Wildflowerknits Crestone Coat Knitting Pattern

Wildflowerknits Crestone Knit Coat

What is Being Made

The Crestone is a structured knit coat designed by Kennita Tully, offered in seven sizes ranging from XS to 3X. This intermediate-level project features a finished chest measurement from 35.5 inches (XS) to 59.75 inches (3X), with corresponding length adjustments from 21 inches to 28 inches. The coat is designed as a classic button-front style, featuring lapel shaping and set-in armholes that create a tailored silhouette suitable for layering or wearing as a lightweight outerwear piece.

Construction Techniques

The Crestone is constructed using a bottom-up, seamed, and worked-flat approach. This method involves knitting individual pieces—the back, left front, right front, and sleeves—separately on straight needles before assembling them together with seams. The bottom-up construction allows knitters to try on the garment as it progresses and easily adjust the finished length to personal preference. The flat knitting method provides excellent stitch definition and makes it easier to execute precise shaping techniques, particularly important for the lapel and armhole decreases that give this coat its structured appearance.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The Crestone is primarily worked in Stockinette stitch, which creates a smooth, classic fabric with a defined right side and reverse side. The pattern employs several essential decreasing and increasing techniques to shape the garment:

• Decreases at armholes and lapels: The pattern uses paired decreases worked symmetrically. At the beginning of right-side rows, knitters work k2, ssk (slip, slip, knit); at the end of right-side rows, k2tog, k2. On wrong-side rows, the decreases mirror this with p2, p2tog at the beginning and ssp (slip, slip, purl), p2 at the end. These decreases are worked every right-side row for a specified number of times, then every other right-side row to create smooth, angled shaping.
• Increases for sleeves: Sleeve shaping uses M1R (make one right) increases at the beginning of rows and M1L (make one left) increases at the end of rows, worked as k2, M1R and M1L, k2 respectively. This technique adds stitches while maintaining the two-stitch edge margins.
• Bind-off shaping: The armholes are shaped by binding off multiple stitches at the beginning of rows to create the cap of the sleeve and the armhole depth, with quantities varying by size (4 to 10 stitches depending on the size being knit).

Materials and Tools

The Crestone calls for Tahki Yarns "Arlington," a luxury blend yarn composed of 50% fine merino wool, 25% superfine alpaca, and 25% acrylic. This fiber content creates a soft, breathable fabric with excellent drape and durability. The yardage requirement is 10 to 18 balls (depending on size), with each ball containing 82 yards and weighing 50 grams. The main color (MC) is #08, with a single ball of color #06 (CC) for contrast accents.

Knitters will need US 10.5 (6.5mm) knitting needles or the size required to achieve the specified gauge of 13 stitches and 19 rows in Stockinette stitch over 4 inches. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure the finished measurements match the pattern specifications. Additional supplies include three 1-inch buttons for the front closure, removable stitch markers for tracking pattern sections and shaping points, and a tapestry needle for seaming the pieces together and weaving in yarn ends.

Pattern Notes

The pattern is written for the smallest size (XS) with larger sizes provided in parentheses throughout the instructions. When only one number appears without parentheses, that measurement or instruction applies to all sizes. A key aspect of the Crestone is the simultaneous working of armhole shaping and lapel shaping, which requires careful attention to the pattern notes provided. Knitters are advised to read through the lapel shaping instructions completely before beginning this section to understand how the two shaping techniques interact and are worked at the same time.