Pucker Jacket in Rowan Pure Alpaca - Downloadable PDF

Pucker Jacket in Rowan Pure Alpaca – Pattern Summary

The Pucker Jacket is a sophisticated knitted jacket designed by Martin Storey and published by Rowan. This intermediate-level knitting pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and produces a structured, textured jacket featuring a striking cable and reverse stocking stitch surface design. The name "Pucker" is a direct nod to the gathered, dimensional quality created by the interplay of cables pulling against the background fabric — a hallmark of thoughtful knitwear construction.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a knitted jacket worked in Rowan Pure Alpaca. It is sized to fit a wide range of chest measurements, making it a versatile pattern suitable for many body types:

• To fit chest: 71–76, 81–86, 91–97, 102–107, 112–117, 122–127, 132–137, 142–147, and 152–157 cm (28–30, 32–34, 36–38, 40–42, 44–46, 48–50, 52–54, 56–58, and 60–62 in)
• Actual chest measurement of garment: 86, 96, 106, 116, 126, 136, 146, 156, and 167.5 cm (33¾, 37¾, 41¾, 45¾, 49½, 53½, 57½, 61½, and 66 in)

The jacket is shaped with careful attention to fit, including waist shaping achieved through structured decrease rows worked at regular intervals. The pattern instructs knitters to work decreases every four rows — specifically a K2tog and K2tog tbl at marked points — repeated multiple times to draw in the silhouette before working straight to the required back length. This shaping creates a tailored, flattering profile without interrupting the cable pattern.

Techniques Used

The Pucker Jacket employs a range of intermediate knitting techniques that give the garment its distinctive texture and structured shape:

• Cable knitting: Cables are a central feature of the design, running vertically through the fabric and creating the characteristic "puckered" surface texture that gives the jacket its name.
• Reverse stocking stitch (rev st st): The background fabric between the cables is worked in reverse stocking stitch, meaning the purl side of the fabric faces outward. This creates a matte, textured ground that makes the cables stand out in sharp relief. The pattern notes that shaping reduces the number of reverse stocking stitch stitches between each pair of cables as the waist is drawn in.
• Stocking stitch (st st): Used in combination with reverse stocking stitch and cables to build the overall fabric structure.
• Marker-guided shaping: Stitch markers are placed to define the decrease zones on either side of cable panels, ensuring that shaping is worked symmetrically and that the cable pattern is maintained correctly throughout.
• Decreasing: Both K2tog (right-leaning decrease) and K2tog tbl (left-leaning decrease, worked through the back loop) are used at marked positions to create mirrored, neat shaping lines flanking the cable columns.
• Working in pattern (keeping patt correct): A key intermediate skill — the knitter must maintain the established cable and reverse stocking stitch pattern while simultaneously working shaping rows, requiring careful attention to stitch counts and pattern repeats.
• Seaming and garment construction: As a jacket, the pattern involves knitting separate pieces (back, fronts, sleeves) and assembling them, which is typical of Rowan's classic construction approach.

Stitches Used

• Cable stitches – the defining decorative element of the design
• Reverse stocking stitch (rev st st) – purl on the right side, knit on the wrong side
• Stocking stitch (st st) – knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side
• K2tog – standard right-leaning knit decrease
• K2tog tbl – left-leaning kn