Low Tide by Rachel Illsley
Low Tide by Rachel Illsley
Low Tide is a textured garment, featuring combinations of eyelet lace and cables. The textured design is inspired by the ripples of sand, tiny rivulets of water and scatterings of pebbles and shells left on the beach by a receding tide.
CONSTRUCTION
This garment is worked top-down, mainly in the round. After the neckband, right and left saddle shoulders are worked flat. Stitches are then picked up along each side of each saddle shoulder piece to form the front and back of the garment. Short row shaping is worked where each saddle shoulder joins the neckband, to create a sloped shoulder and to maintain the curve of the neckband. A video tutorial is also available to guide you through this first section of the construction.
The garment is then worked in the round, with increases used to shape the sleeves, front and back. Once armscye depth is reached, sleeve stitches are put on hold, length is added to the back (if needed), then front and back are joined to form the body. Body and sleeves are each worked in the round. Throughout the garment, textured panels are worked down the front, back and sleeves.
The instructions for the textured pattern are available in written and charted formats.
SIZING GUIDE
This garment is graded into sizes 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10). Recommended positive ease is 3+” / 7.5+ cm at the chest circumference.
Finished Garment Chest Circumference:
33.5 (38, 42.25, 46.75, 49.5) (54, 58.25, 62.75, 65.5, 68.5)“
84 (95, 105.5, 116.5, 124) (135, 145.5, 156.5, 164, 171) cm
SAMPLE
The wearer is 5’10” / 178 cm with a 37” / 92.5 cm chest circumference. The sample has been worked in size 4, giving the wearer 9.75” / 24.5 cm of positive ease at the chest. To accommodate the height of the wearer, an extra 1.5” / 4 cm of length (i.e.: one extra repeat of the textured panel) has been added to the body and an extra 0.5” / 1.5 cm of length has been added to the waistband and cuffs by working one extra repeat of the waistband / cuff pattern.
GAUGE
TEXTURED PATTERN GAUGE
Using 3.5 mm / US size 4 needles, or needle size required to meet gauge, 23 stitches over 32 rounds, wet blocked, creates a 4x4” / 10x10 cm square.
STOCKINETTE GAUGE
Using 3.5 mm / US size 4 needles, or needle size required to meet gauge, 22 stitches over 32 rounds, 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 Happy-Go-Knitty’s Ãhuru woollen-spun base (80% Merino / 20% Possum; 400 m / 437 yds per 100 g) in colourway Driftwood.
Test knitters also had success with a range of heavy fingering, sport and even DK weight yarns, including Flora by Drops, Ulysse by De Rerum Natura and Luma by The Fibre Co. A light fingering held double with laceweight mohair would also be a good substitute.
YARDAGE (includes ~10% excess)
892 (965, 1069, 1181, 1248) (1375, 1488, 1585, 1654, 1718) metres
976 (1056, 1169, 1292, 1365) (1504, 1628, 1734, 1809, 1880) yards
223 (241, 267, 295, 312) (344, 372, 396, 414, 430) grams
Please note that if substituting yarn, allow for a greater yardage than listed above, as a little of the Ãhuru yarn goes a long way.
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)
4 markers
scrap yarn
tapestry needle to weave in ends
Optional: 3.5 mm / US size 4 cable needle to work cables
SKILLS REQUIRED
-long tail cast on
-joining and working in the round
-working saddle shoulder panels flat
-working cables and eyelet lace following written instructions or a charted pattern
-working C4B and C4F cables
-working yarnovers and decreases
-picking up stitches
-working a regular pattern of increases to shape sleeves and yoke
-working a regular pattern of decreases to shape the sleeves