Valley Yarns 40th Anniversary Flares and Graces Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns 40th Anniversary Flares and Graces Knit Sweater

What Is Being Made

The Flares and Graces is an elegant, ladylike knit sweater designed by Fiona Ellis as part of the Valley Yarns Guest Designer Series. This sophisticated garment features a slightly fitted silhouette with gentle waist shaping, making it a versatile wardrobe staple suitable for both casual and dressed-up occasions. The sweater can be paired with feminine skirts for a polished look or worn over jeans for everyday wear. Available in six finished bust sizes ranging from 32½ inches to 50 inches, with corresponding length adjustments from 22 inches to 26 inches at the shoulder, this design accommodates a wide range of body types.

Design Features and Stitch Work

The sweater showcases clever chevron cable patterning strategically placed on both the slightly flared sleeves and yoke, designed to beautifully highlight the wearer's face and hands. The body of the garment is worked primarily in Stockinette stitch, creating a smooth, classic fabric that provides an elegant canvas for the decorative cable elements. The combination of cables and stockinette creates visual interest while maintaining the refined aesthetic of the piece.

Construction Techniques

This intermediate-level knitting project employs a bottom-up construction method, meaning knitters begin at the lower edge of the garment and work upward toward the shoulders. The sweater is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, with pieces subsequently seamed together to create the finished garment. This traditional approach allows for precise shaping and control over the cable patterning. The design includes set-in sleeves, which contribute to the elegant, tailored appearance of the finished sweater. Waist shaping is achieved through strategic increases and decreases worked on right-side rows, creating the gently fitted silhouette that defines this design.

Materials and Gauge

The Flares and Graces pattern calls for Valley Yarns Colrain, a luxurious blend of 50% merino wool and 50% Tencel, which provides both warmth and breathability. The yarn is available in the color Ocean Heather and comes in skeins of 109 yards per 50 grams. Yardage requirements range from 12 skeins for the smallest size to 19 skeins for the largest size, allowing knitters to select the appropriate quantity for their chosen finished dimensions.

Knitters will need US size 6 (4.00mm) needles for the majority of the garment, with a gauge of 23 stitches and 30 rows equaling 4 inches in Stockinette stitch. A US size 7 (4.50mm) needle is used for the cable pattern sections, which maintains a gauge of 30 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches. Additionally, a 16-inch circular needle in US size 6 (4.00mm) is required for working the neckline. Essential notions include a cable needle for manipulating cable stitches, stitch holders for securing stitches during construction, and stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping rows.

Fit and Sizing

The Flares and Graces is designed to be worn with 1 to 2 inches of positive ease, meaning the finished bust measurement will be slightly larger than the wearer's actual bust measurement. This modest ease creates a gently fitted garment that skims the body without clinging, contributing to the elegant silhouette while allowing comfortable movement and layering options.