Sofa Cardigan in Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted - ZB299-00001-DE - Downloadable PDF

Sofa Cardigan in Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted by Chloe Thurlow – Pattern Summary

The Sofa Cardigan is a knitted cardigan design by Chloe Thurlow, published by Rowan in 2021 and available as a downloadable PDF (pattern reference ZB299-00001-DE). As the name suggests, this is a relaxed, comfortable garment designed to be worn casually — the kind of cosy, everyday cardigan that feels as comfortable as sitting on a sofa. It is rated as an intermediate knitting project, making it well suited to knitters who are confident with basic shaping and stitch patterns but are not yet at an advanced level.

Garment Overview

The Sofa Cardigan is a classic knitted cardigan worked in a worsted weight yarn. The pattern is written in German (as indicated by the -DE suffix in the pattern code), and it includes instructions for five sizes, accommodating bust measurements ranging from 81–86 cm up to 122–127 cm, with corresponding knitted bust measurements of 97 cm to 139 cm, offering a comfortable, relaxed fit across all sizes.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted, a 100% wool yarn that has been treated for machine-washability — making it a practical choice for a frequently worn everyday cardigan. The yarn is used in a striped colourway, with the following specific shades specified in the pattern:

• Colour A – Sage (shade 199): Used as the main colour, requiring 5 to 7 x 100 g balls depending on size
• Colour B – Sky (shade 194): Used as a contrast colour, requiring 1 x 100 g ball across all sizes
• Colour C – Rose: A further contrast colour referenced in the stripe sequence

Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted is a smooth, round yarn that knits up clearly and evenly, making it an excellent choice for showcasing textured stitch patterns and clean stripe sequences. Its superwash treatment means the finished cardigan can be laundered with ease — a significant practical advantage for a garment intended for regular wear.

Techniques and Construction

The Sofa Cardigan is knitted flat, with the pattern worked back and forth in rows. The construction involves standard cardigan shaping, including increases worked at both ends of rows to shape the body. The increases are worked at a specific rate — first every 2nd row and then every 4th row — to achieve the correct stitch count for each size before continuing to the full width of the garment.

The stripe sequence is an important design feature, with the two-row pattern repeat being worked continuously throughout the stripe colour changes, requiring the knitter to carry or join yarns at the edges as the colourwork progresses.

Stitches Used

The Sofa Cardigan features a textured stitch pattern that forms the main fabric of the garment. Based on the pattern instructions, this stitch involves a combination of knit and purl stitches arranged in a repeating sequence:

• The pattern is worked over a 10-stitch repeat, alternating between knit stitches and purl stitches in a structured arrangement (specifically a sequence of 9 knit stitches and 1 purl stitch per repeat on right-side rows, reversed on wrong-side rows)
• This creates a subtle textured or mock-rib effect across the fabric, adding visual interest and a degree of elasticity to the knitted fabric
• The stitch pattern is worked over just 2 rows, making it straightforward to memorise and maintain even while managing the stripe colour changes
• Increases are integrated into the stitch pattern to maintain the continuity of the texture during shaping

Difficulty and Skill Level

Rated as an intermediate knitting pattern, the Sofa Cardigan is appropriate for knitters who are comfortable with: