Gardenia Cardigan in Rowan Summerlite 4ply - ZB314-00004-DEP - Downloadable PDF

Gardenia Cardigan by Martin Storey in Rowan Summerlite 4ply – Pattern Summary

The Gardenia Cardigan is a beautifully crafted women's cardigan designed by Martin Storey for Rowan, worked in the lightweight and breathable Summerlite 4ply yarn. This intermediate-level knitting pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and showcases a sophisticated multicolour stranded design that makes it an elegant warm-weather layering piece. With nine sizes available, the Gardenia Cardigan is designed to suit a wide range of body types, making it a versatile addition to any hand-knitter's wardrobe.

What Is Being Made

The Gardenia Cardigan is a fitted, multicolour cardigan worked in a stranded colourwork pattern. It features shaped shoulders and is constructed with both back and front sections. The generous size range accommodates busts from 71–76 cm up to 152–157 cm, with a knitted bust measurement ranging from 118.5 cm to 191 cm, offering a relaxed, comfortable fit across all sizes.

Yarn and Colourway

The pattern uses Rowan Summerlite 4ply, a 50 g yarn celebrated for its cool, smooth handle — ideal for spring and summer knitting projects. Five colours are called for in the Gardenia Cardigan:

• Colour A – Still Grey (422): The main colour, requiring between 9 and 13 balls depending on size
• Colour B – Washed Linen (418): A secondary colour, requiring 3 to 5 balls
• Colour C – Rooibos (441): An accent colour, requiring 2 balls across all sizes
• Colour D – Touch of Gold (439): An accent colour, requiring 2 balls across all sizes
• Colour E – Langoustino (440): An accent colour, requiring 2 balls across all sizes

The combination of Still Grey as a neutral base with warm accent tones of Rooibos, Touch of Gold, and Langoustino creates a rich, garden-inspired palette perfectly suited to the cardigan's name.

Needles and Tools

The pattern calls for the following needles:

• Straight knitting needles in sizes 2¾ mm and 3 mm for flat sections
• Circular knitting needle in size 2¾ mm, at least 150 cm long, for picking up and working edgings or borders in the round

The use of two needle sizes allows for neat ribbed or border sections at the smaller gauge, transitioning to the main body fabric at the larger needle size.

Tension and Gauge

The stated tension for this pattern is 31 stitches and 31 rows to 10 x 10 cm, measured over the multicolour stranded stocking stitch pattern using 3 mm needles. Achieving correct tension is especially important in stranded colourwork, where carrying multiple yarns across the back of the fabric can tighten the knitting if not carefully managed. Knitters are encouraged to swatch thoroughly before beginning.

Techniques Used

The Gardenia Cardigan employs a range of knitting techniques suited to an intermediate knitter:

• Stranded colourwork (Fair Isle-style): Multiple yarn colours are carried across each row to create the repeating chart pattern. The 14-stitch pattern repeat is worked continuously across the row, with the 56-row sequence repeated throughout the body of the garment.
• Stocking stitch (multicolour): The main fabric is worked in smooth stocking stitch using the colourwork chart, giving the garment a neat, polished finish on the right side.
• Shoulder shaping: Gradual shoulder shaping is worked by casting off stitches at the beginning of specified rows, creating a neat slope. The number of cast-off stitches varies by size, ensuring a well