About the pattern
When I first saw this beautiful autumnal yarn I imagined a tank top with large, soft cables. Here it is. The cables remind me of the bread plaits we used to make for Harvest Festival when I was a child by plaiting together three long sausages of dough. When the bread rose, the plaits were still there but they had all mingled together.
This tank top or vest is knitted top-down, starting by casting on the upper back. Short rows provide some shaping. A central cabled plait is worked, and two further plaits are started below each shoulder a little further down, which forms a little sleeve cap. Stitches for the fronts are picked up along the cast-on edge and joined together to shape the neck. After armhole shaping on back and front, the piece is joined in the round to work the body. A deep twisted rib finishes the garment, along with narrow ribs at neck and armholes.
The pattern includes both written and charted instructions for the cable panels, which are very simple.
I think this garment would also work well at a cropped length maybe 10cm/4 inches shorter in the body. However, I have made it for me, and I like my lower back to be warm, so this is how I have knitted the sample garment.
Skill Level
This is a simple pattern with minimal shaping. It is knitted in stocking/stockinette stitch and decorated with soft cables. Techniques include knit, purl, casting on, binding off, short rows, cables, simple increases and decreases, and casting on across a gap. Photo tutorials are included.
Finished measurements (after blocking)
Finished bust/chest circumference 82(92, 102, 112, 122) {132, 142, 152, 164} cm 32.25(36.25, 40.25, 44, 48) {52, 56, 59.75, 64.5} inches.
Choose the size immediately above your bust size for a comfortable fit.
The photo shows size 2 worn with 2 inches/5 cm of positive ease.
Yarn
Bluebell Yarns Blueface Leicester, Shetland and Alpaca DK yarn, in colourway Leaf Litter. Bluebell Yarns is an independent, small yarn dyeing business. This yarn is 40% British Blueface Leicester, 40% British Shetland and 20% British Alpaca, spun in Yorkshire and hand dyed in Dorset, 230m/250yds approx per 100g skein. This was a limited edition colourway but there are plenty of other colours to choose from.
The yarn has 3 plies and has a lovely handle and excellent stitch definition, with a slight halo.
Yarn requirements per size: 4(4, 4, 4, 5) {5, 5, 5, 5} balls. This includes an extra 10% to allow for slight variations in gauge and yarn characteristics. You may get away with 3 balls for the first size.
In metres and yards: 703(767, 836, 891, 943) {1013, 1077, 1148, 1229} metres, 769(839, 914, 974, 1031) {1108, 1178, 1255, 1344} yards.
For yarn substitutions, choose a DK yarn that gives gauge, preferably with 3 or more plies to allow the cables to look their best.
Gauge
20 sts and 31 rows/rounds to 10cm, measured over stocking/stockinette stitch, after blocking. I used 4mm/US 6 needles to achieve this gauge.