Light Bloom is the graceful “little sister” to Full Bloom, designs both inspired by flowers and nature at their best. When I was knitting the body of the Full Bloom design, I enjoyed the stranded colourwork pattern immensely and kept imagining the motif reflected back on itself; this inspired the creation of Light Bloom. It’s perfect for those who love the motifs of Full Bloom but prefer a more understated aesthetic, or who don’t want to commit to all-over colourwork, and it’s worked in a lighter weight of yarn, creating a fabric with more drape.

CONSTRUCTION
This garment is worked top-down, in the round. After the neckband, short row shaping is incorporated to optimise fit. The lower half of the yoke features a stranded colourwork pattern. Once the yoke is completed, stitches are separated into body and sleeves, which are each worked separately and in the round. The colourwork pattern continues into the upper body and sleeves, after which each are completed with stockinette and half-twisted ribbing.

SIZING GUIDE
This garment is graded into sizes 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10). Recommended positive ease is 4+” / 10+ cm at the chest circumference.
Finished Garment Chest Circumference:
33.75 (37.25, 40.5, 47.5, 50.75) (54.25, 57.5, 61, 67.75, 71)“
84.5 (93, 101.5, 118.5, 127) (135.5, 144, 152.5, 169, 177.5) cm

GAUGE
Using 3.25 mm / US size 3 needles, or needle size required to meet gauge, 26 stitches over 34 rounds in both stockinette stitch and colourwork, wet blocked, creates a 4x4” / 10x10 cm square.

YARN
The sample has been worked using the following yarns:

Main Colour: Yarnsmith’s Merino Sock yarn (75% Superwash Merino Wool / 25% Nylon; 400 m / 437 yds per 100 g) in colourway Midnight Blue (2K312).

Contrast Colour: Queensland Collection’s Perth yarn (80% Superwash Wool / 20% Nylon; 400 m / 437 yds per 100g) in colourway Yarra River.

YARDAGE (includes ~10% excess)

Main Colour:
837 (947, 991, 1082, 1194) (1241, 1367, 1412, 1466, 1511) metres
916 (1036, 1085, 1183, 1307) (1357, 1496, 1545, 1604, 1653) yards
209 (237, 248, 270, 299) (310, 342, 353, 367, 378) grams

Contrast Colour:
250 (285, 302, 333, 368) (384, 431, 447, 465, 481) metres
273 (312, 330, 364, 402) (420, 471, 489, 508, 527) yards
62 (71, 75, 83, 92) (96, 108, 112, 116, 120) grams

TOOLS & NOTIONS
2.75 mm / US size 2 circular needles (to work neckband, cuffs and waistband; varying cable lengths would be helpful)
3.25 mm / US size 3 circular needles (to work yoke, body and sleeves; varying cable lengths would be helpful)
1 marker
scrap yarn
tapestry needle to weave in ends

SKILLS REQUIRED
-long tail cast on
-joining and working in the round
-working half-twisted ribbing
-working left and right lifted increases
-German short row shaping
-reading colourwork charts
-working stranded colourwork with two colours
-long tail cast on with two colours
-working a repeating pattern of decreases
-decreasing using K2tog and SSK
-standard bind off