I have lost count of the number of designs I have knitted using Rowan’s Brushed Fleece yarn but I couldn’t resist knitting another one called Bounty…..and here is my Brushed Fleece Bounty.

You can find the pattern for Bounty in the Rowan pattern booklet “Easy Fleece Style”.

All 13 patterns are designed by Martin Storey and feature slip stitch colour work, big cables, simple-to-work stripes, texture and lace stitches. One of the designs, Hook, includes an eye-catching skull motif worked using the intarsia technique.

Hook designed by Martin Storey

But I was drawn to Bounty because of the 3 huge cables running down the front.

Bounty designed by Martin Storey

The real reason I wanted to knit another Brushed Fleece jumper was because Rowan had added some new shades. These new shades were bright jewel colours – Briar, Ness, Ross and Coraline – the blue and pink ones being just the sort of colours I like to wear.

I decided on the blue shade Ross 283, pictured below.

I had not seen this blue in real life but it looked like my kind of blue so I asked the lovely people at Rowan to send me some.

The final decision was which size to knit it in. Bounty can be knitted in 9 different sizes from 90 cm bust (chest) up to 172 cm bust (chest) – very generous sizing as it is a unisex design.

I seemed to fall in between bust sizes 90cm and 100 cm. This caused me a bit of a problem as I don’t tend to go for the oversized look and I wasn’t sure what to do. So, I decided to do something I have thought about for a long time – to knit the back in the smaller size (90cm) and the front in the next size up (100 cm). This may not be a sensible thing for many people to do but in my case, it will probably work. Why? Because the width of my back at bust height is 10 cm smaller than the width of my front across my bust. Making the back smaller would take any excess bulk out of the finished design which is always something I dislike in oversized fitted designs. Also, I knew I would have to pay attention to any differences in the number of stitches at the underarms and the shoulders between the back and front but I was confident I could handle it.

Another modification I made was to the neckband. You will notice that the neck on my Brushed Fleece Bounty is quite different to the original – mine stands up loosely around my neck.

I have noticed this style of neckband on quite a few jumpers recently and it is similar to the neckband on Wintry, another brushed fleece jumper that I made a few years ago.

Rowan Wintry knitted in Brushed Fleece

All I had to do to achieve this neckband was to continue knitting in rib for the same number of rows as for the hem and sleeves.

I do love this Brushed Fleece yarn so much. It is easy and quick to knit with and the resulting fabric is soft and warm. The alpaca fibres in the yarn give it a plush, velvety feel, while the wool provides durability and insulation. This makes it an ideal choice for winter wear, such as hats, scarves, and sweaters. It is also lightweight and breathable, so it won’t weigh you down or make you feel too hot. Overall, Rowan Brushed Fleece is a fantastic yarn for knitting cosy, comfortable knitwear.

In the end, considering my changes to the original design, I think it turned out well and I am very happy with my Brushed Fleece Bounty. What do you think? Please leave a comment by scrolling down to “Leave a Reply” below.

Happy knitting and crocheting in 2023!

Esther x