Shadow Top in Rowan Felted Tweed - ZB301-00010-DEP - Downloadable PDF

Shadow Top by Georgia Farrell in Rowan Felted Tweed – Pattern Summary

The Shadow Top is a knitted women's top designed by Georgia Farrell and published by Rowan. It is worked in the beloved Rowan Felted Tweed DK yarn and rated as an intermediate difficulty project, making it an excellent choice for knitters who are comfortable with shaping and colour work but are ready to take on a more considered construction. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF (reference ZB301-00010-DEP).

What Is Being Made

The Shadow Top is a fitted or semi-fitted women's top with a structured silhouette. It is designed to be worked in pieces — including a front and back — and features elegant shaping throughout. The garment is offered in a generous size range to suit a wide variety of body types, with nine sizes covering bust measurements from 71–76 cm up to 152–157 cm. The knitted bust measurements range from 83.5 cm to 165.5 cm, providing comfortable positive ease across all sizes.

Yarn and Colourway

The pattern calls for Rowan Felted Tweed in three carefully chosen shades, creating a subtle, tonal colour effect that gives the top its distinctive "shadow" quality:

• Colour A – Vaseline Green 204: The primary colour, requiring between 4 and 8 balls of 50 g depending on size.
• Colour B – Rose Quartz 206: An accent shade, with just 1 ball required across all sizes.
• Colour C – Alabaster 197: A secondary contrast colour, requiring 2 to 3 balls depending on size.

Rowan Felted Tweed is a highly regarded DK-weight yarn spun from a blend of wool, alpaca, and viscose. It is known for its characteristic tweedy texture, subtle halo, and the way it takes dye in rich, complex tones. The combination of Vaseline Green, Rose Quartz, and Alabaster creates a sophisticated, muted palette well suited to the shadow-effect design.

Needles and Tools

The pattern requires both straight and circular needles in two sizes:

• 3.25 mm (UK 10 / US 3) needles — used for ribbing, borders, or tighter tension sections
• 4 mm (UK 8 / US 6) needles — used for the main body fabric
• Circular needles in both sizes are also required, with lengths ranging from at least 50 cm to 90 cm depending on the size being knitted — these are used for working larger stitch counts and potentially for neckline or hem finishing
• A stitch holder or spare needle is needed to hold stitches while working separate sections

Tension and Gauge

The stated tension for the Shadow Top is 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm, measured over the main stitch pattern using 4 mm needles. Achieving the correct tension is particularly important in a fitted top like this, as the close-fitting silhouette depends on accurate stitch and row counts. Knitters are encouraged to swatch carefully before casting on.

Construction and Techniques

The Shadow Top is constructed using traditional flat knitting techniques, with separate front and back pieces that are later seamed together. Key construction features include:

• Waist and bust shaping — the pattern includes detailed decrease and increase instructions worked at regular intervals to create a fitted shape, with decreases worked at both edges over a specified number of rows
• Armhole shaping — structured shaping is worked to create clean, fitted armholes appropriate for a top silhouette
• Colour work across three shades — the use of three colours (A, B, and C) introduces a colour-work element that contributes to the shadow effect; knitters will need to manage yarn changes and potentially carry or join