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This pattern was inspired by the lovely “Röllakan” style woven rugs that decorate our home and
provide cosiness and warmth and flopping spots for our kitties. I became obsessed with them the
moment I saw my first röllakanmatta in a loppis (flea market). The top is inspired by the lines and
geometric shapes often found in röllakan weaving, and intarsia uses the same principle of twisting
yarns when switching colours to secure them as in röllakan weaving method.
Röllakanmatta is a woven rug of 100 percent wool, usually handwoven in “röllakanteknik.” Röllakanmatta is a
traditional type of rug, with a long history in Sweden. They are often woven with traditional patterns in
general style. Some have designs created by particular artists, and are often signed. These sometimes fetch a
high price, even in the secondhand market.
Röllakan is a weaving technique that is a simpler variant of the tapestry weave and is now used mostly for
wool carpets. The joints between the colour areas in the pattern can be made so that the fabric becomes
uneven or even.
In Sweden, the technique is mainly used in Skåne. A quilt in the röllakan style is produced in Jämtland. In
Blekinge, Småland, Halland, Bohuslän and southern Västergötland, simpler röllakan woven fabrics with
mainly geometric motifs have been manufactured.
Röllakan comes from the Old Swedish word backsheet, which originates from the medium-low German
ruggakan whose meaning is a backcloth, with the use of the fabric hanging as pinned on the wall behind
the sitting backs and on the backrest. A similar technique is kelim. (sourced and translated from Swedish
Wikipedia)

Sizes: 1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Chest sizes: 32 – 34 (36 – 38, 40 – 42, 44 – 46, 48 – 50, 52 – 54)” / 81 – 86 (91.5 – 96.5, 101.5 – 106.5, 111.5
– 117, 122 – 127, 132 – 137) cm
Designed to be worn with anywhere from 0 ease by picking a size closer to your actual chest size or with 5 –
13” / 13 – 33 cm of positive ease.

Needles & Notions: US 4 (3.5 mm) 32” (80 cm) circular needles – US 3 (3.25 mm) 32” (80 cm) circular needles
– US 1.5 (2.5 mm) DPNs or 32” (80 cm) circular needles.

Finished Measurements:
Chest circumference: approx. 39 (44, 50, 55, 61, 64)” / 99 (111, 127, 140, 155, 163) cm

Body length to shoulder – measuring the back: approx. 20 (21, 21 ¼, 21 ½, 21 ¾, 22)” / 52 (53, 53.5, 54.5,
55, 55.5) cm

Shoulder length: - shoulder seam to neckline: approx. 5 (5 ¼, 5 ½, 5 ¾, 6, 6 ¼)” / 12.5 (13, 14, 14.5, 15, 16)
cm

Neck circumference: approx. 19 (23, 28, 33, 37, 39)” / 48 (58, 71, 84, 94, 99) cm

Sleeve length: variable

Sleeve width: approx. 9 ¾ (10 ¼, 11, 12, 13 ½, 15 ½)” 25 (26, 28, 30.5, 34.5, 39.5) cm

Yarn: (Colour A) Tussah Tweed BC Garn—Natural/Black—Light Fingering—273 yards (250 meters) per 50g.

(Colour B) Anna & Clara 100% cotton solids Søstrene Grene—Cream White—Fingering—175 yards (160
meters) per 50g.

(Colour C) Anna & Clara 100% cotton solids Søstrene Grene—Coral Pink—Fingering—175 yards (160 meters)
per 50g.

Total Yarn Yardage/Meterage: approx. 1329, 1520, 1713, 1926, 2141, 2293 yards (1215, 1390, 1566, 1761,
1958, 2097 meters)
Colour A: approx. 5.5, 6, 7, 7.5, 8.5, 9 skeins.
Colour B: approx. 1.5, 1.5, 2, 2, 2.5, 2.5 skeins.
Colour C: approx. 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1.5 skeins.

Notions: 2 different colour stitch markers, 1 – 3 yarn bobbins, scrap yarn, crochet hook, tapestry needle for
weaving in ends.

Skills Used: I-cord bind-off, short rows, provisional-cast-on, intarsia, picking up stitches, mattress stitch seam.

Gauge: 26 sts x 35 rows to 4” (10 cm) on US 4 (3.5 mm) needles in stockinette st.

The body of this pattern in worked flat in two panels (a front and a back) in colourwork intarsia, and then
seamed up the sides and shoulders to form the armholes and the neck opening. The stitches of the sleeves
are then picked up and knit in 1×1 rib to a ¾ length sleeve. The bottom hem for both front and back are
picked up and worked in a garter rib with short rows shaping a split-curved hem. Finally, stitches around the
neck are picked up and knit in a striped applied I-cord collar. There is an alternative garter rib version for collar,
sleeves, and hem.