Lir

Lir is a top-down, circular yoke sweater featuring stranded colourwork around the yoke. The name “Lir” means sea in Old Irish and is also the name of a sea god from Irish mythology.

The inspiration for the colourwork patterns comes from the energy and power of a wild sea crashing against a rocky shore.

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. Once the yoke is completed, stitches are separated into body and sleeves, which are each worked in stockinette and in the round. Body and sleeves are finished with half-twisted ribbing to match the neckband.

SIZING GUIDE

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

Finished Garment Chest Circumference:

33.25 (37.25, 41, 45.25, 49) (53.25, 57.25, 61, 65, 69)“

83.5 (93.5, 102.5, 113.5, 122.5) (133.5, 143.5, 152.5, 162.5, 172.5) cm

SAMPLE

The sample has been worked in size 3, giving the wearer 4” / 10 cm of positive ease at the chest.

GAUGE

Using 3.5 mm / US size 4 needles, or needle size required to meet gauge, 24 stitches over 30 rounds in both stockinette stitch and colourwork, wet blocked, creates a 4x4” / 10x10 cm square.

Neckband, waistband and cuff circumferences assume you are working 6.5 sts per 1” / 2.5 cm.

YARN

The sample has been worked using Life in the Long Grass’s Sport base (100% Superwash Merino; 300 m / 328 yds per 100 g) in colourways Irish Mist for the Main Colour and Natural for the Contrast Colour.

YARDAGE (includes ~10% excess)

Main Colour:

796 (863, 968, 1054, 1113) (1234, 1348, 1421, 1482, 1572) metres

871 (945, 1059, 1153, 1217) (1350, 1475, 1554, 1622, 1720) yards

265 (288, 323, 351, 371) (411, 449, 474, 494, 524) grams

Contrast Colour:

102 (109, 123, 129, 143) (157, 186, 201, 209, 217) metres

112 (119, 134, 142, 156) (171, 203, 220, 229, 237) yards

34 (36, 41, 43, 48) (52, 62, 67, 70, 72) grams

TOOLS & NOTIONS

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

3.5 mm / US size 4 circular needles (to work yoke, body and sleeves; varying cable lengths would be helpful)

1 removable 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