Wandsworth Road

Wandsworth Road is inspired by a unique and beautiful National Trust property in London: 575 Wandsworth Road. This property preserves and celebrates the artwork of Khadambi Asalache, a highly accomplished Kenyan who came to London in the 1980s. During his time living at the Wandsworth Road property, he decorated the walls, ceilings and doors with ornate, hand-carved fretwork, turning an ordinary house into a work of art. Further photographs of this inspiring home can be found in this House Beautiful article.

My Wandsworth Road design is inspired by Asalache’s work, using textured stitches to “carve” shapes and motifs into this V-Neck sweater.

CONSTRUCTION

This garment is worked top-down; it is worked flat until the V-Neck is joined at the front, after which it is worked in the round. Columns of wrap stitch pattern alongside stockinette are worked down the front, back and sleeves; on the front and back, there are 20 stockinette stitches between each wrap stitch column. Once armscye depth is reached, stitches are separated into body and sleeves, which are each worked separately and in the round. The sleeve cap is shaped with a decorative lace pattern and further decorative lace patterns are worked into the lower body and sleeves, each of which are finished with a section of ribbing. Stitches are picked up around the neckhole to work a neckband.

Directions for the textured stitches are available both as written instructions and as charts.

SIZING GUIDE

This garment is graded into sizes 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10). Recommended positive ease is 5+” / 12.5 cm at the chest circumference.

Finished Garment Chest Circumference:

35 (39.25, 43.75, 48, 52.25) (56.75, 61, 65.5, 69.75, 74)“

87.5 (98, 109, 120, 131) (142, 152.5, 163.5, 174.5, 185.5) cm

SAMPLE

The wearer is 5’10” / 178 cm with a 37” / 92.5 cm chest circumference. The sample has been worked in size 4, giving the wearer 11” / 27.5 cm of positive ease at the chest. Size 3 sleeves have been worked. To accommodate the height of the wearer, an extra 2” / 5 cm of depth has been added to the body and sleeve length. The V-Neck and armscye depths have also been increased by 1” / 2.5 cm to suit personal preference.

GAUGE

Using 4 mm / US size 6 needles, or needle size required to meet gauge, 22 stitches over 28 rounds in both stockinette stitch and the textured stitch pattern, wet blocked, creates a 4x4” / 10x10 cm square.

YARN

The sample has been worked using Happy-Go-Knitty’s Ãhuru fingering-weight base (80% Merino / 20% Possum; 400 m / 438 yds per 100 g) in colourway Toffee.

YARDAGE (includes ~10% excess)

978 (1036, 1106, 1167, 1236) (1317, 1416, 1510, 1589, 1666) metres

1070 (1134, 1210, 1277, 1352) (1441, 1549, 1652, 1738, 1823) yards

244 (259, 276, 292, 309) (329, 354, 378, 397, 417) grams

TOOLS & NOTIONS

3.25 mm / US size 3 circular needles (to work neckband, cuffs and waistband; varying cable lengths would be helpful)

4 mm / US size 6 circular needles (to work yoke, body and sleeves; varying cable lengths would be helpful)

4 markers

scrap yarn

tapestry needle to weave in ends

SKILLS REQUIRED

-long tail cast on

-working flat

-German short row shaping

-working textured stitches involving knits, purls and yarnovers

-joining and working in the round

-working make one left and right increases

-reading textured charts OR following written instructions

-cable cast on method

-working a Lateral Braid

-working a repeating pattern of decreases

-decreasing using K2tog and SSK

-standard bind off