The Lady’s Sleeveless Fair Isle Pullover is truly the perfect 1940s colourwork vest pattern, with the perfect shape and high v-neck and an elegant colourwork stitch pattern against a plain background.

This updated pattern provides you with fit options – both for a shaped vintage fit or a straight fit option and a choice of body lengths. This beautiful pattern has been updated to be knit in the round from the bottom up with steeks added at armholes and front neck.

Two colourways are suggested – our classic updated version with a camel background or the original vintage pattern colourway of a pale blue background with varying shades of blue and pink to create a more tonal option. With a vest this perfect why not knit both?

The Lady’s Sleeveless Fair Isle Pullover is knitted using Excelana North fingering weight a soft, fingering weight 100% British wool, spun for us in nearby Yorkshire and dyed in-house by Susan and her team. Shown here is colour way one using shades; Saharan Sand, Ruby Red, Nile Green, Cornflower Blue, Alabaster and Persian Grey.

Our other suggestion is colourway two, using shades; Agapanthus, Dark As Night, Powdered Egg, Blancmange, Alabaster and Himalayan Blue.

Our model Lucy is shown wearing the first size 81-86cm (32-34in) in colourway one.

The pattern includes instructions for seventeen sizes to fit chest measurements between 70cm (28in) and 157cm (62in) and contains both clear written pattern directions, together with charted instructions for colour work instructions plus a comprehensive schematic diagram and sizing chart.

Yarn kits are available at Susan Crawford Vintage.

Yarn
Susan Crawford Excelana North fingering weight, 100% British wool, 75% Cheviot, 25% Bluefaced Leicester (159m / 174yds per 50g skein approx)
Colourway One
3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8) skeins, shade Saharan Sand
1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skeins, shade Ruby Red
1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skeins, shade Persian Grey
1 skein for all sizes, of shades: Nile Green, Cornflower Blue and Alabaster

Colourway Two
3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8) skeins, shade Agapanthus 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skeins, shade Dark As Night 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skeins, shade Himalayan Blue 1 skein for all sizes, shades: Powdered Egg, Blancmange and Alabaster

Gauge
32 sts and 34 rounds = 10 cm over stranded colourwork, after blocking. We obtained this gauge using 3.25mm needles

Suggested needles
Small Needles: 2.75mm (US 2) circular needles (60-80cm in length)
Large Needles: 3.25mm (US 3) circular needles (80-100cm in length)

Notions
Waste yarn or stitch holders
Stitch markers plus one removable marker

Techniques
Knitting in the round
Steeking