Smog Cardigan in Rowan Fine Tweed Haze - Downloadable PDF

Smog Cardigan in Rowan Fine Tweed Haze – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Smog Cardigan is a beautifully textured knitted cardigan designed by Lisa Richardson and published by Rowan. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern produces a classic, structured cardigan with a shaped front slope and distinct armhole shaping, making it a rewarding project for advanced beginner knitters who are ready to tackle garment construction with multiple shaping elements.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a full cardigan featuring a left front, right front, and back, constructed with careful attention to fit across a wide range of sizes. The cardigan is designed with a shaped front slope that creates a neat, tailored neckline, and includes armhole shaping for a well-fitted silhouette. The pattern covers an impressive range of actual chest measurements, from approximately 96 cm (37¾ in) up to 178 cm (70 in), making it an inclusive and versatile design suitable for many body types.

Sizes Available

• To fit chest: 71–76, 81–86, 91–97, 102–107, 112–117, 122–127, 132–137, 142–147, and 152–157 cm
• Actual garment chest measurement: 96, 105.5, 115, 126.5, 136, 145.5, 155, 166.5, and 178 cm

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques that give the Smog Cardigan its refined, handcrafted character:

• Chart-based stitch pattern: The body is worked from a charted stitch pattern with a 16-row pattern repeat, requiring knitters to read and follow a knitting chart consistently throughout the garment pieces.
• Front slope shaping: Decreases are worked at regular intervals — on every 4th row and every 6th row — to create the gradual, elegant front neckline slope. The exact number of decrease rows varies by size, adding a layer of complexity appropriate for the advanced beginner level.
• Armhole shaping: The front pieces are carefully coordinated with the back, with the front slope shaping beginning a set number of rows before the armhole shaping commences, ensuring precise alignment of the garment's construction.
• Cast on and straight knitting: Each piece begins with a standard cast on, followed by sections worked straight before shaping begins, building foundational skills alongside more complex techniques.

Stitches Used

• Charted stitch pattern worked over a 16-row repeat, likely incorporating knit and purl combinations to create the textured, haze-like surface suggested by the cardigan's name
• Decreases (dec 1 st) worked at specified intervals to shape the front slope and armholes
• Straight stocking stitch or pattern rows worked between shaping rows to maintain the overall fabric structure

Materials – Yarn

The pattern is written specifically for Rowan Fine Tweed Haze, a 4-ply weight yarn sold in 50 g balls. This yarn, as its name suggests, combines the rustic, earthy character of a tweed with a soft, hazy quality — likely a blend that includes fine fibres to create a lightweight yet characterful fabric. The yarn's fine weight and tweed texture contribute to the cardigan's subtle, sophisticated appearance. The number of balls required ranges from 6 to 11 balls depending on the size chosen, making it a relatively economical project in terms of yarn quantity.

• Yarn: Rowan Fine Tweed Haze, 50 g balls
• Yarn weight: 4-ply
• Quantity: 6 (smallest sizes) to 11 (largest sizes) balls

Materials – Needles

• 4 mm (US 6) knitting needles are specified for the main body pieces, including the left front construction detailed in the pattern