Juniper Moon Farm Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Sea Holly Waistcoat by Janine Le Cras

What is Being Made

The Sea Holly waistcoat is a loose-fitting sleeveless garment designed as part of the English Garden Collection by Juniper Moon Farm. This knitted waistcoat features draped fronts and an ornate lace panel running up the center of the back, creating an elegant and decorative focal point. The design is available in seven sizes ranging from XS to 3X, with finished bust measurements from 34 inches to 52 inches and lengths from 21½ inches to 24¼ inches, making it a versatile layering piece suitable for various body types.

Techniques Used

The Sea Holly waistcoat employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its distinctive appearance:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The garment is worked from the bottom edge upward, allowing knitters to try on the piece as it progresses and easily adjust length if needed.
• Worked Flat: Rather than working in the round, this pattern is constructed flat on circular needles, which provides flexibility in shaping and allows for the creation of distinct front and back panels.
• Lace Work: The ornate lace panel featured on the back requires working yarn overs and strategic decreases to create openwork patterns that add visual interest and sophistication to the design.
• Seamless Construction: The pattern utilizes seamless knitting methods to minimize finishing work, with pieces designed to come together smoothly without requiring extensive seaming.

Stitches Used

The Sea Holly waistcoat incorporates a variety of fundamental and decorative stitches:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch used throughout much of the garment, creating a smooth, classic knitted fabric that serves as the foundation for the design.
• Seed Stitch: Used in specific sections of the pattern, seed stitch creates a textured, bumpy fabric by alternating knit and purl stitches. The pattern includes instructions for both odd and even stitch counts, allowing flexibility in application.
• Yarn Overs (yo): Essential for creating the lace elements, yarn overs add decorative holes and increase stitches in a controlled manner.
• Decreases: Multiple decrease techniques are employed, including k2tog (knit two together), ssk (slip, slip, knit), k3tog (knit three stitches together), sssk (slip, slip, slip, knit), and cdd (central double decrease). These decreases are paired with yarn overs to create the lace pattern and shape the garment.

Materials

The Sea Holly waistcoat is designed to be knitted with specific materials that contribute to its finished appearance and drape:

• Yarn: The pattern calls for 2 balls of Juniper Moon Farm Findley Dappled in color #118 Vineyard. Findley Dappled is a yarn produced by the pattern's publisher, Juniper Moon Farm, suggesting a yarn with interesting color variation or texture that complements the lace and seed stitch elements.
• Needles: A US #3 (3.25 mm) circular needle measuring 36 inches (90 cm) in length is required. The use of a circular needle allows for working flat while maintaining the flexibility to work back and forth across the garment.
• Gauge: The pattern specifies a gauge of 24 stitches and 36 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the finished measurements and proper fit of the garment.
• Additional Notions: A tapestry needle for weaving in ends, stitch markers to track pattern repeats and shaping points, and scrap yarn or a stitch holder for temporarily securing stitches during construction are required to complete the project.

Pattern Details

The Sea Holly waistcoat is worked in sections, beginning with the back piece. The back is shaped with armhole decreases worked at the beginning of wrong-side rows, creating a fitted silhouette. The ornate lace panel is positioned at the center back and worked from a chart or written instructions, incorporating the various decrease and yarn over techniques to create the decorative openwork. The draped front pieces are shaped to create the characteristic loose, flowing silhouette that defines this design. The pattern includes comprehensive abbreviations and st