Folklore

Folklore is a simple yet eye-catching design with delicate colourwork borders, inspired by relaxed Summer days. The design can be worked as a waistcoat, V-neck vest, or tee.

CONSTRUCTION

The majority of the garment is worked flat, from the top down. The stitches for the back are cast on first, with increases worked to shape the armhole. Once armscye depth is reached, stitches are picked up at the cast on edge to form the two front pieces. Here you can choose whether to work front pieces that meet in the middle or leave a gap at the front of the garment; either way, increases are worked down each front to shape the neckline and armhole. Once armscye depth is reached for each front piece, the two front pieces and the back are joined and worked together to form the body.

Once the body length is reached, stitches are picked up around the front centre and a combination of stranded colourwork and linen stitch is worked, in the round, to form the waistband and neckband simultaneously. At the bind off, you can choose to seam the front of the body together or leave the front open. Stitches are picked up around each armhole and the same pattern of stranded colourwork and linen stitch is worked to form the armhole. There is also an option to then work a short sleeve, if desired.

SIZING GUIDE

This garment is graded into sizes 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10).

When working the front, you can choose from two options:

1. Meet-in-the-Middle Front: the front pieces will meet in the middle and you can opt to add an I-Cord tie or seam them together if desired. If seamed, the V-Neck depth is customisable, anywhere from a minimum depth of ~6” / 15 cm.
2. Gap Front: the front pieces will not meet in the middle; there will be a gap of ~3.5” / 8.5 cm at the centre front.

Recommended positive ease for the Meet-in-the-Middle Chest Circumference is 2+” / 5+ cm; recommended negative ease for the Gap Front Chest Circumference is ~1” / 2.5 cm.

SAMPLE 1: White, Black and Gold Vest

The wearer is 5’10” / 178 cm with a 37” / 92.5 cm chest circumference. The sample has been worked in size 3, following the Meet-in-the-Middle chest option, giving the wearer 2” / 5 cm of positive ease at the chest. To suit personal preference, 6 extra sts have been picked up around each armhole, increasing armhole circumference by 0.75” / 2 cm. The optional I-Cord tie has been worked.

SAMPLE 2: Speckled Pink Tee

The wearer is 5’10” / 178 cm with a 37” / 92.5 cm chest circumference. The sample has been worked in size 4, following the Meet-in-the-Middle chest option, giving the wearer 6.25” / 15.5 cm of positive ease at the chest. An extra 0.75” / 2 cm of depth has been added to the body. The front of the garment has been seamed to create a V-neck (with a depth of 8” / 20 cm) and the short sleeve option has been worked. At the start of the waistband, 12 sts have been decreased to reduce the Waistband Circumference by 1.75” / 3.5 cm.

SAMPLE 3: Black and White Waistcoat

The wearer is 5’10” / 178 cm with a 37” / 92.5 cm chest circumference. The sample has been worked in size 3, following the Gap Front chest option, giving the wearer 1.5” / 3.5 cm of negative ease at the chest. To suit personal preference, an extra 0.75” / 2 cm of depth has been added to the body and 12 extra sts have been picked up around each armhole, increasing armhole circumference by 1.75” / 4.5 cm.

GAUGE

Using 2.75 mm / US size 2 needles, or needle size required to meet gauge, 28 stitches over 40 rows / rounds in stockinette stitch and stranded colourwork, wet blocked, creates a 4x4” / 10x10 cm square.

YARN

For this design you need one Main Colour and 1 or more Contrast Colour(s) of fingering weight.

Samples 1 and 3 have been worked using West Yorkshire Spinner’s Signature 4ply (75% Wool / 25% Nylon; 400 m / 437 yds per 100 g) in Marshmallow (white) and Liquorice (black). Sample 1 also uses a gold yarn from stash.

Sample 2 uses Miss La Motte Yarns’ Lustre fingering-weight base (50% Superwash Merino / 15% Kid Mohair / 15% Mulberry Silk / 20% Polyamide; 400 m / 437 yds per 100 g) using colourway Birthday Cake as the main colour and a range of yarns from stash for the colourwork.

YARDAGE

Yardage varies depending on whether you are working the waistcoat, vest or tee; a breakdown of these yardages is included in the pattern.

As an example, the yardages for a sleeveless vest are below, (including a ~10% excess):

Main Colour:

518 (555, 612, 657, 699) (744, 796, 841, 891, 925) metres

567 (607, 670, 718, 764) (814, 871, 920, 975, 1012) yards

130 (139, 153, 164, 175) (186, 199, 210, 223, 231) grams

Contrast Colour:

216 (226, 237, 254, 264) (278, 290, 300, 313, 323) metres

236 (248, 260, 278, 289) (305, 317, 328, 343, 354) yards

54 (57, 59, 63, 66) (70, 73, 75, 78, 81) grams

TOOLS & NOTIONS

2.75 mm / US size 2 circular needles (to work back, front and body; varying cable lengths would be helpful) plus either one cable length of ~60-100” / 150-200 cm or two shorter cable lengths (to work the neckband and waistband simultaneously; lengths required vary according to chosen size)

3.25 mm / US size 3 needle (for BO only)

6 markers

scrap yarn

tapestry needle to weave in ends

Optional: 2.75 mm / US size 2 DPNs can be used for an I-Cord tie

SKILLS REQUIRED

-long tail cast on

-working flat

-working left and right make one increases

-working a repeating pattern of increases

-picking up stitches

-joining and working in the round

-reading colourwork charts

-working stranded colourwork with two colours

-decreasing using K2tog, SSK and the centred double decrease

-working linen stitch

-standard bind off

Optional:

-working the three needle bind off

-working an I-Cord tie