Lockwood FRONT

INSPIRED BY 1950s styles, Pat Menchini has created this soft and feminine blouse. It features a little collar, a buttoned opening at the back neck, short sleeves, and a pretty stitch motif. “The 12-row lace pattern is quite simple to memorise, with four of the lace rows repeated and all wrong-side rows purled!” says Pat. She has used a lightweight cotton-silk yarn from Rico, which has a gorgeous feel and drape. Using 3.25mm needles, cast on 93 ( 103: 113: 123: 133) sts. Row 1 (RS): K2, (P1, K1) to last st, K1. Row 2: K1, (P1, K1) to end. Rep these 2 rib rows until work meas 10cm, ending after Row 1. Next row: Purl. Change to 4.5mm needles. Begin patt as folls: Row 1 (RS): K1, P1, (K2tog, yo, K2, P1, K2, yo, skpo, P1) to last st, K1. Row 2 and every alt row: K1, P to last st, K1. Rows 3, 5 and 7: As row 1. Row 9: K4, (yo, skpo, P1, K2tog, yo, K5) to last 9 sts, yo, skpo, P1, K2tog, yo, K4. Row 11: K5, (yo, Sl 1, K2tog, psso, yo, K7) to last 8 sts, yo, Sl 1, K2tog, psso, yo, K5. Row 12: K1, P to last st, K1. These 12 rows set the pattern. Work Rows 1-12 of pattern 6 more times.

SHAPE ARMHOLES

Keeping patt correct, cast off loosely 7 ( 8: 9: 11: 12) sts at beg of next 2 rows. 79 ( 87: 95: 101: 109) sts. Dec 1 st at each end of next 5 ( 6:8: 8: 10) rows. 69 ( 75: 79: 85: 89) sts. Work 5 ( 4:2: 2: 0) more ndrows in patt, thus ending after a 12th pattern row. ** Change to 5mm needles. Beg with a K row for RS, work in st st until Front meas 11cm from start of armhole shaping, ending after a K row.

SHAPE NECK

Next row: P44 ( 48: 51: 55: 58), slip the last 19 ( 21: 23: 25: 27) sts (centre sts) on to a stitch holder and leave, P across rem 25 ( 27: 28: 30: 31) sts. Cont on last group of sts for left half of neck. Dec 1 st at neck edge on next 4 rows. 21 ( 23: 24: 26: 27) sts. Cont straight until work meas 17 ( 18: 19: 20: 21) cm from start of armhole shaping, ending at armhole edge.

SHAPE SHOULDER

Cast off loosely 7 ( 8:8: 9: 9) sts at beg of next row and foll alt row. Work 1 row. Cast off rem 7 ( 7:8: 8: 9) sts. With RS facing rejoin yarn to rem 25 ( 27: 28: 30: 31) sts at neck edge and K to end of row, leaving sts on stitch holder free. Complete to match left half of neck, reversing shapings.

BACK

Work as Front to **. Change to 5mm needles. Beg with a K row for RS, work in st st until Back meas 8cm from start of armhole shaping, ending after a K row.

DIVIDE FOR NECK EDGING

Next row (WS): P31 ( 34: 36: 39: 41), K3, cast off next st (centre st), K2 more, P to end. Cont on last group of 34 ( 37: 39: 42: 44) sts for right half of back. Next row: Knit. Next row: K3, P to end. Rep these 2 rows until Back meas same as Front to shoulder shaping, ending at armhole edge.

SHAPE SHOULDER

Cast off loosely 7 ( 8:8: 9: 9) sts at beg of next row and foll alt row. Work 1 row. Cast off next 7 ( 7:8: 8: 9) sts at beg of next row. Next row: Purl. Cast off rem 13 ( 14: 15: 16: 17) sts loosely. With RS facing, rejoin to rem sts at neck edge and K to end of row. Next row: P to last 3 sts, K3. Complete to match right half.

SLEEVES

Using 3.25mm needles, cast on 53 ( 53: 57: 61: 63) sts. Work 11 rows in rib as on Front. Next row: Purl, inc 0 ( 4:4: 2: 6) sts evenly