocheted pullover sweater intended for adults. It is constructed with a structured body featuring a repeating striped and bobble pattern across the back and, by extension, the front panels. The garment is designed with a fitted silhouette, with actual bust measurements ranging from 110 cm to 190 cm, accommodating dress sizes from approximately 28–30 up to 60–62 inches to fit bust. The body length is worked to approximately 50 to 60 cm depending on the size chosen, with the length increasing gradually across the size range.

Construction and Techniques

The Martha Jumper is crocheted flat in rows, with pieces worked back and forth and seamed together. The construction follows a classic set-in or shaped approach, with shaping worked at key points such as the shoulder area, where stitches are decreased using dc2tog (double crochet two together) to create a neat, tailored fit. The pattern is worked in multiple yarn colours, creating a striped effect by changing between colours at set row intervals. The striped bobble pattern is established over the first set of pattern rows and then repeated throughout the body of the garment until the required length is reached.

Colour changes are an important feature of the construction. The pattern references at least three colours, identified as A, B, and C, with A being Simply White in Rowan Alpaca Soft DK. Rows are worked in sequence, alternating between colours to build up the stripe sequence, and the bobble rows are introduced at specific intervals to create the textured pattern. This combination of stripes and bobbles is a hallmark of the design's visual appeal.

Stitches Used

• Double crochet (dc) – the primary stitch used throughout the body of the jumper, worked in rows to create a dense, structured fabric.
• dc2tog (double crochet two together) – a decrease stitch used during shaping, particularly at the shoulder and armhole sections, to reduce stitch counts neatly.
• MB (Make Bobble) – a bobble stitch worked on wrong-side rows at regular intervals to create the raised, three-dimensional texture that defines the Martha Jumper's signature look. Bobbles are placed every fourth stitch, separated by three double crochet stitches, creating an evenly spaced bobble grid.
• Chain stitch (ch 1) – used at the beginning of rows as a turning chain, though it does not count as a stitch in this pattern.

Pattern Structure and Stitch Pattern Detail

The striped bobble pattern is set up over the first block of rows and then repeated consistently. The bobble row is worked on a wrong-side (WS) row, with the instruction: ch 1, *1 dc in next 3 sts, MB in next st; repeat from * to last 3 sts, 1 dc in last 3 sts, turn. This places a bobble every four stitches across the row, and because the bobbles are pushed to the right side of the fabric as they are worked from the wrong side, the finished right side displays a beautifully raised, textured surface. The remaining rows within the repeat are worked as plain double crochet rows, allowing the bobbles to stand out prominently against the smooth fabric background.

Rows 10 through 29 establish the full striped bobble pattern for the back, and this sequence is then repeated until the body reaches the required length, ending with the right side facing before any further shaping is worked.

Materials

• Yarn