Noro Timaru Knitting Pattern

Noro Timaru Knitted Garment

What is Being Made

The Noro Timaru is a complex knitted design created by Audrey Drysdale. This garment is sized for multiple body types, ranging from X-Small through 2X, with finished bust measurements of 32 to 52 inches (81 to 132 centimeters) and finished lengths between 25 and 28.5 inches (63.5 to 72.5 centimeters). The pattern accommodates six different sizes, making it accessible for various knitters and body shapes.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Noro Timaru employs several intermediate to advanced knitting techniques that create visual interest and texture throughout the garment. The pattern utilizes slip stitches to move stitches from the left-hand needle to the right-hand needle without working them, which is a foundational technique for creating clean edges and managing stitch placement. Yarn overs are used to create new stitches and generate decorative openwork or lace effects within the design.

Cable techniques feature prominently in this design. The pattern includes 2-stitch right twists (2-st RT), where the knitter works into the front of the second stitch on the needle before knitting into the front of the first stitch, creating a twisted cable effect. The design also incorporates 3-stitch right purl crosses (3-st RPC) and 3-stitch left purl crosses (3-st LPC), both of which require a cable needle. These crosses combine knit and purl stitches to create dimensional texture and pattern variation.

The pattern uses slip, slip, knit/purl (SSK/SSP) decreases, where two stitches are slipped knitwise or purlwise individually to the right-hand needle before being knitted or purled together, resulting in a left-leaning decrease. The instruction to work even (or work straight in UK terminology) indicates sections where the knitter continues in the established pattern without making increases or decreases, maintaining stitch count.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch structure is stockinette stitch (St st), which forms the foundation of the garment. Multiple pattern stitches are incorporated throughout the design, and the pattern notes recommend placing stitch markers between pattern sections to maintain accuracy. Markers should be slipped every row to track pattern progression. The pattern can be worked from either written text instructions or accompanying charts, providing flexibility for different knitting preferences.

Materials and Tools

The Noro Timaru is worked in Noro Haunui Silk in colorway #110. The yardage requirement varies by size: X-Small and Small require 3 hanks of 150 grams each, Medium and Large require 4 hanks, and 1X and 2X require 5 hanks, with each hank providing 150 grams of yarn.

Two pairs of needles are required to achieve proper gauge. US size 7 (4.5mm) needles are used for ribbing or edge sections, while US size 9 (5.5mm) needles are used for the main fabric, or a size adjusted to match the specified gauges. A cable needle is essential for managing the cable and cross stitches throughout the pattern. Stitch markers are necessary tools for tracking pattern repeats and maintaining accuracy across the multiple pattern stitches.

Gauge Information

Two gauges are specified for this pattern. Using the larger needles and stockinette stitch, the gauge is 17 stitches and 22 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters). When working all pattern stitches using the larger needles, the gauge is 21 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters). Checking gauge before beginning is emphasized as critical to achieving the correct finished measurements.