Vintage Modern Knits
Page 6
Materials
yarn
Fingering weight (#1 Super Fine).
shown here: The Fibre Company Canopy Fingering (50% baby alpaca, 30% merino wool, 20% bamboo; 200 yd [183 m]/50 g): fern (MC) and plum (CC), 1 skein each.
needles
cuff: size U.S. 1 (2.25 mm): set of 4 or 5 double-pointed (dpn).
hand: size U.S. 2 (2.75 mm): set of 4 or 5 dpn.
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
notions
Markers (m); waste yarn or stitch holder; tapestry needle.
gauge
36 stitches and 40 rounds = 4" (10 cm) in hand pattern on larger needles, worked in rounds.
finished size
About 7¾" (19.5 cm) hand circumference and 10¼" (26 cm) in length. To fit a women’s small to medium hand.
Mirrored Increases
When working increases for a thumb gusset (or any set of paired increases) it’s wise to mirror the increases so they appear symmetrical. A make-one (M1) increase is made by picking up the running thread and knitting into it. The running thread is the yarn just below your needles that connects one stitch to another. For instance, if you are in the middle of knitted row or round, take a close look at the first stitch on each needle. The first stitch on the left-hand needle goes up and over the needle; follow that thread with your eyes—it goes across the gap to the stitch below the first stitch on the right-hand needle. Where it bridges the gap is what we call the “running thread.” When making the gusset increases, the first increase should slant to the left—a M1L increase. The second gusset increase should slant to the right—a M1R increase.
Make-One Left (M1L)
Note: Use the M1L method if no direction is specified.
STEP 1. Place the running thread onto the left-hand needle with the right leg of the thread in front (Figure 1); note that it sits the “right way” on the needle.
STEP 2. Knit into the back of the stitch (Figure 2).
figure 1
figure 2
Make-One Right (M1R)
STEP 1. Place the running thread onto the left-hand needle with the left leg of the thread in front (Figure 3); note that it sits the “wrong way” on the needle.
STEP 2. Knit into the front of this stitch (Figure 4).
figure 3
figure 4
Cuff
With CC and smaller needles, CO 68 sts. Divide sts as evenly as possible on 3 or 4 needles, place marker (pm), and join for working in rnds, being careful not to twist sts. Beg with a purl rnd, work 10 rnds in garter st (alternate purl 1 rnd, knit 1 rnd). Change to larger needles and St st (knit every rnd). With CC, knit 1 rnd. Work Rnds 1–43 of Cuff chart. With CC, knit 1 rnd—piece measures about 4¾" (12 cm) from CO.
Cuff
Thumb
Hand
Hand
NEXT RND: *K1 with MC, k1 with CC; rep from * to end of rnd.
INC RND: With CC, knit and at the same time inc 2 sts evenly spaced—70 sts.
Work Rnds 1–10 of Hand chart.
Thumb Gusset
SET-UP RND: (Rnd 11 of chart) M1 (see Mirrored Increases) with MC, pm, work to end of rnd—1 gusset st between markers.
Cont working Hand chart as established and at the same time work Rnds 1–28 of Thumb chart over gusset st, inc as indicated on chart—27 gusset sts. Place 27 gusset sts on waste yarn or holder. Work through Rnd 32 of Hand chart. With MC, knit 1 rnd. Change to smaller needles and CC. Beg with a knit rnd, work 6 rnds in garter st. Loosely BO all sts.
Thumb
Arrange 27 held gusset sts on 3 or 4 larger needles. With CC, k27 gusset sts, then pick up and knit 1 st at gap between hand and thumb—28 sts total. Beg with a purl rnd, work 3 rnds in garter st. Loosely BO all sts.
Finishing
Weave in loose ends. Block to measurements.
Yangtze Cardigan
DESIGNED BY COURTNEY KELLEY
This cardigan represents the classic 1950s cardigan I have always dreamed of, updated slightly for a more comfortable fit. A feminine, flattering, and tailored silhouette paired with an elegant textured pattern results in a sweater that is worth every stitch. Suited equally to a tank top and slouchy jeans or a wool tweed skirt and silk blouse, this basic cardigan is poised to be an heirloom classic. The blend of alpaca, merino, and bamboo creates a soft fabric with gentle drape that has a great balance of warmth and sheen and produces a garment with a sophisticated look you can be proud to say you made yourself.
Materials
yarn
Fingering weight (#1 Super Fine).
shown here: The Fibre Company Canopy Fingering (50% baby alpaca, 30% merino wool, 20% bamboo; 200 yd [183 m]/50 g): river dolphin, 8 (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15) balls.
needles
body and sleeves: size U.S. 2 (2.75 mm): straight or 24" (60 cm) circular (cir).
cuffs and hem: size U.S. 1 (2.25 mm): straight or 24" (60 cm) cir.
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
notions
Marker (m); stitch holders; tapestry needle; eight (eight, six, six, six, five, five) ½" (1.3 cm) buttons.
gauge
31 stitches and 48 rows = 4" (10 cm) in pattern on larger needles.
finished size
About 31 (34, 36½, 39, 41½, 44, 46½)" (78.5 [86.5, 92.5, 99, 105.5, 112, 118] cm) bust circumference, buttoned. Sweater shown measures 31" (78.5 cm).
Note
•The row gauge is very important, as it is related to the spacing of the shaping. All increases and decreases except for armhole, back neck, and sleeve cap shaping are worked on Rows 2 and 10 of the stitch pattern.
Grafting for Garter Stitch
Garter stitch, typically worked by knitting every stitch of every row, forms a reversible fabric with alternating rows of smooth knit stitches and purl bumps (even though no purling is required, purl bumps form on the wrong side of knit stitches). The key to grafting garter stitch is to keep the sequence of purl bumps or ridges and knit valleys intact. Grafting, worked with yarn threaded on a tapestry needle, adds a row of “knitting” to the two pieces to be joined. It is worked between two sets of the same number of live stitches. Each set is held on a separate needle.
For this design, the 8-stitch front bands extend into a narrow collar that is grafted at the back neck. There are 8 live right neck stitches and 8 live left neck stitches. Place each group of 8 stitches onto a separate double-pointed needle and lay the work on a flat surface with the right side facing up. Determine whether the last row worked on each group appears as a knit valley or purl ridge on the right side. Make sure that there is a knit valley at the base of the left neck stitches and a purl ridge at the base of the right neck stitches.
Hold the two pieces so that the needle with the purl ridge (right neck stitches) is behind the needle with the knit valley (left neck stitches). Thread a 10" (25.5 cm) length of yarn (use the yarn attached to the neck stitches to avoid joining new yarn) on a tapestry needle. You will use the tapestry needle to form purl ridges on the front needle (the left neck stitches) and knit valleys on the back needle (the right neck stitches).
Most grafting instructions say to insert the tapestry needle through the live stitches “as if to knit” or “as if to purl.” I prefer to think of the movements as “down” or “up.” To insert the tapestry needle “down,” insert it downward into the stitch, moving it away from your body. To insert the tapestry needle “up,” insert it upward through the stitch, moving it from the back of the work toward your body.
Note: In the illustrations, the “back” needle is shown as the upper needle; the “front” needle is shown as the lower needle.
STEP 1: To set up, insert the tapestry needle down (from front to back) through the first stitch on the lower needle, then up (wrong side to right side) through the first stitch on the upper needle (Figure 1).
STEP 2: Insert the tapestry needle up through the first stitch on the lower needle (the same stitch entered i
n Step 1), slip this stitch off the needle, then insert the tapestry needle down through the next stitch on the lower needle (Figure 2).
STEP 3: Insert the tapestry needle down through the first stitch on the upper needle (the same stitch entered in Step 1), slip this stitch off the needle, then insert the tapestry needle up through the next stitch on the upper needle (Figure 3).
To continue, repeat this simple mantra:
STEP 1: Up in front; slip off.
STEP 2: Down in front; leave on.
STEP 3: Down in back; slip off.
STEP 4: Up in back; leave on.
Repeat these four steps until all stitches have been grafted, ending by inserting the tapestry needle up through the last stitch on the lower needle, then down through the last stitch on the upper needle (Figure 4). Tighten the grafted sts to match the knitted tension. Weave the tail into the wrong side of the work.
figure 1
figure 2
figure 3
figure 4
Back
With smaller needles, CO 121 (131, 141, 151, 161, 171, 181) sts. Work in garter st (knit every row) until piece measures 1" (2.5 cm) from CO, ending with a RS row. Change to larger needles and work Rows 1–16 of Parallelogram chart 1 (1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4) time(s)—piece measures about 2¼ (2¼, 3¾, 3¾, 5, 5, 6¼)" (5.5 [5.5, 9.5, 9.5, 12.5, 12.5, 16] cm) from CO. Cont in patt, [dec 1 st each end of needle on Row 2 and Row 10 of patt] 3 times as foll: K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1—2 sts dec’d each dec row; 109 (119, 129, 139, 149, 159, 169) sts rem after all decs have been worked. Work Rows 11–16, then work Rows 1–9 once more. Cont in patt, [inc 1 st each end of needle on Row 10 and Row 2 of patt] 3 times as foll: K1, k1f&b (see Glossary), knit to last 2 sts, k1f&b, k1—2 sts inc’d each inc row; 121 (131, 141, 151, 161, 171, 181) sts after all incs have been worked. Cont even in patt until piece measures about 15 (16, 16, 16, 17, 17, 18)" (38 [40.5, 40.5, 40.5, 43, 43, 45.5] cm) from CO, ending with Row 15 of patt.
Shape Armholes
BO 7 (8, 8, 9, 9, 12, 12) sts at beg of next 2 rows—107 (115, 125, 133, 143, 147, 157) sts rem.
DEC ROW: (RS) K1, ssk, work to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1—2 sts dec’d.
Cont in patt, dec 1 st each end of needle in this manner every RS row 5 (5, 5, 6, 9, 9, 9) more times—95 (103, 113, 119, 123, 127, 137) sts rem. Cont even in patt until armholes measure 5½ (6, 6½, 7, 7½, 8, 8½)" (14 [15, 16.5, 18, 19, 20.5, 21.5] cm), ending with a WS row.
Shape Neck
Cont in patt, work 34 (34, 34, 36, 38, 40, 44) sts, join second ball of yarn and BO next 27 (35, 45, 47, 47, 47, 49) sts, work to end—34 (34, 34, 36, 38, 40, 44) sts rem each side. Working each side separately, dec 1 st at each neck edge every RS row 6 times—28 (28, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38) sts rem each side.
Shape Shoulders
At each armhole edge, BO 10 (10, 10, 10, 12, 12, 14) sts once, then BO 10 (10, 10, 10, 10, 12, 12) sts once, then BO rem 8 (8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 12) sts.
Pocket Lining (Make 2)
With larger needles, CO 30 sts. Work in St st (knit RS rows; purl WS rows) until piece measures 4" (10 cm) from CO. Place sts on holder.
Left Front
With smaller needles, CO 69 (79, 89, 99, 109, 119, 129) sts. Work in garter st until piece measures 1" (2.5 cm) from CO, ending with a RS row. Change to larger needles.
Shape Waist
Note: Pocket lining is inserted while waist shaping is worked or before it is begun, and neck shaping beg while waist shaping is worked; read the foll sections all the way through before proceeding.
NEXT ROW: (WS) Work 8 sts in garter st, place marker (pm), work Row 1 of Parallelogram chart to end.
Cont in patt until Rows 1–16 of chart have been worked 1 (1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4) time(s), then shape waist as foll: Cont in patt, [dec 1 st at side edge on Row 2 and Row 10 of patt] 3 times as foll: K1, ssk, work in patt to end—1 st dec’d each dec row; 6 sts dec’d total. Work Rows 11–16, then work Rows 1–9 once more. Cont in patt, [inc 1 st at side edge on Row 10 and Row 2 of patt] 3 times as foll: K1, k1f&b, work in patt to end—1 st inc’d each inc row; 6 sts inc’d total.
Parallelogram
Insert Pocket
At the same time when the 16-row rep has been worked 3 times (48 patt rows), work Row 1 once more, then insert pocket lining as foll: (Row 2 of patt) Working waist shaping as established, work to last 57 sts, place next 30 sts on a holder, k30 held pocket lining sts, work in patt to end.
Also at the same time cont in patt until the 16-row rep has been worked 7 (7, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4) times total, work Row 1 once more, then beg neck shaping.
Shape Neck
Note: Armhole shaping beg before neck shaping ends; read the foll sections all the way through before proceeding.
Dec for neck on Row 2 and Row 10 of patt for your size as foll.
Size 31" (78.5 cm) only
ON ROWS 2 AND 10: Work in patt to 3 sts before m, k2tog, knit to end—1 st dec’d each row.
Rep these 2 rows 4 more times—10 sts dec’d.
NEXT ROW 2: Work in patt to 3 sts before m, k2tog, knit to end—1 st dec’d.
NEXT ROW 10: Work in patt to 4 sts before m, k3tog, knit to end—2 sts dec’d.
Rep these 2 rows 2 more times, then work Row 2 once more—10 sts dec’d; 20 neck sts dec’d total.
Size 34" (86.5 cm) only
ON ROW 2: Work in patt to 3 sts before m, k2tog, knit to end—1 st dec’d.
ON ROW 10: Work in patt to 4 sts before m, k3tog, knit to end—2 sts dec’d.
Rep these 2 rows 8 more times—27 sts dec’d.
NEXT ROW 2: Work in patt to 4 sts before m, k3tog, knit to end—2 sts dec’d; 29 neck sts dec’d total.
Size 36½" (92.5 cm) only
ON ROW 2: Work in patt to 3 sts before m, k2tog, knit to end—1 st dec’d.
ON ROW 10: Work in patt to 4 sts before m, k3tog, knit to end—2 sts dec’d.
Rep these 2 rows 4 more times—15 sts dec’d.
NEXT ROWS 2 AND 10: Work in patt to 4 sts before m, k3tog, knit to end—2 sts dec’d each row.
Rep these 2 rows 5 more times—24 sts dec’d; 39 neck sts dec’d total.
Size 39" (99 cm) only
ON ROW 2: Work in patt to 3 sts before m, k2tog, knit to end—1 st dec’d.
ON ROW 10: Work in patt to 4 sts before m, k3tog, knit to end—2 sts dec’d.
Rep these 2 rows 2 more times—9 sts dec’d.
NEXT ROWS 2 AND 10: Work in patt to 4 sts before m, k3tog, knit to end—2 sts dec’d each row.
Rep these 2 rows 8 more times—36 sts dec’d; 45 neck sts dec’d total.
Size 41½" (105.5 cm) only
ON ROWS 2 AND 10: Work in patt to 3 sts before m, k2tog, knit to end—1 st dec’d each row; 2 sts dec’d total.
NEXT ROWS 2 AND 10: Work in patt to 4 sts before m, k3tog, knit to end—2 sts dec’d each row.
Rep these 2 rows 11 more times—48 sts dec’d; 50 neck sts dec’d total.
Sizes 44 (46½)" (112 [118] cm) only
ON ROW 2: Work in patt to 3 sts before m, k2tog, knit to end—1 st dec’d.
ON ROW 10: Work in patt to 4 sts before m, k3tog, knit to end—2 sts dec’d; 3 sts dec’d total.
NEXT ROWS 2 AND 10: Work in patt to 4 sts before m, k3tog, knit to end—2 sts dec’d each row.
Rep these 2 rows 12 (13) more times, then work Row 2 zero (one) more time—52 (58) sts dec’d; 55 (61) neck sts dec’d total.
All sizes
At the same time work until piece measures same as back to armhole, ending with Row 15 of patt.
Shape Armhole
Cont working neck shaping, at armhole edge (beg of RS rows), BO 7 (8, 8, 9, 9, 12, 12) sts. Work 1 (WS) row even.
DEC ROW: (RS) K1, ssk, work to end of row—1 armhole st dec’d.
Dec 1 st at armhole edge every RS row in this manner 5 (5, 5, 6, 9, 9, 9) more times. Work until armhole measures 6½ (7, 7½, 8, 8½, 9, 9½)" (16.5 [18, 19, 20.5, 21.5, 23, 24] cm), ending with a WS row—36 (36, 36, 38, 40, 42, 46) sts rem when all armhole and neck
shaping is complete.
Shape Shoulder
Cont in patt, at armhole edge (beg of RS rows), BO 10 (10, 10, 10, 12, 12, 14) sts once, then BO 10 (10, 10, 10, 10, 12, 12) sts once, then BO 8 (8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 12) sts once—8 sts rem for buttonband. Place sts on holder.
Right Front
With smaller needles, CO 69 (79, 89, 99, 109, 119, 129) sts. Work in garter st until piece measures 1" (2.5 cm) from CO, ending with a RS row. Change to larger needles.
Shape Waist
Note: Buttonholes are worked until neck shaping beg, pocket lining is inserted while waist shaping is worked or before it is begun, and neck shaping beg while waist shaping is worked; read the foll sections all the way through before proceeding.