Static by Rachel Illsley

Static

Knitting
October 2023
Sport (12 wpi) ?
22 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches
in stockinette / stranded colourwork
US 6 - 4.0 mm
US 3 - 3.25 mm
1031 - 2000 yards (943 - 1829 m)
1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
English
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I have a memory from childhood of being fascinated by playing with the tuning dial on an old radio. Switching on the radio, I would hear nothing but static, but then as I turned the dial snippets of different music or voices would appear and disappear amongst the static. Then suddenly with another turn of the dial I would find a station and loud, clear music would emerge. Another turn of the dial and the music would gradually fade back into the static.
The colourwork pattern of this sweater is inspired by that memory.

CONSTRUCTION
This garment is worked top-down, with a modified Ziggurat construction - as developed by Åsa Tricosa - for the yoke. Initially the yoke is worked flat, until front neckhole depth is reached, at which point the work is joined in the round. The remainder of the garment is worked in the round, and the majority of the yoke and upper body and sleeves feature a striking colourwork pattern. The stranded colourwork uses four colours in total, but only a maximum of two on any given round. Once yoke depth is reached, stitches are separated into body and sleeves, each of which is worked in the round. Once the colourwork pattern is completed, the remainder of the body and sleeves is worked in stockinette and finished with half-twisted ribbing. Stitches are picked up around the neckhole to form a half-twisted ribbing neckband.

SIZING GUIDE
This garment is graded into sizes 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10). Recommended positive ease is 5+” / 12.5+ cm of positive ease at the chest circumference.
Finished Garment Chest Circumference: 35 (39.25, 43.75, 48, 52.25) (56.75, 61, 63.25, 67.75, 72)“ / 87.5 (98, 109, 120, 131) (142, 152.5, 158, 169, 180) cm.

SAMPLE
The wearer is 5’10” / 178 cm with a 37” / 92.5 cm chest circumference. The sample has been worked in size 4, giving the wearer 11” / 27.5 cm of positive ease at the chest. To allow for the wearer’s height, an extra 1” / 2.5 cm has been worked into the armscye depth and 1.5” / 4 cm of length has been worked into the body and sleeves.

GAUGE
Using 4 mm / US size 6 needles, or needle size required to meet gauge, 22 stitches over 28 rounds in both stockinette stitch and colourwork, blocked, creates a 4x4” / 10x10 cm square.

YARN
The sample has been worked using Primrose Yarn Co.’s Rose Sport base (100% American Superwash Merino; 297 m / 325 yds per 100 g) in the following colourways:
Colour 1: Graphite
Colour 2: Morticia
Colour 3: Driftwood
Colour 4: Dusk

YARDAGE (includes ~10% excess)
Colour 1:
496 (540, 598, 642, 686) (735, 785, 823, 863, 882) metres
542 (590, 654, 703, 750) (804, 858, 901, 944, 965) yards
167 (182, 201, 216, 231) (248, 264, 277, 291, 297) grams

Colour 2:
318 (350, 388, 418, 476) (491, 521, 551, 642, 654) metres
348 (382, 425, 457, 521) (537, 571, 603, 703, 716) yards
107 (118, 131, 141, 160) (165, 176, 186, 216, 220) grams

Colour 3:
55 (60, 67, 70, 78) (82, 86, 90, 95, 98) metres
61 (66, 73, 77, 85) (90, 94, 99, 104, 108) yards
19 (20, 23, 24, 26) (28, 29, 30, 32, 33) grams

Colour 4:
74 (80, 89, 106, 116) (132, 158, 182, 190, 195) metres
80 (87, 97, 116, 127) (145, 173, 199, 208, 213) yards
25 (27, 30, 36, 39) (45, 53, 61, 64, 66) grams

TOOLS & NOTIONS
3.25 mm / US size 3 circular needles (to work neckband, cuffs and waistband; varying cable lengths would be helpful)
4 mm / US size 6 circular needles (to work yoke, body and sleeves; varying cable lengths would be helpful)
5 markers
scrap yarn
tapestry needle to weave in ends

SKILLS REQUIRED
-long tail cast on
-working flat
-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