ROW 8: Slide a bead up to start of work, BO 5 sts (1 st on right-hand needle), k6 yo, k2tog, k9, sl m, p6, *bead 1, p5; rep from * to 1 st before m, p1, sl m, k10, yo, k2tog, k6—121 (127, 133, 139, 145, 151) sts rem.
Rep these 8 rows 10 (10, 10, 12, 12, 12) more times, then work Rows 1–7 once more—126 (132, 138, 144, 150, 156) sts rem; piece measures about 12½ (12½, 12½, 14½, 14½)" (31.5 [31.5, 31.5, 37, 37] cm) from CO.
Edging
Change to smaller needles.
ROW 1: (WS) Slide a bead up to start of work, BO 5 sts (1 st on right-hand needle), k17, sl m, knit to next m, sl m, k18—121 (127, 133, 139, 145, 151) sts rem.
ROW 2: (RS) Knit.
BEAD ROW: (WS) K18, remove m, [p1, bead 1] 42 (45, 48, 51, 54, 57) times, p1, remove m, k18.
Work 2 rows in garter st, ending with a WS row. With RS facing, BO 21 sts, then work beaded picot BO as folls: *slip st from right-hand needle onto left-hand needle, use the cable method to CO 2 sts, bead 1, BO 5 sts; rep from * 27 (29, 31, 33, 35, 37) more times, BO rem 19 sts.
Finishing
Weave in loose ends. Block to finished measurements, being careful not to damage beads.
Assembly
Fold shrug in half lengthwise. With yarn threaded on a tapestry needle and using a mattress stitch or backstitch (see Glossary), sew garter-st edges tog.
Added Elements
A variety of techniques, such as fringe, appliqué, pom-poms, knitted rosettes, buttons, feathers, sequins, and ribbons, transform the knitted “blank canvases” of the projects in this chapter. Matilda, a simple drawstring purse, is covered with knitted rosettes. Ribbons threaded through an eyelet pattern create the shaping detail in the two versions of the Esme vest —one with an Empire silhouette and the other with a 1940s-inspired nipped-in waist. Ella, an elegant lace scarf, is embellished with mother-of-pearl buttons. Cut velvet appliqué flowers and butterflies are sewn onto the decreasing panels of the otherwise simple Gracie vest. Fringe swishes around the hem of the cabled wrap, Tabitha, and three knitted rosettes form a chic corsage on the Amelia cardigan.
Matilda
This little purse reminds me of the drawstring purses that were carried by the flapper girls of the 1920s. It provides a base for lots of creative embellishment. The knitted flowers could be made in an assortment of colors and yarns, depending on what you have on hand. The large eyelets in the knitted fabric double as flower centers and allow the colorful lining to peek through. Although a bit labor-intensive, this flowered bag would make a fabulous gift.
FINISHED SIZE
About 7½" (19 cm) wide and 8¾" (22 cm) long.
YARN
DK weight (#3 Light).
SHOWN HERE: Louisa Harding Grace Wool and Silk (50% merino, 50% silk; 110 yd [101 m]/50 g): #28 Winter Berry, 3 balls.
NEEDLES
Sides: size U.S. 6 (4 mm).
Edging: size U.S. 5 (3.75 mm).
Flowers: size U.S. 7 (4.5 mm).
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
NOTIONS
Tapestry needle; beading needle; felt fabric measuring 6" (15 cm) square for bag base; felt fabric measuring 17" (43 cm) wide and 8½" (21.5 cm) long for lining; 64 size 6° beads; sharp-point sewing needle; matching thread.
GAUGE
22 stitches and 30 rows = 4" (10 cm) in eyelet pattern on medium-sized needles.
Purse
Lace Band
With smallest needles, CO 113 sts.
ROW 1: (RS) K1, *k5, sl 1, k2tog, psso, k6; rep from *—97 sts rem.
ROW 2: (WS) Knit.
ROW 3: K1, *k4, sl 1, k2tog, psso, k5; rep from *—81 sts rem.
ROW 4: Knit.
Change to medium-sized needles and work Rows 1–8 of Lace chart. Work 3 rows even in garter st (knit every row).
EYELET ROW: (WS) P1, *yo, p2tog; rep from *. Work 3 rows even in garter st.
INC ROW: (WS) K1, M1 (see Glossary), knit to end—82 sts; piece measures about 2½" (6.5 cm) from CO.
Work Rows 1–20 of Eyelet chart 2 times, then work Rows 1–6 once again—piece measures about 8¾" (22 cm) from CO.
Base
Change to smallest needles. Work 4 rows even in garter st.
DEC ROW 1: (RS) K1, *k8, k2tog; rep from * to last st, k1—74 sts rem.
Work 3 rows even in garter st.
DEC ROW 2: K1, *k7, k2tog; rep from * to last st, k1—66 sts rem.
Work 3 rows even in garter st.
DEC ROW 3: K1, *k6, k2tog; rep from * to last st, k1—58 sts rem.
Work 3 rows even in garter st.
DEC ROW 4: K1, *k5, k2tog; rep from * to last st, k1—50 sts rem.
Knit 1 row.
LACE CHART
EYELET CHART
DEC ROW 5: K1, *k4, k2tog; rep from * to last st, k1—42 sts rem.
Knit 1 row.
DEC ROW 6: K1, *k3, k2tog; rep from * to last st, k1—34 sts rem.
Knit 1 row.
DEC ROW 7: K1, *k2, k2tog; rep from * to last st, k1—26 sts rem.
Knit 1 row.
DEC ROW 8: K1, *k1, k2tog; rep from * to last st, k1—18 sts rem.
Knit 1 row.
DEC ROW 9: K1, *k2tog; rep from * to last st, k1—10 sts rem.
Break off yarn, run yarn through rem sts, draw up, and fasten off.
Finishing
Weave in loose ends. Block to finished measurements.
Flowers (make 36)
With largest needles, CO 30 sts.
ROW 1: *K1, BO 3 sts (2 sts on right needle); rep from *—12 sts rem.
Cut yarn leaving a 10" (25.5 cm) tail. Thread tail through rem sts, pull to make a ⅜" (1 cm) hole in center, and fasten off. With yarn threaded on a tapestry needle, sew flowers to RS of purse, aligning the eyelets with the centers of the flowers and maintaining the center holes.
Lining
Cut the square base felt into a 6" (15 cm) diameter circle. Fold the lining felt in half with RS tog. With sharp-point sewing needle and matching thread, use a backstitch (see Glossary) with a ½" (1.3 cm) seam allowance to sew side seams. Sew circular base to lining. With WS tog, insert lining into purse. Turn under ½" (1.3 cm) of lining at top edge, and sew in place just below eyelet band.
Cord (make 2)
Cut four 5-foot (1.5 meter) lengths of yarn. Tie the lengths tog at each end with an overhand knot. Attach one end to a hook or door handle. Insert a knitting needle through the other end, then twist the needle to twist the yarn until it kinks on itself (the more twists, the firmer the finished cord). Hold the center of the cord in one hand (you may need some help), bring the ends tog, then allow them to untwist against each other. Tie the ends tog and trim—cord should measure about 19¾" (50 cm) long.
Starting at opposite sides of purse, thread twisted cord (substitute ribbon if you prefer) in and out of eyelet holes around top of purse. Trim ends. Thread each end through a flower and sew in place just above the knot. Thread 2 beads onto each end of yarn left for tassel, knot end of yarn, and trim.
Esme
Ribbons threaded through a striped eyelet pattern provide the shaping detail in this little vest. I’ve provided two distinct looks for this vest; one features stripes that highlight the very pretty edging and a contrasting ribbon that accentuates the waist shaping. The other (Solid Version) is worked in a single color that emphasizes the eyelet stripe pattern and a complementary satin ribbon tied in a cute bow at the front.
FINISHED SIZE
About 36 (38, 40½, 42½, 44½, 47)" (91.5 [96.5, 103, 108, 113, 119.5] cm) bust circumference. Vests shown measure 38" (96.5 cm).
YARN
DK weight (#3 Light).
SHOWN HERE: Striped version: Louisa Harding Kashmir DK (55% wool, 10% cashmere, 35% microfiber; 116 yd [106 m]/50 g): #30 Hug (brown; A), 4 (5, 5, 6, 6, 7) balls; #31 Rust (B), 2 (2, 2, 2, 2, 3) balls; #32 Hot Pink (C), 2 (2, 2, 2, 2, 2) balls.
Solid version: Louisa Harding Jasmine (48% cotton, 39% bamboo, 10% silk, 3% polyester; 107 yd [98 m]/50 g): #24 Souk (bu
rgundy), 6 (6, 7, 7, 8, 8) balls.
NEEDLES
Body: size U.S. 6 (4 mm).
Edging: size U.S. 3 (3.25 mm).
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
NOTIONS
Tapestry needle; 79" (2 m) of ¼" (6 mm) ribbon.
GAUGE
22 sts and 30 rows = 4" (10 cm) in St st on larger needles.
Note
Both vests are worked the same—the color designations are for the striped vest only; work the solid vest in a single color.
Back
With smaller needles and C (for striped version only), CO 163 (173, 183, 193, 203, 213) sts. Knit 1 RS row.
DEC ROW: (WS) K3, BO 6 sts (4 sts on right-hand needle), k3 (7 sts on right-hand needle), BO 6 sts (8 sts on right-hand needle), *k3, BO 6 sts, rep from * to last 3 sts, k3—67 (71, 75, 79, 83, 87) sts rem; 4 live sts bet each set of BO sts.
INC ROW: (RS) *K4, [yo] 2 times; rep from * to last 3 sts, k3—99 (105, 111, 117, 123, 129) sts.
NEXT ROW: K3, *(k1, p1) in double yo from previous row, k4, rep from *.
Work 2 rows in garter st (knit every row), ending with a WS row.
Work in eyelet patt (shown on charts on page 77) as foll, changing colors for striped version only:
ROWS 1 AND 2: With B, knit.
ROW 3: (RS) With C, knit.
ROW 4: (WS; eyelet row) With C, k1, p1, *yo, p2tog; rep from * to last st, k1.
ROWS 5 AND 6: With B, knit.
ROWS 7–20: With A, work in St st (knit RS rows; purl WS rows).
Rep Rows 1–20 until piece measures 14 (14, 14½, 14½, 15¼, 15¼)" (35.5 [35.5, 37, 37, 38.5, 38.5] cm) from CO, ending with WS row.
STRIPED EYELET CHART
SOLID EYELET CHART
Solid version.
Shape Armholes
BO 4 (5, 5, 6, 6, 6) sts at beg of next 2 rows, then BO 4 (4, 5, 5, 5, 6) sts at beg of 2 foll rows—83 (87, 91, 95, 101, 105) sts rem.
DEC ROW: (RS) K3, k2tog, knit to last 5 sts, ssk, k3—2 sts dec’d.
Work 1 WS row even. Rep the last 2 rows 2 (2, 3, 4, 5, 5) more times—77 (81, 83, 85, 89, 93) sts rem. Work even in patt until armholes measure 6 (6, 6¼, 6¼, 6¾, 6¾)" (15 [15, 16, 16, 17, 17] cm), ending with a WS row.
Shape Shoulders and Neck
Right Shoulder
With RS facing, k18 (20, 21, 22, 24, 26), turn work—18 (20, 21, 22, 24, 26) right shoulder sts; rem sts will be worked later for neck and left shoulder.
NEXT ROW: (WS) P2tog, work as established to end of row—1 st dec’d.
NEXT ROW: (RS) Work as established to last last 2 sts, k2tog—1 st dec’d.
Rep the last 2 rows 2 more times—12 (14, 15, 16, 18, 20) sts rem. Work 1 WS row even. At armhole edge (beg of RS rows) BO 6 (7, 7, 8, 9, 10) sts once, then BO rem 6 (7, 8, 8, 9, 10) sts.
Left Shoulder
With RS facing, sl center 41 sts onto a holder for neck, rejoin appropriate yarn to rem sts, work in patt to end—18 (20, 21, 22, 24, 26) left shoulder sts.
NEXT ROW: (WS) Work as established to last 2 sts, ssp (see Glossary)—1 st dec’d.
NEXT ROW: (RS) Ssk, work as established to end of row—1 st dec’d.
Rep the last 2 rows 2 more times—12 (14, 15, 16, 18, 20) sts rem. Work 2 rows even, ending with a RS row. At armhole edge (beg of WS rows), BO 6 (7, 7, 8, 9, 10) sts once, then BO rem 6 (7, 8, 8, 9, 10) sts.
Front
CO and work as for back.
Finishing
Block pieces to finished measurements. With yarn threaded on a tapestry needle, sew front to back at one shoulder. Weave in loose ends.
Neck Edging
With B (for striped version only), smaller needles, RS facing, and beg at unseamed shoulder, pick up and knit 10 sts along neck edge, k41 held neck sts, pick up and knit 10 sts to shoulder seam and 9 sts along neck edge, k41 held neck sts, pick up and knit 10 sts along neck to shoulder—121 sts total. Knit 1 (WS) row. Change to C (for striped version only) and knit 1 row.
EYELET ROW: (WS) K1, p1, *yo, p2tog; rep from * to last st, k1.
Change to B and work 3 rows in garter st, ending with a RS row. With WS facing, BO all sts knitwise.
With yarn threaded on a tapestry needle, sew left shoulder and neck edging seam.
Armhole Edging
With A (for striped version only), smaller needle, and RS facing, pick up and knit 46 (46, 50, 50, 54, 54) sts evenly spaced to shoulder seam and 46 (46, 50, 50, 54, 54) sts to side seam—92 (92, 100, 100, 108, 108) sts total. Knit 2 rows. With WS facing, BO all sts knitwise. With yarn threaded on a tapestry needle, sew armhole edging and side seams.
Embellishment
Choose the row of eyelets to add ribbon—under the bust for empire styling or at the waist for waist definition. Beg and end at center front, thread ribbon through eyelets as shown in photograph. Tie ends into a bow to secure.
Ella
I enjoy combining stitch patterns that complement one another in an overall design. This scarf includes an undulating edge, a small lace repeat worked alongside a large lace panel, and a few eyelets thrown in for good measure. The two variations shown here are worked on the same number of stitches but with two different yarns to produce two different sizes. Both scarves are embellished with mother-of-pearl buttons; one highlights the pattern repeats, the other accents the undulating edge.
FINISHED SIZE
Hulda Scarf: About 10½" (26.5 cm) wide and 55½" (141 cm) long.
Grace Hand-Dyed Scarf: About 9¾" (25 cm) wide and 44½" (113 cm) long.
YARN
Hulda version: Chunky (#5 Bulky).
Grace Hand-Dyed version: Worsted Weight (#4 Medium).
SHOWN HERE: Hulda version: Louisa Harding Hulda (50% wool, 30% acrylic, 20% linen; 110 yd [101 m]/50 g): #14 Russett, 3 balls.
Grace Hand-Dyed version: Louisa Harding Grace Hand Dyed (50% merino, 50% silk; 110 yd [101 m]/ 50 g):#20 Crackle, 3 hanks.
NEEDLES
Hulda version: size U.S. 10 (6 mm).
Grace Hand-Dyed version: size U.S. 8 (5 mm).
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
NOTIONS
Tapestry needle; forty-eight ¼" (6 mm) and sixteen ⅞" (2.2 cm) mother-of-pearl buttons for Hulda Scarf; thirty-eight ¼" (6 mm) mother-of-pearl buttons for Grace Hand-Dyed Scarf; sharp-point sewing needle; matching sewing thread.
GAUGE
Hulda version: 15 stitches and 19 rows = 4" (10 cm) in lace pattern on size U.S. 10 (6 mm) needles.
Grace Hand-Dyed version: 16 stitches and 28 rows = 4" (10 cm) in lace pattern on size U.S. 8 (5 mm) needles.
Grace Hand-Dyed version.
Scarf
Work picot CO as folls: *Use the cable method (see Glossary) to CO 5 sts, BO 2 sts, slip st on right-hand needle back onto left-hand needle (3 sts on left-hand needle); rep from * until there are 39 sts on needle. Work 4 rows in garter st (knit every row). Work Rows 1–16 of Lace and Edging chart 16 times for Hulda Scarf and 19 times for Grace Hand-Dyed scarf. Work 3 rows in garter st. Work picot BO as foll: BO 3 sts, *slip st on right-hand needle back onto left-hand needle, use the cable method CO 2 sts, then BO 5 sts, rep from * to end.
Finishing
Block to finished measurements. Weave in loose ends.
Hulda version.
LACE AND EDGING CHART
Embellishment
Hulda Scarf
With matching thread, sharp-point sewing needle, and using the chart as a guide, sew small buttons to the center of each large patt rep and to the center of each small patt rep at the right edge of scarf. Sew large buttons along Row 16 of large patt rep.
Grace Hand-Dyed Scarf
Using the photograph as a guide, sew a button to each point along the right-hand side edge.
Gracie
To decorate the shaped panels in this A-line design, I added cut velvet appliqués that I purchased at La Droguerie, a lovely shop in Paris. Worked in the traditional method, the velvet is stiffened with starch
, and the shapes are created by applying a heavy lead stamp that adds texture as it cuts out the shapes. Look for similar appliqués at craft, antique, and thrift stores.
FINISHED SIZE
About 37 (41, 45)" (94 [104, 114.5] cm) bust circumference with 2" to 4" (5 to 10 cm) ease. Vest shown measures 37" (94 cm).
YARN
Worsted weight (#4 Medium).
SHOWN HERE: Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran (55% wool, 10% cashmere, 35% microfiber; 83 yd [76 m]/50 g): #35 Ember (burgundy), 12 (14, 16) balls.
NEEDLES
Body: size U.S. 8 (5 mm).
Edging: size U.S. 7 (4.5 mm).
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
NOTIONS
Tapestry needle; a selection of velvet flowers for appliqué (available online from a variety of sources); sharp-point sewing needle; matching thread.
GAUGE
18 sts and 27 rows = 4" (10 cm) in panel stitch pattern on larger needles.
Back
With smaller needle, work picot CO as folls: *Use the cable method (see Glossary) to CO 5 sts, BO 2 sts, sl st from right-hand needle onto left-hand needle (3 sts on left-hand needle); rep from * until there are 171 (192, 210) sts on needle, CO 2 (0, 1) more st(s)—173 (192, 211) sts. Work 4 rows in garter st (knit every row), ending with a WS row. Change to larger needle and work panel patt as foll:
Knitting in the Details Page 5
