Zinnia Cardigan in Rowan Summerlite 4ply - ZB314-00006-DEP - Downloadable PDF

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

The Zinnia Cardigan is a beautifully crafted knitted cardigan designed by Martin Storey and published by Rowan. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it a rewarding project for knitters who have moved beyond the basics and are comfortable with shaping, colour work, and garment construction. The design is worked in a delicate 4ply weight yarn, lending the finished cardigan a refined, lightweight quality that is ideal for layering across warmer seasons.

About the Design

The Zinnia Cardigan is a classic shaped cardigan featuring structured shaping at the shoulders, armholes, and neckline. The pattern includes detailed instructions for working short-row shoulder shaping and a shaped neckline, with stitches placed on hold and worked separately to achieve a neat, professional finish at each side. The front bands and button bands are integral to the design, and the garment fastens with 4 buttons – RW5004 Pearl buttons (2 cm, worn reverse side out) by Bedecked, adding a subtle, elegant detail to the finished piece.

The cardigan is offered across a generous size range, fitting bust measurements from 71–76 cm up to 152–157 cm, with a corresponding knitted bust measurement ranging from 96 cm to 176 cm, giving a comfortable, relaxed ease across all sizes. This wide size inclusivity makes the pattern accessible to a broad range of knitters.

Yarn and Colourwork

The pattern calls for Rowan Summerlite 4ply, a yarn specifically designed for lightweight, breathable knitting. It is used in four distinct shades, creating a subtle, multi-tonal palette that gives the Zinnia Cardigan its characteristic charm:

• Colour A – Pepper Pot (shade 431): The main colour, requiring between 5 and 9 balls of 50 g depending on size.
• Colour B – Duck Egg (shade 419): A contrast colour, requiring 2 to 3 balls across the size range.
• Colour C – Blushes (shade 420): A further contrast, requiring 2 balls for all sizes.
• Colour D – Seashell (shade 437): An accent colour, requiring 1 to 2 balls depending on size.

Rowan Summerlite 4ply is a cotton-based yarn celebrated for its smooth stitch definition, soft handle, and excellent drape. Its lightweight nature makes it particularly well-suited to garments intended for spring and summer wear, and its smooth surface showcases colourwork and stitch detail with clarity.

Needles and Tools

The Zinnia Cardigan is knitted using 3 mm and 2.75 mm knitting needles. The use of two needle sizes is typical in garment knitting, where the smaller needle is commonly employed for ribbed or border sections to achieve a neater, firmer edge, while the larger needle is used for the main body fabric. A spare needle or stitch holder is also required, as the pattern instructs knitters to place stitches on hold at the shoulder and neckline while working each side separately.

Techniques and Construction

The Zinnia Cardigan employs a range of intermediate knitting techniques that together produce a well-tailored, structured garment:

• Stitch pattern (Mst): The body is worked in a defined stitch pattern referenced throughout as Mst, which is maintained consistently during all shaping rows to preserve the texture and visual integrity of the fabric.
• Shoulder shaping with short rows: The pattern uses a classic bind-off method across multiple rows to shape the shoulders, with a specific number of stitches cast off at the beginning of successive rows. Knitters work each shoulder side separately after placing the centre stitches on hold.
• Neckline shaping: The neckline is shaped through a combination of decreases and bind-offs. Centre neckline stitches – ranging from 45 to 53 stitches depending on size – are cast off, and the remaining stitches on each