Karma by Rachel Illsley

Karma

Knitting
October 2024
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
26 stitches and 34 rows = 4 inches
in stockinette / stranded colourwork
US 3 - 3.25 mm
US 2 - 2.75 mm
1317 - 2378 yards (1204 - 2174 m)
1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
English
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Karma is the sixth design of my Ffrench Collection, a series of designs inspired by the music of composer Alexis Ffrench. Karma features a repeating undulating phrase that separates sections of flowing, delicate melodies.

CONSTRUCTION
This garment is worked top-down, in the round. After the neckband, short row shaping is incorporated to optimise fit. The majority of the yoke features a stranded colourwork pattern. Only two colours are used in the colourwork pattern per round, with up to four colours used in the colourwork design overall.
Once the yoke is complete, stitches are separated into body and sleeves, which are each worked separately and in the round. The stranded colourwork pattern continues into the upper body and sleeves, after which the remaining length is worked in stockinette. A small band of stranded colourwork is worked above the half-twisted rib cuffs.

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:
33.75 (37, 43, 46.25, 49.25) (55.5, 58.5, 61.5, 67.75, 70.75)“
84.5 (92.5, 107.5, 115.5, 123) (138.5, 146, 154, 169.5, 177) 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 9.25” / 23 cm of positive ease at the chest. To accommodate the height of the wearer, an extra 0.5” / 1.5 cm of depth has been added to the yoke, and an extra 2” / 5 cm of length has been added to the body and sleeve length. The flat neckband has been worked.

GAUGE
Using 3.25 mm / US size 3 needles, or needle size required to meet gauge, 26 stitches over 34 rounds in both stockinette stitch and colourwork, wet blocked, creates a 4x4” / 10x10 cm square.

YARN
This design requires one Main Colour (referred to as Colour 1 in the pattern) and 1-3 Contrast Colours of fingering weight yarn.
The sample has been worked using Les Garçon’s BFL Sock base (80% Superwash BFL Wool / 20% Nylon; 365 m / 400 yds per 100 g) in the following colourways:
Colour 1: Cheryl’s Coal Grey
Colour 2: Kirby’s Pink
Colour 3: Jill’s Dusty Rose
Colour 4: Emma’s Stone

YARDAGE (includes ~10% excess)
Colour 1:
1063 (1120, 1259, 1389, 1446) (1579, 1632, 1815, 1854, 1896) metres
1163 (1225, 1377, 1520, 1581) (1727, 1786, 1986, 2028, 2074) yards
291 (306, 344, 380, 395) (423, 446, 496, 507, 518) grams

Colour 2:
77 (81, 97, 105, 109) (122, 126, 140, 150, 156) metres
84 (89, 106, 114, 120) (133, 138, 154, 164, 170) yards
21 (22, 26, 29, 30) (33, 35, 38, 41, 43) grams

Colour 3:
17 (18, 21, 22, 23) (25, 26, 30, 32, 33) metres
19 (20, 23, 24, 25) (28, 29, 33, 35, 36) yards
5 (5, 6, 6, 6) (7, 7, 8, 9, 9) grams

Colour 4:
47 (49, 55, 61, 63) (71, 73, 81, 86, 89) metres
51 (54, 61, 66, 69) (77, 80, 88, 94, 98) yards
13 (14, 15, 17, 17) (19, 20, 22, 23, 24) grams

TOOLS & NOTIONS
2.75 mm / US size 2 circular needles (to work neckband, cuffs and waistband; varying cable lengths would be helpful)
3.25 mm / US size 3 circular needles (to work yoke, body and sleeves; varying cable lengths would be helpful)
1 marker
scrap yarn
tapestry needle to weave in ends

SKILLS REQUIRED
-long tail cast on
-joining and working in the round
-working half-twisted ribbing
-working left and right lifted increases
-German short row shaping
-reading colourwork charts
-working stranded colourwork with two colours
-long tail cast on with two colours
-working a repeating pattern of decreases
-decreasing using K2tog and SSK
-standard bind off