Martha - Jacket Knitting Pattern for Women in Debbie Bliss Cotton Denim DK - Downloadable PDF

Martha – Women's Cable Jacket Knitting Pattern by Debbie Bliss in Cotton Denim DK

The Martha jacket is a beautifully structured women's knitted jacket designed by Debbie Bliss and worked in her signature Cotton Denim DK yarn. This intermediate-level pattern produces a fully seamed, tailored jacket featuring rich cable detailing and stranded colourwork accents, making it a rewarding project for knitters ready to move beyond the basics. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF, giving you instant access to all eight pages of instructions.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a women's fitted jacket with set-in or structured sleeves, cable panels across the body, and button fastenings. It is sized to fit a bust measurement of 81–86 cm up to 122–127 cm (approximately 32–34 in to 48–50 in), with five size options in total. Finished bust measurements range from 90 cm to 134 cm (35½ in to 52¾ in), and the length to shoulder spans 64 cm to 72 cm (25¼ in to 28¼ in) depending on size. Sleeve length is a consistent 46 cm / 18 in across all sizes.

Construction Method

Martha is constructed bottom-up and worked flat in separate pieces that are then seamed together. This traditional approach gives the jacket its structured, tailored silhouette and allows each cable panel to be worked with precision. Knitters familiar with reading flat knitting patterns and assembling seamed garments will feel right at home with this method.

Techniques Used

• Cable knitting – multiple cable variations are used throughout the jacket body, creating textured vertical panels that add visual interest and structure
• Stranded colourwork – a secondary yarn colour is introduced for stranded sections, requiring knitters to carry two yarns across the work
• Buttonhole construction – the pattern includes worked buttonholes for the front button band, with buttons used as the closure
• Seaming – all pieces are joined using finishing seams, giving the jacket a neat, professional finish
• Bottom-up shaping – the garment begins at the lower edge and is worked upward to the shoulders

Stitches and Cable Definitions

The pattern makes use of several specific cable stitches that are clearly defined within the PDF:

• C4B (Cable 4 Back) – slip 2 stitches onto a cable needle and hold at back, knit 2, then knit 2 from the cable needle; creates a right-leaning 4-stitch cable twist
• C4F (Cable 4 Front) – slip 2 stitches onto a cable needle and hold at front, knit 2, then knit 2 from the cable needle; creates a left-leaning 4-stitch cable twist
• C8B (Cable 8 Back) – slip 4 stitches onto a cable needle and hold at back, knit 4, then knit 4 from the cable needle; a bold right-leaning 8-stitch cable
• C8F (Cable 8 Front) – slip 4 stitches onto a cable needle and hold at front, knit 4, then knit 4 from the cable needle; a bold left-leaning 8-stitch cable

These cable crossings are the defining decorative feature of the Martha jacket, producing deeply textured rope and panel effects across the fronts and back of the garment.

Materials Required

The primary yarn is Debbie Bliss Cotton Denim DK in Mid Blue (shade 04), with the pattern calling for 8 to 10 balls of 100 g depending on size. A contrast yarn, Debbie Bliss Rialto DK in Rose (shade 76), is also required — one 50 g ball — used for the stranded colourwork sections. Both yarns are DK weight, ensuring consistent tension across the two fibres. A cable needle is essential for working the cable stit