New Dune

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Aug 302022
 

A light-as-air tank top, New Dune offers an updated sleek and cropped silhouette for the high-waisted modern moment. The laceweight yarn creates a whisper soft garment, perfect for layering over a cami or pretty underpinning, and suitably sleek under a voluminous blouse or a light jacket. New Dune goes from morning to night, the beach to the bistro, with a figure-conscious yet body skimming fit. The slim tapered straps and dramatic deep back neckline celebrate your skin, while the relaxed body and fitted rib hem enhance and accentuate your shape.

Construction: New Dune is an update of my early Dune tank for Classic Elite Yarns, featuring a sleek and  streamlined tank strap, and a modern cropped length to wear with all of our high-waisted pants and skirts. It retains the classic architecture of the original, with slim shoulders, a deep V back neck, and smooth stockinette body with a deep ribbed hem. Cast on provisionally at the shoulders, the back and front are each worked back and forth to the armscye depth, then the body is joined and worked in the round to the bottom of the hem. Slipped stitches create a minimalist, clean edge, and the only other finishing is closing the shoulders with a 3-needle bind off.

Techniques & Skills Used: provisional CO, backwards loop CO, knit/purl, increasing, 3-needle BO.

Size: 32 (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64)” bust; sample shown in third size worn with 1” positive ease. For a similar fit, choose a size close to your actual bust measurement; consult the schematic for garment measurements, and choose a size that provides the amount of ease you prefer.

Yarn: Classic Elite Yarns Silky Alpaca Lace (70% alpaca, 30% silk; 440 yards/402m/50g), shown in Gentian Violet 2405; 1 (1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3) skeins, or approximately 350 (400, 425, 475, 500, 550, 575, 675, 750, 825, 900, 975) yards of laceweight alpaca/silk or wool/silk yarn.

Other Materials: US 6 (4mm) 24” circular needle or size to match gauge, and spare US 6 needle for shoulder BO; US 4 (3.5mm) 24” circular needle for hem ribbing; Stitch markers (2); Scrap yarn for provisional CO; Stitch holders (2); Yarn needle.

Gauge: 24 st and 32 rows/4” in stockinette st on larger needle, after blocking.

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L’Heure Verte

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Aug 232022
 

This sweater’s color recalls the silvery green foliage of the artemisia plant, used to make the storied spirit absinthe. Drinking absinthe became so popular in French cafés that by the mid-nineteenth century, happy hour there was called l’heure verte (“the green hour”). Deeply textured waves flow from the neckline of the sweater, expanding along with the yoke until they reach the stockinette body and disappear. The transition gives a slight A-line shape to the cropped body, while short rows shape the back neck and body for a good fit, and create the rounded hems. Simple rolled edges at the neckline, hem, and cuffs are clean and practical.

Construction: L’Heure Verte is knit seamlessly from the top down using round yoke construction, with an expanding stockinette-based wave texture on the yoke, a plain stockinette body, and rolled neck, cuffs, and hem. Stitches are cast on in the round at the neckline, the back neck is shaped with short rows, then the yoke is worked to the bottom of the armhole. Sleeve stitches are placed on hold while the lower body is worked without shaping to the rolled hem. Bracelet length sleeves are then continued to the matching rolled cuffs.

Techniques & Skills Used: longtail CO, backwards loop CO, seamless round yoke construction, knit/purl, short rows, increasing/decreasing. The yoke pattern repeat is both fully written and charted, and a link is included to my short rows tutorials.

Size: 36 (40, 44, 48, 52)” bust; sample shown in second size worn with 5” of positive ease.

Yarn: Purl Soho Worsted Twist (100% merino wool; 164 yards/150m/100g), shown in Artemisia Green; 6 (6, 7, 7, 8) skeins, or approximately 850 (950, 1050, 1125, 1225) yards of worsted weight yarn.

Other Materials: US 7 (4.5mm) 16” and 32” circular needle or size to match gauge; Stitch markers 10 (11, 12, 12, 13); Stitch holders (2); Yarn needle.

Gauge: 18 st and 28 rounds/4” in yoke pattern, 17 st and 24 rounds/4” in stockinette stitch, after blocking.

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Walnut Street

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Aug 122022
 

A touch of plaid decorates this open front cardigan, with long contrasting lines intersecting on the generous reversible collar. The plaid is created using simple techniques, in which the vertical lines are knit as contrasting stripes, while the horizontal lines are first worked as a purl column in the main color, then the contrast color is applied to the surface later using a crochet hook.

Construction: Walnut Street is cast on at the back neck and worked to the armscye depth with a few short rows to shape the shoulders. The back is put on hold while stitches are picked up for each front, and worked separately with a bit of short row shaping to the armscye depth. Back and front are united and worked with gentle waist shaping to the hem. Sleeves are picked up around the armholes and the caps shaped with short rows, then worked seamlessly to the cuffs. Stitches are picked up along the entire front edge and neck, then the reversible collar is worked with contrast horizontal stripes and the long vertical stripe is applied last as surface crochet in the purl columns. No crochet skills are needed; it’s as simple as picking up stitches!

Techniques & Skills Used: cable CO, backwards loop CO, knit/purl, German short rows, picking up stitches, increasing/decreasing.

Size: 32 (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 48, 52, 56)”; sample shown in fourth size worn with 3” positive ease.

Yarn: Dream In Color Classy (100% superwash merino wool; 250 yards/229m/113g), shown in MC 17 Torchwood and CC 611 Blue Sulk; 5 (5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8) skeins MC and 1 skein CC, or approximately 1150 (1200, 1250, 1300, 1375, 1450, 1525, 1600, 1675, 1775) yards MC and 60 (60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 65, 65, 65, 65) yards CC worsted weight wool yarn.

Other Materials: US 8 (5mm) 32” circular needle or size to match gauge; US 8 (5mm) 60” circular needle for collar; Stitch markers (2); Removable stitch markers (2); Stitch holders (2); Yarn needle; H8 (5mm) crochet hook for plaid collar contrast.

Gauge: 18 st and 24 rows/4” in Stockinette stitch, after blocking.

See it on Ravelry or on Payhip, to read more or purchase the pattern.