To celebrate the launch of this one, the code SHEEP will get you 20% off thru the weekend, until 10/19 at midnight EST. If visiting the festival in Rhinebeck, be sure to check out Catskill Merino and squeeze some skeins in Building 30, Booth 5.

How Pavette came to be is a very Rhinebeck-y story:

I was inspired by the colors of the bathroom tiles in our 2025 Sheep & Wool rental house (see last pic). I just loved this weird little bathroom and got it in my head that the colors needed to be a design, so I scoured the fairgrounds looking for the perfect yarns to match on Sunday last year, and I finally found them in the Catskill Merino booth!

Dominique is one of my favorite yarn people in the world. She LOVES her sheep and gives her business 200% every day. I’m so honored to support her and always happy to work in her gorgeous yarn, so this was an absolute win-win!

I found a unique stripe and texture pattern with a fun little slip-stitch cable in the mix. Swatching it in my colors, I loved how that touch added both texture and personality to a stripey vest idea. Using the brightest of my shades for the cable color really upped the game with this particular motif, and I love it!

I centered the pattern section on the body of Pavette, working the top and bottom of the vest in my background shade only. This makes shaping easier and adds a somewhat collegiate look to the piece (IMHO). The darker background also allows the motif to really stand out against the solid top and bottom.

Finally, I kept the ribbings simple and narrow around neckline and armholes. Pavette feels fun and traditional at the same time, and it’s one of my favorite Rhinebeck “memento” knits ever!

Pavette is worked from the bottom up in the round, then split into front and back pieces at armholes. These pieces are shaped along armhole and neckline as you work flat towards shoulders. Once shoulders are seamed, ribbings are picked up around the openings and worked in the round to finish the vest.

The motif is both charted and written out, and notes are included about making modifications for size or adjusting the silhouette.

Sizes
36(40.75,45.5,50.5,55.25)(60,64.75,69.5)”
91.5(103.5,115.5,128.25,140.5)(152.5,164.5,176.5)cm

Sizes are based on final circumference around bust in blocked fabric. Sample shown worn with approx +4”/10cm of ease.

Yarn and Yardage by Size
Catskill Merino Saxon Sport
(2-ply, 100% Saxon Merino wool, 175yds/160m per 2oz/57g).

450(500,600,650,700)(800,900,1000)yds
415(460,550,595,645)(735,825,915)m
Background Color, shown in Cherrywood.

150(200,200,250,250)(275,275,300)yds 140(185,185,230,230)(255,255,270)m
Accent Color 1, shown in Pink Sand.

100(100,100,100,150)(150,175,175)yds 95(95,95,95,140)(140,165,165)m
Accent Color 2, shown in Mist.

I suggest using your contrast/pop of color as Accent Color 2.

If using an alternate yarn, look for a bouncy, round fiber similar to this that will knit to gauge. Once blocked, this sport weight wool blooms beautifully and would match a DK weight yarn best.

Note that gauge here is larger than most sport weight yarns might achieve in a solid fabric, so as noted above - a round sport or a DK is a your best bet if sourcing yarn elsewhere.

And if you’re wondering, Pavette is a bottle of Pinot Noir with a really lovely label that kinda matches this… or at least I think it does! Plus the little peacock on the label is adorable, and apparently their motto is “Always be struttin’” so…..