Valley Yarns WEBS Emerging Designer Series Fall eBook

Valley Yarns WEBS Emerging Designer Series Fall eBook by Marcy Vandale

Overview

This downloadable PDF eBook from Valley Yarns features the Emerging Designer Series showcasing fall 2015 designs by Marcy Vandale. The collection includes three coordinating projects: a layering vest, a matching hat, and mittens, all designed to work together as a cohesive cold-weather collection. Each project demonstrates intermediate-level knitting techniques and can be customized to personal preferences.

Got You Covered Vest

The Got You Covered Vest is designed as an essential layering piece for colder months. This long vest features a sophisticated lace cable panel on the front pieces that adds textural interest while maintaining a relatively simple overall construction. The back is worked in stockinette stitch for quick, straightforward knitting, while the front showcases decorative cable work to keep knitters engaged throughout the project. An optional small pocket, nearly invisible in the front design, provides practical functionality with enough space to fit a smartphone.

Construction Method: This vest is worked flat on circular needles using a bottom-up approach, allowing knitters to try on the garment as it progresses and adjust length as needed.

Sizing and Finished Measurements: The vest is available in five sizes to fit bust measurements of 32-34, 36-38, 40-42, 44-46, and 48-50 inches, with corresponding finished bust measurements of 34, 38, 42, 46, and 50 inches.

Yarn and Materials: The vest is knit using Valley Yarns Deerfield, a luxurious blend of 80% baby alpaca and 20% silk. The yardage required ranges from 8 to 12 skeins depending on size, with each skein containing 109 yards. The sample shown was knit in the rich Eggplant colorway. Additional materials include US size 4 (3.50mm) and US size 5 (3.75mm) circular needles measuring 32 inches, optional US size 5 (3.75mm) double-pointed needles for the pocket detail, a cable needle, and two small buttons measuring 0.5 to 1 inch.

Gauge and Stitches: The vest is worked to a gauge of 5.25 stitches and 7 rows per inch in stockinette stitch using the larger needles. The cable panel employs various cable stitches including 1/1 LC (left cable), 1/1 LPC (left purl cable), 1/1/1 LPC (three-stitch left purl cable), 1/1 RC (right cable), and 1/1 RPC (right purl cable). Additional techniques include yarn overs for lace elements, decreases such as knit 2 together and slip-slip-knit, and standard abbreviations for knit, purl, and marker placement.

Got You Covered Mittens and Hat

The eBook includes coordinating mittens and a matching hat designed to complement the Got You Covered Vest. These projects allow knitters to create a complete, coordinated cold-weather set. Both projects are worked using intermediate techniques and are sized to work with the same yarn and color palette as the vest.

Got You Covered Socks

The collection also features a sock pattern that extends the Got You Covered design family, providing knitters with additional options for creating a fully coordinated winter wardrobe.

Techniques and Skill Level

This eBook is designed for intermediate knitters who are comfortable with fundamental techniques and ready to expand their skills. The projects incorporate several advanced techniques including cable work, lace patterns created with yarn overs and decreases, seaming for garment construction, and working flat on circular needles. Knitters will practice cable stitches that require a cable needle and careful stitch manipulation, as well as reading and following complex stitch patterns.

Cable Work: The distinctive lace cable panels feature multiple cable variations that cross stitches over one another to create textural depth. These cables are worked by slipping stitches to a cable needle, holding them to the front or back of the work, and knitting or purling the remaining stitches before working the cable needle stitches.

Lace Elements: Lace is incorporated through yarn overs paired with strategic decreases, creating openwork patterns that add visual interest and elegance to the designs.

Seaming: The projects utilize seaming techniques to join pieces worked flat, requiring finishing skills to create professional-looking garments.

Design Philosophy

The Got You Covered collection exemplifies practical, wearable design that balances visual interest with everyday