Tahki Yarns Phoenix Tunic Knitting Pattern

Tahki Yarns Phoenix Tunic

What is Being Made

The Phoenix Tunic is a knitted pullover sweater designed by Teresa Chorzepa, offered in three sizes: Small/Medium (bust 39½"), Large/XL (bust 45½"), and 2X/3X (bust 51½"). This tunic-length garment features a finished length ranging from 24¾" to 26" depending on size, making it an elegant layering piece or standalone top suitable for intermediate knitters.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs bottom-up construction, meaning the garment is knitted starting from the lower edge and working upward toward the neckline. The tunic is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, requiring seaming to join pieces together. The design incorporates lace as a primary design element, featuring intricate stitch patterns that create an openwork aesthetic throughout the garment.

Stitches Used

The Phoenix Tunic showcases two primary lace stitch patterns:

• Little Arrowhead Lace #3 – A 6-stitch repeat pattern worked over 4 rows that creates a delicate arrowhead motif. This stitch combines knit and purl stitches on the right side with yarn overs and decreases (ssk and k2tog) to form the lace openwork.
• Eyelet V-Stitch – A complementary lace pattern that incorporates yarn overs and decreases to create a V-shaped eyelet design.

The pattern utilizes several advanced decrease techniques including S2KP (centered double decrease), SK2P (left-leaning double decrease), and ssk (slip, slip, knit). Yarn overs (yo) are used throughout to create the characteristic holes and openwork of the lace patterns. The pattern also includes M1 (make 1) increases for shaping.

Materials and Tools

The Phoenix Tunic requires 7 to 10 balls of Tahki Yarns TANDEM yarn depending on size, with 7 balls for Small/Medium, 9 balls for Large/XL, and 10 balls for 2X/3X. TANDEM is a blend fiber containing 28% cotton, 28% viscose, 28% nylon, and 16% acrylic, with each ball weighing 1.75 ounces (50 grams) and containing 107 yards (98 meters). The yarn is worked in color #12 granite, a neutral tone suitable for versatile styling.

Knitters will need one pair of size 8 (5mm) needles or the size required to obtain proper gauge. Additional supplies include stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and a yarn needle for weaving in ends and seaming pieces together.

Gauge and Construction Notes

Proper gauge is essential for this intermediate project. The Little Arrowhead Lace pattern should measure 16 stitches and 22 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters), while the Eyelet V-Stitch gauge is 15 stitches and 22 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters). The pattern begins with casting on 73 to 97 stitches for the back piece, followed by 4 rows of purl stitches before introducing the Little Arrowhead Lace pattern for approximately 16½ inches before transitioning to additional stitch patterns.