Warming Trend Cardigan in Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted - D175 - Downloadable PDF

Warming Trend Cardigan in Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted – A Detailed Pattern Summary

The Warming Trend Cardigan is an intermediate-level knitting pattern designed by Deborah Newton and published as an exclusive downloadable PDF by Rowan. This beautifully crafted women's cardigan features a striking Fair Isle colorwork panel worked in a repeating 12-stitch pattern, making it a rewarding project for knitters who are comfortable with stranded colorwork techniques and are ready to move beyond basic construction.

Garment Overview

The Warming Trend Cardigan is a women's fitted cardigan available in five sizes, designed to fit bust measurements ranging from 81–86 cm (32–34 in) through to 122–127 cm (48–50 in), covering sizes Small through XXL. The garment is designed with a classic cardigan silhouette that incorporates a decorative colorwork yoke or body panel, giving it a timeless yet visually interesting finish that makes it suitable for everyday wear or special occasions.

Colorwork and Design Details

One of the defining features of this cardigan is its Fair Isle colorwork section, worked from a chart entirely in stockinette stitch. The colorwork panel uses a 12-stitch pattern repeat, worked across the row a varying number of times depending on the size being knitted — from 15 repeats for the smallest size up to 23 repeats for the largest. The chart section spans 51 rows, creating a substantial and eye-catching decorative band.

Three colors of Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted are used in the colorwork section:

• Yarn A – Grey Wash (shade 173): The main color, used throughout the garment including all sections worked in plain stockinette. Required in quantities of 6 to 9 x 100g skeins depending on size.
• Yarn B – Teal Wash (shade 176): A contrast color used within the Fair Isle chart panel. One 100g skein is required across all sizes.
• Yarn C – Green Wash (shade 178): A second contrast color used within the Fair Isle chart panel. One 100g skein is required across all sizes.

The combination of Grey Wash as a neutral base with the cooler tones of Teal Wash and Green Wash creates a sophisticated, nature-inspired palette that gives the cardigan its "warming trend" aesthetic — evoking the subtle color shifts of a changing season.

Techniques Used

This pattern draws on a range of knitting techniques that make it well-suited to an intermediate knitter looking to develop their skills:

• Fair Isle / Stranded Colorwork: The colorwork panel is worked using the Fair Isle technique, in which two or more yarn colors are carried across the back of the work and picked up as needed. This creates a fabric with a double layer of yarn in the colorwork section, adding warmth and body to the finished garment.
• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The colorwork chart is worked entirely in stockinette stitch, as are the main body sections of the cardigan. Stockinette is created by knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows, producing a smooth, flat fabric on the right side.
• Shaping with Increases and Decreases: The pattern includes shaped sections using increases (inc in next st) and decreases (P2tog) to achieve the correct stitch counts before and after the colorwork panel, ensuring the garment maintains its intended silhouette.
• Circular Needle Construction: The pattern transitions to a 5mm (US 8) circular needle for the colorwork section, which is a common technique used to manage large stitch counts comfortably and to allow the knitter to view the right side of the work more easily when working flat.
• Chart Reading: Knitters will need to read and follow a colorwork chart, beginning and ending rows at indicated points depending on the size being worked, and managing the 12-stitch repeat across the full width of the fabric.

Stitches Used

• Stockin