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Archive entry for January 2015

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January 2015

Tweed Cardigan Coat

TweedCoat1.jpg

Wonderfully stylish mid-1950s tweed coat-style cardigan. I had to leave the background in the photo - indicating knitwear alla moda - and an exotic photo-shoot.

"Double-knitting and bouclet are worked together to produce this attractive tweed-knit fabric."

The style is simple enough to knit (all boxy shapes) and one feels could be adapted to larger sizes. However the real issue here will be choosing an appropriate yarn; the pattern indicates it is mostly knitted in a bouclé yarn knitted double and yet the resulting tension seems relatively fine (over the pattern stitch).

Instructions.

The DK is used singly throughout and the Bouclet is used double with either one ball of white together with one ball of black or two balls of black, as stated in the pattern instructions.

Back

With No 9 needles and black and white bouclet held together, cast on 142 sts fairly loosely and work in pattern as follows:

1st row (right side facing): Knit in double boucle.
2nd row: Knit in double boucle.
3rd row: Join in DK.
* Slip 2 purlways, k3 in DK; repeat from * to last 2 sts, slip 2 purlways.
4th row: * Slip 2 purlways, p3 in DK; repeat from * to last 2 sts, slip 2 purlways.
5th row: As first row
6th row: As first row.
7th row: * k2 in DK, slip 3 purlways; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2 in DK.
8th row: * p2 DK; slip 3 purlways: repeat from * to last 2 sts, p2 DK.

These 8 rows form the pattern.

Continue straight in pattern until back measures 14½ inches at centre. Place a coloured thread at each end of the row here to mark the start of the armholes as no actual shaping is done.

Continue straight in pattern until back measures 24½ inches. With right side facing, shape shoulders by casting off 10 sts at the beginning of the next 10 rows; cast off remainder.

Pocket linings (make 2 the same)

Begin by making pocket linings.
With No 9 needles and black and white bouclet, cast on 32 sts and work about 2½, inches straight in pattern, ending with a row on the wrong side; leave sts on a spare needle. Make another the same.

Left Front:

With No 9 needles and black and white bouclet held together, cast on 82 sts and work 2½ inches straight in pattern ending with same pattern row as the pocket lining. Here start pocket opening.

Next row (right side facing): pattern across 15 sts; (slip last 67 sts on a spare needle or a needle holder for the time being); pattern across 32 sts of one of the pocket linings [47 sts]

Work 5½ inches straight in pattern on these 47 stitches, ending with a row on the right side of the work.

Next row (wrong side facing): cast off 32 fairly loosely and pattern to end; leave these 15 sts on a second spare needle or a needle holder.

With right side facing, rejoin wool to the remaining 67 sts.
Continue straight in pattern on these 67 sts for 5½ inches ending with same pattern row as the 15 sts on the spare needle.

Next row (right side facing): pattern across 15 sts on spare needle, then on to the same needle pattern across the last 67 sts [82 sts]

Continue straight in pattern over all stitches until front matches back to
start of armholes. Thread a coloured marker as before. Continue straight in pattern until front measures 22 inches.
With wrong side facing, continue in pattern and shape neck by decreasing 1 stitch at this edge on the next, and every following row, 32 times.

Then keep the neck edge straight, and at the same time, when front
matches back at side edge, with right side facing, shape shoulder, by casting off 10 sts at the beginning of the next and following 4 alternate rows, (this is the armhole edge).

Right Front:

Work as for the left, reversing all shapings and making
5 buttonholes up the front edge. The first to come about 3 inches
from the lower edge, and the 5th about inch below front of neck shaping - the remainder evenly spaced between.
Mark the position of the buttons on left front with pins to ensure even spacing, then work the holes to correspond.

To make a buttonhole:
With the right side facing, pattern 3, cast off 4, pattern to end.
On the next row pattern up to the cast off sts and cast on 4 over those cast off in previous row; pattern to end.

For the right front, your 1st row of the pocket shaping will read:

Next row (right side facing): pattern across 67 sts and slip on a spare needle or a needle holder for the time being. With right side
facing, pattern across 32 sts of the remaining pocket lining, then pattern
across 15 sts from main work. [47 sts]

Finish to correspond with left front reversing the instructions in line with the above.

Sleeves:

With No 12 needles and double black bouclet, cast on 62 sts and work 1½ inches k1, p1 rib.

Break off 1 ball of black and join in 1 ball of white bouclet.
Change to No 9 needles and pattern as for back, shaping sides by increasing 1 stitch at each end of the 5th and every following 4th row until there are 136 sts , taking extra the extra sts into the pattern as they are made.

Work straight until sleeve measures 15½ inches.

Cast off right across fairly loosely.

Neckband

Join shoulder seams.

With right side facing, No 12 needles and double black bouclet, begin at right shoulder seam and pick up and knit 42 sts across back of neck, * turn and rib back, picking up and purling 4 sts from side of neck at end of row; turn and rib back, picking up and knitting 4 sts from
side of neck at end of row; repeat from * 6 times more. [98 sts]

Rib to end of row; cast off in rib.

To Make Up

Press parts on wrong side under a damp cloth.
Join side and sleeve seams.
Insert sleeves neatly between markers.

Face both front edges on wrong side with ribbon, turning under 1 stitch of the knitting as you do so and taking care not to stretch the knitting. Cut holes in the ribbon to correspond with those in the knitting, then oversew around the holes with matching sewing cotton.

The original pattern intended for you to cover button moulds with rounds of single black bouclet in double crochet, drawing crochet
together at back of button. Otherwise use purchased buttons of an appropriate size.
Sew on buttons and press studs - one at neck, the other at lower edge.

With right side facing, No 12 needles and double black bouclet, pick up and knit 26 sts down front piece of each pocket slit.
Cast off.
Catch down to main work at corners; catch down pocket linings.

Press all seams.

Materials

Double Knitting: 11 ozs in white;
Bouclet yarn: 13 ozs in black and 11 ozs white.

[Editor's note: Please see "A word on the wool".]

A pair each No 9 (3¾mm) and No 12 (2¾mm) needles.

A No 11 (3mm) crochet hook

Five large buttons (or button moulds to cover)

2 press fasteners

11 yards 2 inch wide black ribbon.

Tension

24 stitches to 4 inches over the pattern.

Size matters

To fit 35-37 inch bust; length from top of shoulders: 25 inches; sleeve seam: 15½ inches.

Abbreviations

sl 1: slip one stitch by passing it between the needles without knitting it.

inc: increase by working into front and back of stitch

dec: decrease by working 2 stitches together

Crochet abbreviations:

ch: chain
dc: double crochet

Remember these are English crochet instructions where dc is equivalent to US single crochet - see "Terminology" in the side bar.

Disclaimer
(well...almost)

In transposing any pattern it is always a risk that errors will be introduced, in spite of dedicated proof reading.
If you have any problems with this pattern, please and I will try and assist.

A word on the wool...

The original yarn was a fine bouclé knitting to a 4 ply tension - and almost 100% wool. The striking style of the coat is created using the yarn double with black and white together to create a tweed effect.
It is possible to get fine loopy yarns if you search - possibly on cones for machine knitting. You could also substitute with a slightly fluffy yarn - Phildar and Pingouin used to do a slightly fuzzy 4 ply.

If you hate knitting double you might find a loopy tweed DK or worsted yarn which knits to the right tension. But you will need to find it in a solid version to match (because some parts of the pattern are knitted in black bouclet alone) - as well as the toning DK smooth yarn.

In substituting you will have to gauge how much yarn to buy based on your own judgement. The number of ounces of an obsolete yarn with no yardage provided is of little help.

Whatever you choose - knit a swatch!

TweedCoat2.jpg

© Christina Coutts 2007

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