Feather Cardigan in Rowan Kidsilk Haze - RM004-00014-UK - Downloadable PDF

Feather Cardigan in Rowan Kidsilk Haze – Pattern Summary (RM004-00014-UK)

The Feather Cardigan is a beautifully delicate, lace-patterned knitted cardigan designed by Quail Studio and published by Rowan. Released as part of the Rowan 2021 collection, this design is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated as an intermediate skill level project. It is worked in the iconic Rowan Kidsilk Haze, a luxurious lace weight yarn, held double throughout to create a fabric that is simultaneously lightweight and subtly structured. The result is a flowing, feminine cardigan with an elegant feather lace motif running through the body.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a women's cardigan with a classic open-front silhouette. It is worked in separate pieces — a back, a left front, and a right front — which are then seamed together. The garment features a feather lace stitch pattern as its central design element, giving the fabric a soft, rippling texture reminiscent of delicate plumage. The cardigan is sized to fit busts ranging from 81–86 cm up to 122–127 cm (approximately 32–34 in to 48–50 in), with an actual bust measurement of 111.5 cm to 151.5 cm, offering generous positive ease for a relaxed, draped fit.

Sizes Available

• To fit bust: 81–86, 91–97, 102–107, 112–117, 122–127 cm (32–34, 36–38, 40–42, 44–46, 48–50 in)
• Actual bust measurement of garment: 111.5, 122.5, 131.5, 142.5, 151.5 cm (44, 48¼, 51¾, 56, 59¾ in)

Techniques Used

This pattern is suited to knitters who are comfortable moving beyond basic stitch patterns and are ready to work with lace knitting techniques. Key techniques include:

• Lace pattern construction — working yarn overs and decreases in a set sequence to build the feather motif
• Casting on loosely — specified at the start of each piece to ensure the lace edge remains flexible and open
• Holding yarn double — both strands of Kidsilk Haze are worked together throughout, which requires careful management of two balls simultaneously
• Shaping shoulders with cast-off rows — worked in stages across multiple rows to create a neat, sloped shoulder line
• Keeping pattern correct while shaping — a hallmark intermediate skill, requiring the knitter to maintain the lace repeat logic even as stitches are increased or decreased for shaping
• Placing stitches on a holder — used at the back neck to preserve live stitches for later finishing

Stitches Used

The Feather lace stitch pattern is the defining feature of this cardigan. It is built from a combination of classic lace knitting stitches:

• Yarn forward (yfwd) — creates a decorative eyelet and adds a stitch
• K2tog (knit two together) — a right-leaning decrease that pairs with yarn overs to maintain stitch count
• Sl 1, K1, psso (slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over) — a left-leaning decrease, balancing the lace motif on the opposite side
• Standard knit stitches (K1, K4, etc.) — used within the repeat to frame the lace columns

The lace repeat is established over the first 35 rows and then continued in pattern, meaning the knitter must understand the rhythm of the repeat before beginning any shaping sections. The interplay of yarn forwards and paired decreases on either side of a central knit column is what