What Big Eyes You Have!

When Little Red Riding Hood went to visit her grandmother she was in for a big surprise. She was expecting to find her dear old granny all tucked up and in need of some tender loving care. But not to be… 

This little vest captures the essence of the Little Red’s surprise and resulting questions. Look closely at the cable and with a bit of imagination, you may just see those big eyes and perhaps even those big teeth, that so puzzled Little Red. Knit top down, beginning with saddle shoulders, it is a modern version of what Granny may perhaps knit. Baby sizes feature a tab shoulder to make it easier to dress baby.

Construction:

What Big Eyes You Have! uses a saddle shoulder construction. Cute little rectangles that serve as saddles are knit first. Stitches are then picked up along the saddles to form the front and back of the vest. The front and back are knit separately until joining for the body under the arms. The back of the shoulders are shaped subtly using short row shaping. Lastly the neckline and armholes are created by picking up stitches.

Cable is both charted and in written form.

Sizing:

To fit actual chest measurement of: 

15-21: 15/38 — newborn (16/40.5 — 3mths, 17/43 — 6mths, 18/45.5 — 9mths) [19/48 — 12mths, 20/51 — 18mths, 21/53.5 — 24mths]

22-30: 22/56 — 3yrs (23/58.5 — 4yrs, 24/61 — 5yrs, 25/63.5 — 6yrs) [26/66 — 7yrs, 27/68.5 — 8yrs, 28/71 — 10yrs, 30/76 — 12yrs] inches/cm.

Finished Body circumference:

15-21: “17½/44.5 (18½/47, 19½/49.5, 20½52) [21½/54.5, 22½/57, 23½/59.5]

22-30: 24½/62 (25½/64.5, 26¾/68, 27¾/70.5) [28¾/73, 29¾/75.5, 31/78.5, 33¼/84.5]

inches/cms.

This garment is designed to be slim fitting with graduated ease through the size range from 2½ to 3¼ inches/6.5 to 8 cms . The ease of the garment is incorporated into the sizing already.

Skill Level:

Intermediate

Techniques used:

Knit and purl 

Increasing and decreasing 

Working in the round on circular needles 

Working small circumferences in the round 

Picking up stitches 

Working a cable (from chart or instructions) 

German short rows (optional) 

Left and Right Edge increases

Yarn Requirements:

* Madelinetosh Tosh DK (100 merino; 225yd 206m). – 1 (1, 1, 2) [2, 2, 2] 2 (2, 2, 3) [3, 3, 3, 3] skeins.

* OR Red Riding Hood Yarns “Belle” 8ply Superwash (100% wool; 475yd434m/200g) — 1 (1, 1, 1) [1, 1, 1] 1 (1, 1, 1) [2, 2, 2, 2] skeins (discontinued)

* OR DK/8ply weight yarn of approximately: 

15-21: 190/175 (200/185, 220/200, 240/220) [260/240, 280/260, 310/285]

22-30: 340/310 (380/350, 420/385, 460/420) [510/470, 560/515, 610/560, 660/605]

yards/ metres.

Original yarn is a worsted spun superwash yarn.

Sample garment knit in Red Riding Hood Yarns “Belle” Winter Club 2012 colourway Sunday Best.