Mini Bay Sweater in Rowan Handknit Cotton PDF

Mini Bay Sweater in Rowan Handknit Cotton by Martin Storey – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Mini Bay Sweater is a children's knitted sweater designed by Martin Storey and published by Rowan. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty and is sized to fit children aged 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, 9–10, and 11–12 years, with actual chest measurements ranging from 110.5 cm to 133.5 cm (43½ to 52½ inches). The generous, relaxed fit makes this a versatile wardrobe staple for growing children.

About the Design

The Mini Bay Sweater features a classic, structured silhouette with a distinctive construction detail: sleeve extensions worked as integrated parts of the body rather than as fully separate set-in or drop-shoulder sleeves. This technique involves working the back and front pieces to a certain length, then incrementally increasing stitches at each end to form the sleeve sections, with stitch markers placed to denote the base of the armhole openings. This creates a neat, seamless-style transition from body to sleeve that is characteristic of a more refined, tailored finish.

The sweater is photographed in Blushes 378, a soft, warm colourway from the Rowan palette, giving the finished garment a fresh, contemporary look that suits a wide range of children's wardrobes.

Construction and Shaping

The garment is constructed in separate back and front pieces, both worked flat on a pair of needles. Key shaping features include:

• Sleeve extensions: Stitches are increased at each end of the needle on a specific sequence — on the next row, then every 4th row, then every alternate row, then every row — to build up the sleeve width gradually. The total stitch count reaches 124 [130: 136: 142: 148] stitches at the widest point.
• Shoulder shaping: Worked by casting off groups of stitches at the beginning of successive rows, with the number and size of cast-off groups varying by size to achieve a neat, angled shoulder line.
• Back neck shaping: A centre back neck holder is used to hold 30 [32: 36: 38: 42] stitches for the neckband, with each side of the neck completed separately and reverse shaping applied for symmetry.
• Front shaping: The front mirrors the back through the body and sleeve extension sections before diverging at the shoulder shaping stage, where cast-off sequences are adjusted per size.

Stitch Patterns and Techniques

The Mini Bay Sweater uses two distinct stitch patterns across the garment, each with its own tension specification:

• Body pattern: The main fabric of the body is worked in a textured stitch pattern with a tension of 21 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm using 4mm needles.
• Sleeve pattern: The sleeve sections use a slightly different stitch pattern, with a tension of 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm using the same 4mm needles. The row tension is consistent across both patterns, which aids in seaming and construction.
• Increasing into pattern: A key intermediate skill required is the ability to take increased stitches seamlessly into the established stitch pattern, maintaining the fabric's texture without interruption at the edges.
• Holding stitches: Stitch holders are used at multiple points — for the centre back neck and during shoulder shaping — requiring knitters to be comfortable managing live stitches off the needle.
• Neckband: Worked using 3.25mm double pointed needles, suggesting the neckband is knitted in the round for a smooth, professional finish.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Rowan Handknit Cotton, a DK weight yarn sold in 50g balls. The pattern requires 9, 9, 10, 10, or 11 balls depending on the size being knitted. Handknit Cotton is a 100% cotton yarn known for its stitch definition