Sirdar Staghorn Fern Tabard Waistcoat Knitting Pattern

Sirdar Staghorn Fern Tabard

What is Being Made

The Sirdar Staghorn Fern Tabard is an intermediate-level knitted tunic designed as a pullover waistcoat. This garment features a fluid, flattering silhouette with organic shapes, available in six sizes ranging from 81cm to 137cm chest circumference (32 to 54 inches). The design offers versatility across multiple sizing options, making it suitable for a wide range of body types and preferences.

Construction Method and Techniques

This tabard is constructed using a bottom-up approach, meaning the knitter begins at the lower edge and works upward toward the neckline. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for straightforward shaping and stitch manipulation. The finished pieces are then seamed together to create the complete garment, a traditional method that provides clean, professional finishing.

Cable stitching is a key decorative technique featured in this design. Cables create raised, twisted patterns that add visual interest and textural depth to the knitted fabric. These cable details complement the organic aesthetic of the tabard while contributing to its intermediate difficulty rating, as cable work requires attention to stitch manipulation and pattern following.

Stitches and Stitch Work

While the complete stitch breakdown is detailed in the full pattern instructions, the design incorporates cable stitches as a primary feature. The use of aran-weight yarn allows for clear stitch definition, making the cable patterns visually striking and easy to follow for intermediate knitters who have experience with basic increases, decreases, and cable crossing techniques.

Yarn and Materials

This pattern is designed specifically for Sirdar Jewelspun yarn in aran weight. The recommended yarn is Jewelspun shade 707 Golden Feldspar, a 200g ball. Jewelspun is engineered to mimic the popular hand-spun yarn aesthetic while offering practical benefits: it is soft, light, and easy to care for compared to traditional hand-spun alternatives. The yarn blends opulent colors to achieve the hand-spun look at an accessible price point.

Yarn requirements vary by size: smaller sizes (S and M) require 2 to 3 balls, while larger sizes (L through XXXL) require 3 to 4 balls of the 200g Jewelspun yarn. Knitters will also need 5mm (UK size 6, USA size 8) knitting needles for the main fabric and 4mm (UK size 8) knitting needles for ribbed edgings or other detailed sections, along with standard notions for seaming.

Design Heritage and Brand Information

Sirdar is an established British yarn company founded in West Yorkshire in 1880, bringing over 140 years of hand-knitting heritage to contemporary designs. The Staghorn Fern Tabard is part of the Midnight Garden collection, which features fluid, flattering shapes in the gem-like shades of Jewelspun yarn. Sirdar triple-checks all patterns to guarantee successful results when using recommended Sirdar yarns, ensuring pattern accuracy and quality for knitters of all experience levels.