The Lake Isle

The Lake Isle is inspired by a musical work by Ola Gjeilo. The music is light, warm and serene, evoking images of idyllic summer days. And so, the Lake Isle is a draped, airy, warmer-weather design, with colourwork representing the complex yet delicate movement of the music that inspired it.

Interestingly, Gjeilo himself took inspiration for his Lake Isle from another artist; the lyrics are adapted from W. B. Yeat’s poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”, a poem that pays homage to an uninhabited island in Lough Gill, Ireland. There’s something rather lovely about the idea of an Irish lake isle that inspired a poet, whose work inspired a composer, whose work then in turn inspired this design.

SAMPLE

The wearer is 5’10” / 178 cm with a 37” / 92.5 cm chest circumference. The white sample has been worked in size L for the yoke, then size M for the body and sleeves, giving the wearer 1.25” / 3 cm of positive ease at the chest. The empire-line shaping has been worked for this sample.

The black sample has been worked in size L throughout, giving the wearer 4.75” / 12 cm of positive ease at the chest. The straight-sided tee has been worked for this sample.

Both samples have an additional ~2” / 5 cm of length worked into the body to suit the wearer’s height.

CONSTRUCTION

This garment is worked top-down, with a modified Ziggurat construction - as developed by Åsa Tricosa - for the yoke. Initially the yoke is worked flat, until front neckhole depth is reached, at which point the work is joined in the round. The remainder of the garment is worked in the round. Once yoke depth is reached, the yoke stitches are separated in body and sleeves and a section of stranded colourwork is worked into the body. After this, the knitter can choose to work the remainder of the body as a straight-sided tee or with empire-line shaping. Sleeves and body are finished with a folded stockinette edge; neckhole is finished with an I-Cord bind off edge.

An option to work full-length sleeves is also available in the pattern.

SIZING GUIDE

This garment is graded into sizes XS (S, M, L, XL) (2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL).

There are different amounts of recommended ease depending on the style of garment you choose to create:

• For the straight-sided tee, -1 to +7” / -2.5 to +17.5 cm of ease is recommended at the chest circumference.
• For the empire-waist tee, -1 to +3” / -2.5 to +7.5 cm of ease is recommended at the chest circumference.

Finished Garment Chest Circumference:

30 (33.25, 38.25, 41.75, 46.75) (50, 53.25, 58.25, 61.75)“ /

75 (83.5, 96, 104, 116.5) (125, 133.5, 146, 154) cm.

GAUGE

Using 4 mm / US size 6 needles, or needle size required to meet gauge, 24 stitches over 28 rows / rounds in both stockinette stitch and colourwork, blocked, creates a 4x4” / 10x10 cm square.

YARN

For both samples, the Main Colour is West Yorkshire Spinners’ Exquisite 4ply base (80% Falkland Wool / 20% Mulberry Silk; 400 m / 437 yds per 100 g) in colourways Chantilly (white) and Noir (black).

For the white sample, the Contrast Colour is West Green Loft Yarn’s Cashmere Sock fingering-weight base (80% Superwash Merino / 10% Cashmere / 10% Nylon; 350 m / 383 yds per 100 g) in colourway Driftwood.

For the black sample, the Contrast Colour is Primrose Yarn Co.’s Homestead Sport base (2-ply; 100% American Superwash Merino; 228 m / 250 yds per ~75 g) in colourway Ghost Town.

YARDAGE (includes ~10% excess)

Two yardages are given for this design: one for the straight-sided tee and one for the empire-line tee.

STRAIGHT-SIDED TEE YARDAGE

Main Colour:

515 (555, 612, 656, 713) (754, 826, 886, 917) metres /

563 (608, 669, 717, 780) (825, 904, 969, 1003) yards /

129 (139, 153, 164, 178) (189, 207, 221, 229) grams

Contrast Colour:

51 (57, 66, 71, 80) (86, 91, 100, 105) metres /

56 (62, 72, 78, 87) (94, 100, 109, 115) yards /

13 (14, 17, 18, 20) (22, 23, 25, 26) grams

EMPIRE-LINE TEE YARDAGE

Main Colour:

537 (579, 639, 686, 743) (784, 858, 918, 950) metres /

588 (634, 699, 750, 813) (858, 939, 1004, 1039) yards /

134 (145, 160, 171, 186) (196, 215, 229, 237) grams

Contrast Colour:

57 (63, 73, 79, 89) (95, 102, 111, 117) metres /

62 (69, 80, 87, 97) (104, 111, 122, 128) yards /

14 (16, 18, 20, 22) (24, 25, 28, 29) grams

FULL-LENGTH SLEEVE YARDAGE

In addition to the yardage given above, the following is required to work full-length sleeves:

Main Colour:

207 (213, 229, 237, 256) (264, 296, 303, 329) metres /

226 (235, 251, 259, 280) (288, 324, 332, 359) yards /

52 (54, 57, 59, 64) (66, 74, 76, 82) grams

TOOLS & NOTIONS

3.5 mm / US size 4 circular needles (to work 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)

5 markers

scrap yarn

tapestry needle to weave in ends

SKILLS REQUIRED

-long tail cast on

-working stockinette flat

-working m1R and m1L increases

-German short row shaping

-joining and working in the round

-reading colourwork charts

-working stranded colourwork with two colours

-working folded stockinette hems