Karma

Karma is the sixth design of my Ffrench Collection, a series of designs inspired by the music of composer Alexis Ffrench. Karma features a repeating undulating phrase that separates sections of flowing, delicate melodies.

CONSTRUCTION

This garment is worked top-down, in the round. After the neckband, short row shaping is incorporated to optimise fit. The majority of the yoke features a stranded colourwork pattern. Only two colours are used in the colourwork pattern per round, with up to four colours used in the colourwork design overall.

Once the yoke is complete, stitches are separated into body and sleeves, which are each worked separately and in the round. The stranded colourwork pattern continues into the upper body and sleeves, after which the remaining length is worked in stockinette. A small band of stranded colourwork is worked above the half-twisted rib cuffs.

SIZING GUIDE

This garment is graded into sizes 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10). Recommended positive ease is 3+” / 7.5+ cm at the chest circumference.

Finished Garment Chest Circumference:

33.75 (37, 43, 46.25, 49.25) (55.5, 58.5, 61.5, 67.75, 70.75)“

84.5 (92.5, 107.5, 115.5, 123) (138.5, 146, 154, 169.5, 177) 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 9.25” / 23 cm of positive ease at the chest. To accommodate the height of the wearer, an extra 0.5” / 1.5 cm of depth has been added to the yoke, and an extra 2” / 5 cm of length has been added to the body and sleeve length. The flat neckband has been worked.

GAUGE

Using 3.25 mm / US size 3 needles, or needle size required to meet gauge, 26 stitches over 34 rounds in both stockinette stitch and colourwork, wet blocked, creates a 4x4” / 10x10 cm square.

YARN

This design requires one Main Colour (referred to as Colour 1 in the pattern) and 1-3 Contrast Colours of fingering weight yarn.

The sample has been worked using Les Garçon’s BFL Sock base (80% Superwash BFL Wool / 20% Nylon; 365 m / 400 yds per 100 g) in the following colourways:

Colour 1: Cheryl’s Coal Grey

Colour 2: Kirby’s Pink

Colour 3: Jill’s Dusty Rose

Colour 4: Emma’s Stone

YARDAGE (includes ~10% excess)

Colour 1:

1063 (1120, 1259, 1389, 1446) (1579, 1632, 1815, 1854, 1896) metres

1163 (1225, 1377, 1520, 1581) (1727, 1786, 1986, 2028, 2074) yards

291 (306, 344, 380, 395) (423, 446, 496, 507, 518) grams

Colour 2:

77 (81, 97, 105, 109) (122, 126, 140, 150, 156) metres

84 (89, 106, 114, 120) (133, 138, 154, 164, 170) yards

21 (22, 26, 29, 30) (33, 35, 38, 41, 43) grams

Colour 3:

17 (18, 21, 22, 23) (25, 26, 30, 32, 33) metres

19 (20, 23, 24, 25) (28, 29, 33, 35, 36) yards

5 (5, 6, 6, 6) (7, 7, 8, 9, 9) grams

Colour 4:

47 (49, 55, 61, 63) (71, 73, 81, 86, 89) metres

51 (54, 61, 66, 69) (77, 80, 88, 94, 98) yards

13 (14, 15, 17, 17) (19, 20, 22, 23, 24) grams

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)

1 marker

scrap yarn

tapestry needle to weave in ends

SKILLS REQUIRED

-long tail cast on

-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