Reuben Cable Sweater in West Yorkshire Spinners The Croft Shetland Colours - DBP0078 - Downloadable PDF

Reuben Cable Sweater by Sarah Hatton – Pattern Summary

The Reuben Cable Sweater is a classic, beautifully structured knitted sweater designed by Sarah Hatton and published as a downloadable PDF pattern. Worked in a rich aran weight yarn, this sweater is rated as an intermediate level knitting project, making it an ideal challenge for knitters who are comfortable with the basics and ready to develop their cable-knitting skills. The design draws on traditional textile heritage, combining timeless construction with the warmth and character of genuine Shetland wool.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a cable sweater — a pullover-style jumper featuring prominent cable detailing as the central design feature. Cables are one of knitting's most iconic and enduring stitch patterns, created by crossing groups of stitches over one another to form twisted rope-like or braided textures that stand out in relief against the fabric. The Reuben Cable Sweater uses this technique to create a garment with strong visual impact and a satisfying, tactile finish. As a sweater designed for everyday wear, it balances style with practicality, reflecting the West Yorkshire Spinners ethos of modern hand knitwear suitable for all the family.

Techniques Used

• Cable knitting – the defining technique of this pattern, involving the use of a cable needle to cross stitches and build up the characteristic twisted, rope-like panels
• Flat and/or in-the-round construction – typical of aran sweater patterns, pieces are worked and then seamed together to form the finished garment
• Shaping – increases and decreases are used to shape the body, armholes, and neckline for a well-fitted silhouette
• Blocking and finishing – the care instructions specify reshaping whilst damp and avoiding tumble drying, making wet blocking an important finishing step to open up the cables and set the fabric correctly

Stitches Used

• Cable stitches – the primary decorative element, worked across panels of the sweater to create the signature Reuben texture
• Knit and purl stitches – used to form the background fabric and to frame the cable panels, typically in a reverse stocking stitch or moss stitch ground that makes the cables pop
• Rib stitch – commonly used in aran sweater construction for cuffs, hem, and neckband to provide stretch and a neat, professional edge

Tension

The pattern specifies a tension of 18 stitches over 10 cm / 4 inches using 5 mm (US 8) needles. Achieving the correct tension swatch before beginning is especially important in a cable sweater, as cable panels naturally pull the fabric in horizontally, affecting the overall width and fit of the finished garment.

Materials – Yarn

The recommended yarn is West Yorkshire Spinners The Croft Shetland Colours, an aran weight yarn spun from 100% Shetland wool. Each hank contains 166 metres / 182 yards and weighs 100g. The Croft Shetland Colours is produced in association with Jamieson & Smith, located in Lerwick, the capital of the Shetland Islands, who are long established as the islands' primary purchasers of the Shetland wool clip.

Shetland wool is internationally recognised for its fineness, warmth, and strength. The high levels of crimp and wave in the fleece make it particularly well suited to hand knitting, and the combination of softness and durability means the finished sweater will be both comfortable to wear and long-lasting. The Croft Shetland Colours is available in twelve solid shades named after locations across the Shetland Islands, including Norwick, Belmont, Fetlar, Ollaberry, Voxter, Sullom, Huxter, Melby, Laxfirth, Bixter, Lerwick, Tresta,