Short and chic

Knit an elegant jacket that’s ideal for spring

MEASUREMENTS

To fit bust 81-86(92-97:102-107:112-117: 122-127)cm; Finished measurements Bust 89(100:111:121:129)cm; Length 44(46:48:50:52)cm; Sleeve length 35(35:36:36:36)cm.

MATERIALS

3(3:4:4:5) 50g balls of Rowan Valley Tweed in each of Malham 101 (A) and Penyghent 104 (B).

Pair each of 3mm and 3.25mm knitting needles.

Hook and eye fasteners (optional).

TENSION

19 sts and 52 rows to 10cm square over patt using 3.25mm needles.

ABBREVIATIONS

alt alternate; beg beginning; cm centimetres; cont continue; dec decrease; foll following; inc increase; k knit; k1b k into next st one row below and at same time slipping off st above; p purl; patt pattern; rem remaining; rep repeat; RS right side; skpo slip 1, k1, pass slipped st over; st(s) stitch(es); tog together; WS wrong side.

BACK

With 3mm needles and A, cast on 116(128:142:156:168) sts. ** 1st and 2nd rows

With A, k to end. 3rd and 4th rows With B, k to end. 5th to 16th rows Rep 1st to 4th

rows 3 times more **. Change to 3.25mm needles. 17th row (RS) With A, k4(7:7:7:6), k2tog, [k1, k2tog, k2, k2tog] 15(16:18:20:22) times, k5(7:7:7:6). 85(95:105:115:123) sts. 18th row With A, k to end. Now work in patt as follows: 1st row (RS) With B, k1, [k1b, k1] to end.

2nd row With B, k to end. 3rd row With A, k2, [k1b, k1] to last st, k1. 4th row

With A, k to end. These 4 rows form patt and are repeated. Cont in patt until back measures 24(24.5:25:25.5:26)cm, ending with a WS row.

Shape armholes

Keeping patt correct, cast off 3(4:5:6:7) sts at beg of next 2 rows. 79(87:95:103:109) sts. Dec 1 st at each end of next 3(3:5:5:5) rows, then on foll 4(6:5:7:6) alt rows. 65(69:75:79:87) sts. Cont straight until armhole measures 17(18.5:20:21.5:23)cm, ending with a WS row.

Shape back neck Next row

(RS) Patt 22(24:26:28:31) sts, turn and cont on these sts only, leave rem sts on a holder. Keeping patt correct, dec 1 st at neck edge of next 4 rows, then on foll 2 RS rows. 16(18:20:22:25) sts. Patt 1 row, so ending with a WS row.

Shape shoulder

Cast off 3(4:4:5:5) sts at beg of next row and foll 1(2:1:2:0) alt rows, then 4(0:5:0:6) sts at beg of foll 1(0:1:0:2) alt rows, at same time, dec 1 st at neck edge of next row and foll alt row. Patt 1 row. Cast off rem 4(4:5:5:6) sts. With RS facing, slip centre 21(21:23:23:25) sts onto a holder, rejoin yarns and patt to end. Complete to match first side, reversing shapings.

LEFT FRONT

With 3mm needles and A, cast on 50(57:64:71:75) sts. Work from ** to ** as given for Back. Change to 3.25mm needles. 17th row (RS) With A, k3(3:3:3:5), k2tog, [k1, k2tog, k2, k2tog] 6(7:8:9:9) times, k3(3:3:3:5). 37(42:47:52:56) sts. 18th row With A, k to end ***. Now work in patt as follows:

1st row (RS) With B, k1, [k1b, k1] to last 0(1:0:1:1) st, k0(1:0:1:1). 2nd row With B, k to end. 3rd row With A, k2, [k1b, k1] to last 1(0:1:0:0) st, k1(0:1:0:0). 4th row With A, k to end. These 4 rows form patt and are repeated. Cont in patt until left front matches Back to beg of armhole shaping, ending with a WS row.

Shape armhole

Keeping patt correct, cast off 3(4:5:6:7) sts at beg of next row. 34(38:42:46:49) sts. Patt 1 row. Dec 1 st at armhole edge of next 3(3:5:5:5) rows, then on foll 4(6:5:7:6) alt rows. 27(29:32:34:38) sts. Cont straight until 40(40:44:44:48) rows fewer have been worked than on Back to beg of shoulder shaping, ending with a WS row. Place a marker at front opening edge of last row.

Shape front neck

Keeping patt correct, dec 1 st at marked front neck edge of next 3 rows, foll 4 alt rows, then on next 4(4:5:5:6) 4th rows, then on 2 foll 6th rows. 14(16:18:20:23) sts. Patt 1 row, ending with a WS row.

Shape shoulder

Cast off 3(4:4:5:5) sts at beg of next row and foll 1(2:1:2:0) alt rows, then 4(0:5:0:6) sts at beg of foll 1(0:1:0:2) alt rows. Patt 1 row. Cast off rem 4(4:5:5:6) sts.

RIGHT FRONT

Work as given for Left Front to ***. Now work in patt as follows: 1st row (RS)

With B, k1(2:1:2:2), [k1b, k1] to end. 2nd

row With B, k to end. 3rd row With A, k2(1:2:1:1), [k1b, k1] to last st, k1. 4th row

With A, k to end. These 4 rows form the patt and are repeated. Complete to match Left Front, reversing all shapings.

SLEEVES

With 3mm needles and A, cast on 66(68:72:72:74) sts. Work from ** to ** as given for Back.

Change to 3.25mm needles. 17th row

(RS) With A, k4(5:3:3:4], k2tog, [k1, k2tog, k2, k2tog] 8(8:9:9:9) times, k4(5:4:4:5). 49(51:53:53:55) sts. 18th

row With A, patt as given for Back throughout as follows: Taking inc sts into patt, inc 1 st at each end of 21st(19th:17th:13th:11th) and every foll 22nd(20th:18th:14th:12th) row to 53(65:67:67:63) sts, then on every foll 24th(-:20th:16th:14th) row until there are 61(65:69:73:77) sts. Cont straight until sleeve measures 35(35:36:36:36)cm, ending after the same WS patt row as on Back to beg of armhole shaping.

Shape top

Keeping patt correct, cast off 3(4:5:6:7) sts at beg of next 2 rows. 55(57:59:61:63) sts. Dec 1 st at each end of next row and foll 3 RS rows, then on 4 foll 4th rows, then on 4 foll 6th rows. 31(33:35:37:39) sts. Patt 3 rows, ending with a WS row. Dec 1 st at each end of next row and every foll 4th row until 25 sts rem, then on foll 2 RS rows, then on foll 5 rows. Cast off rem 11 sts.

FRONT BANDS (BOTH ALIKE)

Join both shoulder seams. With RS facing, 3mm needles and B, pick up and k91(96:99:105:108) sts evenly along front opening edge, between cast on edge front neck shaping marker. 1st

row (WS) With B, k to end. 2nd and 3rd

rows With A, k to end. 4th and 5th

rows With B, k to end. 6th to 13th rows

Rep 2nd to 5th rows twice more. 14th

row With A, k to end. With A, cast off knitwise on WS.

NECKBAND

With RS facing, 3mm needles and B, beg and ending at cast off edges of front bands, pick up and k8 sts from top (row-end) edge of right front band, 29(29:32:32:35) sts up right front neck, and 13 sts down right back neck, k across 21(21:23:23:25) sts on back holder as follows: k0(0:1:1:2), [k1, inc in next st, k1] 7 times, k0(0:1:1:2), pick up and k13 sts up left back neck, 29(29:32:32:35) sts down left front neck, and 8 sts from top of left front band. 128(128:136:136:144) sts. 1st row

(WS) With B, k to end. 2nd and 3rd

rows With A, k to end. 4th and 5th

rows With B, k to end. 6th row With A, [k3, k2tog, k3] 16(16:17:17:18) times. 112(112:119:119:126) sts. 7th row With A, k to end. 8th and 9th rows With B, k to end. 10th and 11th rows With A, k to end. 12th row With B, [k2, skpo, k3] 16(16:17:17:18) times. 96(96:102:102:108) sts. 13th row With B, k to end. 14th row

With A, k to end. With A, cast off knitwise on WS.

TO MAKE UP

Sew sleeves into armholes, easing to fit. Join side and sleeve seams. Attach optional hook and eye fasteners to fasten fronts.

l Holme pattern taken from Rowan Valley Tweed.