Keeping edge sts in St st and maintaining seed st at each edge as established, work through Row 6 of increase charts—58 (58, 62, 62, 70, 70) sts.
SET-UP ROW: (RS) K1, [p1, k1] 4 (4, 5, 5, 7, 7) times, sl m, work Row 1 of Chart A, sl m, work Row 1 of Sleeve Chart B, sl m, work Row 1 of Chart A, sl m, [p1, k1] 4 (4, 5, 5, 7, 7) times, k1.
Working in patt as established, inc 1 st each end of needle every 8th row 9 (11, 11, 14, 13, 16) times, working new sts into seed st patt—76 (80, 84, 90, 96, 102) sts. Cont even in patt until piece measures 19" (48.5 cm) from CO or desired length to underarm, ending with a WS row.
Shape Cap
With RS facing and cont in patt, BO 5 (5, 5, 5, 5, 6) sts at beg of next 2 rows, then BO 3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 4) sts at beg of foll 2 rows, then BO 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 3) sts at beg of foll 2 rows—56 (60, 64, 66, 72, 76) sts rem. Dec 1 st each end of needle every row 0 (0, 2, 4, 6, 8) times, then every other row 8 (10, 10, 9, 10, 10) times as foll: on RS rows, k1, ssk, work in patt to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1; on WS rows, p1, p2tog, work in patt to last 3 sts, ssp (see Glossary), p1—2 sts dec’d each dec row; 40 sts rem after all decs have been worked. BO 2 sts at beg of next 4 rows, then BO 3 sts at beg of foll 4 rows—20 sts rem.
Saddle
NEXT ROW: (RS) K1, p1, work according to Sleeve Chart B to last 2 sts, p1, k1. Work in patt as established, working the edge sts in St st and the adjoining sts in rev St st (purl on RS; knit on WS), until saddle measures 2¾ (2¾, 3¼, 3¼, 3½, 3½)" (7 [7, 8.5, 8.5, 9, 9] cm) or same length as shoulder width. BO all sts.
Finishing
Gently steam-press all pieces to measurements. With yarn threaded on a tapestry needle, sew front sleeve cap into front armhole, then sew each saddle strap to front and back shoulder, then sew back sleeve cap into back armhole. Sew sleeve and side seams.
Buttonband
With smaller needles and RS facing, pick up and knit 95 (97, 102, 104, 107, 108) sts evenly spaced along center left front edge. Work in seed st until band measures 1" (2.5 cm) from pick-up row. BO all sts in patt. Mark placement of 11 buttons, one ½" (1.3 cm) up from CO edge, one 1" (2.5 cm) below neck edge, and the others evenly spaced in between.
Buttonhole Band
With smaller needles and RS facing, pick up and knit 95 (97, 102, 104, 107, 108) sts evenly spaced along center right front edge. Work in seed st until band measures ½" (1.3 cm) from pick-up row, ending with a WS row.
BUTTONHOLE ROW: (RS) Keeping in patt, work 2-st 1-row buttonhole (see Glossary) opposite each button marker.
Work in patt until band measures 1" (2.5 cm) from pick-up row. BO all sts in patt.
Neckband
With smaller needles and RS facing, pick up and knit 127 sts evenly spaced along neck edge. Work in seed st until band measures ¾" (2 cm) from pick-up row, ending with a WS row.
BUTTONHOLE ROW: (RS) Keeping in patt, work 2-st 1-row buttonhole aligned with those on buttonhole band.
Work in patt until band measures 1" (2.5 cm) from pick-up row. BO all sts in patt.
Weave in loose ends. Sew buttons to buttonband and neckband opposite buttonholes.
Chart A
Body Chart B
Chart C
Chart D
Ribbing Chart A
Ribbing Chart B
Ribbing Chart C
Ribbing Chart D
Ribbing Increase Chart A
Body Ribbing Increase Chart B
Ribbing Increase Chart C
Ribbing Increase Chart D
Sleeve Chart B
Sleeve Ribbing Increase Chart B
Tilghman Island
Pullover
DESIGNED BY COURTNEY KELLEY
Inspired by maritime life in the North Seas, this boatneck pullover features a diamond pattern across the yoke and a small allover pattern in the sleeves for a new twist on traditional Fair Isle patterns. The shape couldn’t be more simple and traditional, but subtle waist shaping and a modified drop shoulder flatter the body. The sleeves have no shaping between the cuff and armhole, which makes them blousy at the cuff and fitted at the upper arm and gives a feminine touch that complements the strong blue-and-white color scheme. The lack of shaping at the yoke makes the allover Fair Isle pattern quick and easy to knit.
Materials
yarn
Sportweight (#2 Fine).
shown here: The Fibre Company Savannah (50% wool, 20% cotton, 15% linen, 15% soy fiber; 160 yd [146 m]/50 g): bluegrass (MC), 8 (9, 10, 11, 12) skeins; natural (CC), 1 (1, 2, 2, 2) skein(s).
needles
body and sleeves: size U.S. 6 (4 mm): 24" (60 cm) circular (cir) and set of 4 or 5 double-pointed (dpn).
edging: size U.S. 5 (3.75 mm): 24" (60 cm) cir and set of 4 or 5 dpn.
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
notions
Markers (m); stitch holders; tapestry needle.
gauge
23 stitches and 32 rounds = 4" (10 cm) in stockinette stitch on larger needle, worked in rounds.
finished size
About 29¼ (33½, 37½, 41¾, 46)" (74.5 [85, 95, 106, 117] cm) bust circumference. Pullover shown measures 33½" (85 cm).
Steeks
Steeks can be daunting, but, as with everything, there is a trade-off. A steek allows the knitter to work a sweater in rounds, then later cut the knitting to create a cardigan, armhole, or neck opening. A line or two of staystitches worked with a sewing machine (alternately you could use a crochet hook or needle and thread) guarantee that the knitting won’t ravel when cut.
When preparing a steek for an armhole or neck, bind off the appropriate number of stitches as indicated in the pattern, then on the following round, cast on extra “steek” stitches so that you can continue to work in rounds. In general, you do not need to cast on as many stitches as were bound off—usually 5 to 7 steek stitches, or 1" (2.5 cm) of width, is sufficient. Knit these stitches in a simple stripe or checkerboard pattern with the yarns used in each round to help prevent the floats from getting too long and, more importantly, to provide a visual guide for your scissors later.
When you get to the shoulders, bind off the regular stitches as well as the steek stitches. To cut a steek, work as follows:
STEP 1. Baste a line of contrasting yarn or thread along the center of the center steek stitch (Figure 1).
STEP 2. Use a sewing machine set for a small straight stitch to sew one or two lines of stitches on each side of the marked center stitch (Figure 2) to ensure that the cut edges will not ravel.
STEP 3. Cut along the marked center stitch, being careful to stay between the sewing machine lines (Figure 3).
For this sweater, a facing is knitted in reverse stockinette stitch at the end of the sleeve, which, after the sleeve is sewn into the armhole, is sewn to the inside of the garment to cover the raw edges of the cut steek. Not only does this make the knitting look tidier on the inside, it protects the cut edges from any fraying due to wear and use.
figure 1
figure 2
figure 3
Body
With CC and smaller needle, CO 168 (192, 216, 240, 264) sts. Place marker (pm) and join for working in rnds, being careful not to twist sts. Rnd begs at side “seam.” Change to MC and knit 1 rnd. Work in k2, p2 rib until piece measures 2" (5 cm) from CO, placing a second m after 84 (96, 108, 120, 132) sts to denote other side “seam.” Change to larger needle and work even in St st (knit every rnd) for 1" (2.5 cm). Work Rnds 1–19 of Bottom Band chart. Work even in St st for 1" (2.5 cm) more.
DEC RND: K1, k2tog, knit to 3 sts before next m, ssk, k1, slip marker (sl m), k1, k2tog, knit to 3 sts before next m, ssk, k1—4 sts dec’d.
Work 5 (5, 5, 7, 7) rnds even. Rep the last 6 (6, 6, 8, 8) rnds 3 more times—152 (176, 200, 224, 248) sts rem.
Work even in St st until piece measures 1½ (1½, 2, 2½, 2½)" (3.8 [3.8, 5, 6.5, 6.5] cm) from last dec.
INC RND: K1, M1 (see Mirrored Increases), knit to 1 st before next m, M1, k1, sl m, k1, M1, knit to 1 st befo
re next m, M1, k1—4 sts inc’d.
Work 5 (5, 5, 7, 7) rnds even. Rep the last 6 (6, 6, 8, 8) rnds 3 more times—168 (192, 216, 240, 264) sts.
Work even until piece measures 16 (16, 16½, 17, 17½)" (40.5 [40.5, 42, 43, 44.5] cm) from CO or desired length to underarm, ending 7 (7, 8, 8, 9) sts before end-of-rnd m on last rnd.
Bottom Band
Sleeve
Yoke
Divide for Front and Back
Removing markers as you come to them, BO 14 (14, 16, 16, 18) sts, knit to 7 (7, 8, 8, 9) sts before next m, BO 14 (14, 16, 16, 18) sts, knit to end of rnd—70 (82, 92, 104, 114) sts rem each for front and back.
SET-UP STEEK: Pm, use the backward-loop method (see Glossary) to CO 6 sts for steek (see Steeks sidebar), pm, knit to BO sts, pm, use the backward-loop method to CO 6 sts for steek, pm, knit to end of rnd.
Working each set of 6 steek sts as (k1, k1 through back loop (tbl), k2, k1tbl, k1) on every rnd, cont in St st until piece measures 2½ (3, 3½, 4, 4½)" (6.5 [7.5, 9, 10, 11.5] cm) from steek set-up.
NEXT RND: *Work to end of steek sts, sl m, k2tog; rep from * once more, kit to end of rnd—69 (81, 91, 103, 113) sts rem each for front and back; 6 sts for each steek.
Working each set of steek sts as (k1 MC, k1tbl CC, k2 MC, k1tbl CC, k1 MC) on every rnd and beg and ending as indicated for your size between each set of steek sts, work Rnds 1–23 of Yoke chart. Work even in MC for ¼" (6 mm).
Divide for Neckband
BO 6 steek sts, knit to next set of steek sts, BO 6 steek sts, knit to end of rnd—69 (81, 91, 103, 113) sts rem each for front and back. Working back and forth in rows on back sts only, cont as foll:
SET-UP ROW: (WS) P1, *k2, p2; rep from * to last 0 (0, 2, 2, 0) sts, k0 (0, 2, 2, 0).
Cont in rib as established until neckband measures 1" (2.5 cm), ending with a RS row. With CC, BO all sts in patt. Working back and froth in rows on front sts only, work rib as for back, ending with a WS row. With CC, BO all sts in patt.
Sleeves
With CC and smaller needles, CO 40 (48, 56, 56, 64) sts. Arrange sts as evenly as possible on 3 or 4 needles, pm, and join for working in rnds, being careful not to twist sts. Change to MC and work in k2, p2 rib until piece measures 1½" (3.8 cm) from CO. Change to larger needles and work k1f&b (see Glossary) in every st—80 (96, 112, 112, 128) sts. Rep Rnds 1–8 of Sleeve chart until piece measures 18 (19, 19, 19, 19)" (45.5 [48.5, 48.5, 48.5, 48.5] cm) from CO. Divide work at m and work back and forth in rows for 1¼ (1¼, 1¼, 1¼, 1½)" (3.2 [3.2, 3.2, 3.2, 3.8] cm) more. With MC, work in rev St st (purl RS rows; knit WS rows) for 1" (2.5 cm) for steek facing. BO all sts.
Finishing
Cut Steek
Using a sewing machine on the smallest straight-stitch setting, sew 2 lines of sts on the inside of the k1tbl CC sts for each steek. With sharp scissors, carefully cut between the sewing lines. Trim away extra fabric, leaving sewn sts intact.
Neckband
Fold the neckbands over one another at the shoulders so that the back band is on top of the front band and whipstitch (see Glossary) them tog at the outermost edges.
Seams
With MC threaded on a tapestry needle, use the mattress st (see Glossary) to sew sleeves into armholes, sewing split section at top of sleeve to BO edge of body underarm. Use whipstitches to sew steek facing to inside of body, covering cut steek edges.
Weave in loose ends. Block to measurements.
Vorderrhein Hat
DESIGNED BY KATE GAGNON OSBORN
Twisted-stitch cables—traveling cables comprised of intertwined one-stitch strands in which each stitch is knitted through the back loop—create a tight fabric with beautiful dimension and impressive texture. There is very little information regarding the first occurrence of this special type of cable patterning, but many consider the origin and inspiration to lay in the gnarly trees and deep forests of Germany. The rich pattern in this warm hat begins with a twisted rib that transforms into two alternating cable panels for the longer, slightly slouchy body. The crown is shaped with decreases that are integrated within the cables. A large pom-pom provides a full finish to the top.
Materials
yarn
Worsted weight (#4 Medium).
shown here: The Fibre Company Organik (70% organic merino, 15% alpaca, 15% silk; 98 yd [90 m]/50 g): atoll (turquoise), 2 skeins.
needles
body: size U.S. 7 (4.5 mm): 16" (40 cm) circular (cir) and set of 4 or 5 double-pointed (dpn).
ribbing: size U.S. 5 (3.75 mm): 16" (40 cm) cir.
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
notions
Markers (m); 2 cable needles (cn); pom-pom maker or cardboard for template; tapestry needle.
gauge
One cable pattern repeat (24 stitches) = 3¾" (9.5 cm) on larger needles, worked in rounds.
23 rounds = 4" (10 cm) in cable pattern, worked in rounds.
finished size
About 18¾" (47.5 cm) in circumference and 9¼" (23.5 cm) long, excluding pom-pom. To fit an adult.
Cabling without a Cable Needle
This project is perfect for learning how to work cables without a cable needle, as the vast majority of the cables use only two stitches, which reduces the potential for dropped stitches. For ease of explanation, the directions below describe how to work a 1/1 cable, but the same principles can be applied to cables involving more stitches.
STEP 1. Slip the first stitch off of the left-hand needle and let it drop (Figure 1) in the front of the work for a left-leaning cable or in the back of the work for a right-leaning cable.
STEP 2. Slip the next stitch onto the right-hand needle to temporarily hold it, keeping the dropped stitch in front (Figure 2) or back.
STEP 3. Return the dropped stitch to the left-hand needle, then return the held stitch from the right-hand needle to the left-hand needle (Figure 3).
STEP 4. Work these 2 stitches in their new order (Figure 4) to complete the cable.
figure 1
figure 2
figure 3
figure 4
Hat
With smaller cir needle, CO 100 sts. Place marker (pm) and join for working in rnds, being careful not to twist sts. Work Rnd 1 of Ribbing chart 11 times—piece measures about 1½" (3.8 cm) from CO. Work Rnds 2 and 3 of Ribbing chart—120 sts.
Change to larger cir needle.
Work Rnds 1–16 of Cable chart 2 times.
Work Rnds 1–10 of Cable Decrease chart, changing to dpn when there are too few sts to fit comfortably on cir needle—30 sts rem.
NEXT RND: *K1 through back loop (tbl), p1, sl 1 pwise, k2tog, psso, p1; rep from *—20 sts rem.
NEXT RND: *Sl 1 pwise, k1, psso; rep from *—10 sts rem.
Finishing
Cut yarn, leaving an 8" (20.5 cm) tail. Thread tail through rem sts, pull tight to close hole, and fasten off on WS. Block lightly.
Pom-Pom
Make a 2" (5 cm) pom-pom with remaining yarn, using a pom-pom maker or as foll: Cut a piece of cardboard 2" (5 cm) square. Cut a 12" (30.5 cm) length of yarn for tying pom-pom later. Wrap rem yarn around cardboard—more wraps will make a fuller pom-pom. Slide wraps off of cardboard and use 12" (30.5 cm) length to tie tightly at center. Cut loops and fluff pom-pom. Using tails from tying pom-pom, sew pompom securely to top of hat. Weave in loose ends.
Cable
Cable Decrease
Ribbing
Ajiro Scarf
DESIGNED BY COURTNEY KELLEY
This scarf was inspired by a picture in Handschuhe, a vintage knitting book from Germany by Eva Maria Leszner. The basketweave pattern is reminiscent of fishing nets, so I chose blue and natural colors to accentuate the ideas of sea and shore. The Japanese word ajiro describes a herringbone pattern in basketry, which seems fitting for a country known for its long fishing traditions and bold graphic representations of natural elements. This scarf is knitted in the round, which simplifies the Fair Isle patterning (no wrong-side rows) and cre
ates an insulating double layer of fabric. This scarf will keep you warm even on the coldest windswept shore.
Materials
yarn
Sportweight (#2 Fine).
shown here: The Fibre Company Road to China Light (65% baby alpaca, 15% silk, 10% cashmere, 10% camel, 159 yd [145 m]/50 g): riverstone (MC), 3 skeins; aquamarine (CC), 2 skeins.
needles
body: size U.S. 4 (3.5 mm): 16" (40 cm) circular (cir).
edging: size U.S. 3 (3.25 mm): 16" (40 cm) cir.
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
notions
Contrasting waste yarn and size E/4 (3.5 mm) crochet hook for provisional CO; markers (m); tapestry needle.
Vintage Modern Knits Page 10
