Kismet

Kismet is the fifth design of my Ffrench Collection: designs inspired by the musical works of composer Alexis Ffrench. Kismet is full of small repeating patterns of music (called ostinati) that dance and flow around each other. This design explores these ideas through the use of both pattern and colour.

SAMPLE

The wearer is 5’10” / 178 cm with a 37” / 92.5 cm chest circumference. The samples have been worked in size L, giving the wearer 7.25” / 18 cm of positive ease at the chest. To allow for the wearer’s height, an extra 1” / 2.5 cm of length has been added to the body and sleeves.

CONSTRUCTION

This garment is worked top-down, mostly in the round, with a modified raglan construction. The back of neck and sleeve stitches are cast on first and worked flat whilst beginning the modified raglan shaping and front of neck shaping. Once joined in the round, stranded colourwork is worked whilst the raglan shaping continues. Once yoke depth is reached, the yoke stitches are separated into body and sleeves, each of which are worked in the round, continuing the stranded colourwork pattern. The lower body and sleeves are worked in plain stockinette, although an optional band of colourwork above the waistband is included in the pattern. Above the cuffs, a small amount of stranded colourwork is added to the sleeves. Neckband, waistband and cuffs are worked in half-twisted ribbing.

SIZING GUIDE

This garment is graded into sizes XS (S, M, L, XL) (2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL). Recommended positive ease is 3-10” / 7.5-25 cm at the chest circumference.

Finished Garment Chest Circumference:

33.25 (37, 40.5, 44.25, 48) (51.75, 55.5, 59, 62.75)“ /

83 (92.5, 101.5, 111, 120) (129, 138.5, 147.5, 157) cm

GAUGE

Using 3.25 mm / US size 3 needles, or needle size required to meet gauge, 26 stitches over 32 rounds in both stockinette stitch and colourwork, blocked, creates a 4x4” / 10x10 cm square.

Neckband, waistband and cuff circumferences assume you are working 7 sts per 1” / 2.5 cm.

YARN

Any fingering / sock weight yarn is suitable for this design.

Sample 1 (grey and gold):

C1: Eden Cottage Yarn’s Oakworth 4ply base (100% NZ Polwarth Wool; 400 m / 436 yds per 100 g) in colourway Driftwood.

C2: Miss La Motte Yarn’s Lustre base (50% Superwash Merino / 15% Kid Mohair / 15% Mulberry Silk / 20% Polyamide; 400 m / 436 yds per 100 g) in colourway Mocha Frappe.

C3: Birdstreet Yarn’s MN 4ply base (75% Superwash Merino / 25% Nylon; 425 m / 465 yds per 100 g) in colourway Old No.7.

C4: Meadow Yarn’s Pent base (100% Corriedale; 400 m / 436 yds per 100 g) in colourway Pestle.

Sample 2 (pink and purple):

C1: Telling Yarn’s Confetti Sock base (75% Superwash Merino / 25% Nylon; 425 m / 465 yds per 100 g) in colourway Yenn.

C2: The Fibre Fox’s Alpaca Silk base (70% Baby Alpaca / 20% Silk / 10% Cashmere; 400 m / 436 yds per 100 g) in colourway Rosy Cheeks.

C3: Pixie Yarn’s Twisty Sock base (75% Merino / 25% Nylon; 425 m / 465 yds per 100 g) in colourway Elli.

C4: Mothy and the Squid’s fingering weight base (75% Superwash Merino / 25% Nylon; 420 m / 460 yds per 100 g) in colourway Aubergine.

CHOOSING COLOURS

C1: The lightest (or darkest) colour

C4: The darkest (or lightest) colour

C2: A midway point between C1 and C4

C3: A colour pop that contrasts or stands out compared to C1, 2 and 4

YARDAGE (includes ~10% excess). Here the maximum possible usage for each colour has been calculated.

C1:

317 (342, 390, 416, 442) (475, 504, 531, 563) m

347 (375, 427, 455, 483) (519, 552, 581, 616) yds

79 (86, 98, 104, 110) (119, 126, 133, 141) g

C2:

110 (119, 137, 145, 153) (183, 193, 220, 231) m

121 (130, 149, 159, 168) (200, 211, 241, 253) yds

28 (30, 34, 36, 38) (46, 48, 55, 58) g

C3:

133 (145, 161, 173, 184) (226, 240, 266, 278) m

146 (158, 176, 189, 201) (247, 263, 291, 305) yds

33 (36, 40, 43, 46) (57, 60, 67, 70) g

C4:

793 (861, 994, 1058, 1132) (1272, 1355, 1457, 1513) m

867 (942, 1087, 1158, 1238) (1392, 1483, 1594, 1655) yds

198 (215, 249, 265, 283) (318, 339, 364, 378) g

TOOLS & NOTIONS

2.75 mm / US size 2 circular needles (to work neckband, cuffs and waistband; varying cable lengths would be helpful)

3.25 mm / US size 3 circular needles (to work yoke, body and sleeves; varying cable lengths would be helpful)

8 markers for raglan shaping

1 contrasting marker for BOR

scrap yarn

tapestry needle to weave in ends

SKILLS REQUIRED

-long tail cast on

-working flat

-joining and working in the round

-working m1L and m1R increases

-reading colourwork charts

-working stranded colourwork with two colours

-working half-twisted ribbing

-long tail cast on with two colours

-working a repeating pattern of decreases

-decreasing using K2tog and SSK

-standard bind off