Static

I have a memory from childhood of being fascinated by playing with the tuning dial on an old radio. Switching on the radio, I would hear nothing but static, but then as I turned the dial snippets of different music or voices would appear and disappear amongst the static. Then suddenly with another turn of the dial I would find a station and loud, clear music would emerge. Another turn of the dial and the music would gradually fade back into the static.

The colourwork pattern of this sweater is inspired by that memory.

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, and the majority of the yoke and upper body and sleeves feature a striking colourwork pattern. The stranded colourwork uses four colours in total, but only a maximum of two on any given round. Once yoke depth is reached, stitches are separated into body and sleeves, each of which is worked in the round. Once the colourwork pattern is completed, the remainder of the body and sleeves is worked in stockinette and finished with half-twisted ribbing. Stitches are picked up around the neckhole to form a half-twisted ribbing neckband.

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 of positive ease at the chest circumference.

Finished Garment Chest Circumference: 35 (39.25, 43.75, 48, 52.25) (56.75, 61, 63.25, 67.75, 72)“ / 87.5 (98, 109, 120, 131) (142, 152.5, 158, 169, 180) 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. To allow for the wearer’s height, an extra 1” / 2.5 cm has been worked into the armscye depth and 1.5” / 4 cm of length has been worked into the body and sleeves.

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 colourwork, blocked, creates a 4x4” / 10x10 cm square.

YARN

The sample has been worked using Primrose Yarn Co.’s Rose Sport base (100% American Superwash Merino; 297 m / 325 yds per 100 g) in the following colourways:

Colour 1: Graphite

Colour 2: Morticia

Colour 3: Driftwood

Colour 4: Dusk

YARDAGE (includes ~10% excess)

Colour 1:

496 (540, 598, 642, 686) (735, 785, 823, 863, 882) metres

542 (590, 654, 703, 750) (804, 858, 901, 944, 965) yards

167 (182, 201, 216, 231) (248, 264, 277, 291, 297) grams

Colour 2:

318 (350, 388, 418, 476) (491, 521, 551, 642, 654) metres

348 (382, 425, 457, 521) (537, 571, 603, 703, 716) yards

107 (118, 131, 141, 160) (165, 176, 186, 216, 220) grams

Colour 3:

55 (60, 67, 70, 78) (82, 86, 90, 95, 98) metres

61 (66, 73, 77, 85) (90, 94, 99, 104, 108) yards

19 (20, 23, 24, 26) (28, 29, 30, 32, 33) grams

Colour 4:

74 (80, 89, 106, 116) (132, 158, 182, 190, 195) metres

80 (87, 97, 116, 127) (145, 173, 199, 208, 213) yards

25 (27, 30, 36, 39) (45, 53, 61, 64, 66) 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)

5 markers

scrap yarn

tapestry needle to weave in ends

SKILLS REQUIRED

-long tail cast on

-working flat

-joining and working in the round

-working half-twisted ribbing

-working left and right lifted increases

-German short row shaping

-reading colourwork charts

-working stranded colourwork with two colours

-long tail cast on with two colours

-working a repeating pattern of decreases

-decreasing using K2tog and SSK

-standard bind off