Dilly

By Just call me Ruby

Design story

At knitting gatherings over the last year or so, there has been a definite desire to see more colour work returning to patterns, but with a more contemporary feel - garments still to be fitted and with shape, to be knitted in one piece where possible, and with texture involved rather than purely stocking stitch garments.

It felt like a big challenge, but I felt the same. I have been missing knitting in different colours, choosing your colour palette and seeing the design unfold as you knit. There were a number of factors which brought me to Dilly, firstly when I saw the shade cards from Biggan Design and found 64 beautiful colours to play with. It was a designer's dream. When I also saw that they had three purples all of the same tone I knew where my colour palette was going. I have also, unsuccessfully, for some time being trying to obtain an out of print book called Poetry in Stitches, which is a riot of multicoloured, floral creations, and having been unsuccessful, decided to create my own poetry in stitches! I wanted to give the garment a contemporary structure, which I did by knitting the body in one piece, three quarter length sleeves, raglan shaping to the shoulders, textured upper sleeves and the knitted tie for fastening.

The garment's name came as soon as I looked at Biggan Design's shade cards, as I found myself singing "Lavender's blue, Dilly Dilly, Lavender's green". So Dilly it is.

Materials

Biggan Design DK (8Ply) Merino First Cross wool
50gm ball/approx 105m/115 yds, machine washable at 30 degrees
7 (7, 8) x 50gm shade: 830 - Jacaranda - Yarn A
2 x 50gm shade: 805 - Royal Purple - Yarn B
1 x 50gm shade: 825 - Blue Violet - Yarn C
1 x 50gm shade: 435 - Light Olive - Yarn D
1 x 50gm shade: 080 - White - Yarn E

1 4mm (US #6) circular needle
1 3.25mm (US #4) circular needle
1 pair 3.25 (US #4) straight needles
3 DPN's (double pointed needles)
several stitch holders
stitch markers

Tension

22 stitches x 30 rows per 10cm (4 inches) on 4mm (US #6) needles over stocking stitch.

To Fit Sizes S M L

32 - 36 36 - 40 40 - 44 inches

82 - 92 92 - 102 102 - 112 cm

Finished size 36 40 44 inches

92 102 112 cm

length to underarm 11 12 13 inches

28 31 33 cm

Raglan depth 8 8 8 inches

20.5 20.5 20.5 cm

Total body length
excluding tie 18 19 20 inches

46 48 51 cm

Sleeve to underarm 9 10 10 inches

23 26 26 cm

Sleeve width
at underarm 12.5 13.25 14 inches

32 34 36 cm

Abbreviations

M1 - make one by knitting into back of loop between stitches.
K2tog - Knit two stitches together.
P2tog - Purl two stitches together.
SSK - Slip next two stitches purlwise and work together through back of stitches.
SM - Slip marker

Pattern notes

The construction of this garment is deceptively simple. The body is knitted in one piece to the armhole.

The stripes on the lower body and sleeves are graduated into each other by working a mixed row of the two colours each time. I didn't want there to be any hard lines in the colour changes. I also made the stripes on the sleeves half the length of the body to keep the proportions of the three quarter length sleeves looking right.

The sleeves are then knitted in the round and the three pieces are joined together to form a yoke. The yoke is knitted in rows to enable intarsia colour work to be done. When the neckband is picked up the garment is gently gathered by working two stitches together to create a soft flattering and comfortable neckline.

Pattern

Lower Body

(Body is worked in one piece in rows up to the armholes).
Cast on 192 (216, 232) sts using 3.25 (US #4) needle and Yarn B, placing markers after 48 (54, 58) sts and 144 (162, 174) sts. Work 4 rows in moss st.
Change to 4mm (US #6) needles, work 12 rows of stocking stitch in Yarn B.
Next row (RS): (K1 yarn B, K1 yarn C) rep to end.
Work 12 rows of stocking stitch in yarn C.
Next row (RS): (K1 yarn C, K1 yarn A) rep to end.
Continue working in stocking stitch and yarn A until work measures 28 (31, 33)cm ( 11, 12, 13 inches) ending with a WS row. Place all stitches on holder.

Sleeves (make two)
Cast on 56 (62, 66) sts using 3.25 (US #4) needle and Yarn B. Place marker at end of round. Work 4 rounds in moss st.
PLEASE READ THROUGH THE REMAINING SLEEVE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE CONTINUING
Change to 4mm (US #6) needles, work 6 rounds of stocking stitch in Yarn B.
Next row (RS): (K1 yarn B, K1 yarn C) rep to end.
Work 6 rounds of stocking stitch in yarn C.
Next row (RS): (K1 yarn C, K1 yarn A) rep to end. Continue working in yarn A.
AT SAME TIME AS WORKING STRIPES work increases at each end of every 10th round as follows: K1, M1, work to last st before marker, M1, K1.
Continue working increases until 68 (74, 78) sts.
Continue without shaping until sleeve measures 23 (26, 28) cm (9,10,11 inches). Reposition stitches, leaving 4sts on either side of marker onto a safety pin. Leave remaining stitches on spare circular needle.

Joining for yoke (Note: Place markers at each end of sleeve sts)

Starting at right front of body and with RS facing, and using 4mm (US #6) needles and yarn A, K44 (50, 54), place next 8sts on safety pin, Knit across sts on sleeve, K88 (100, 108) across back of body, place next 8sts on safety pin, knit across sts on 2nd sleeve, K44 (50, 54) across left front of body.
Next row: Purl.
Change to yarn B and work 4 rows in moss st across all stitches.

IMPORTANT CHART NOTES

Change to yarn A and work from bottom right corner of Chart A (right front), then Chart B (sleeve), Chart C (back) Chart B (sleeve) Chart D (left front).

Odd numbered rows are the right side or knit rows, even numbered rows are the wrong side or purl rows.
Work decreases as follows - K2 tog at right end of sections, SSK at left end of sections.
Other than yarn A do not carry yarn across from one chart to another.

Please note

on row 48 (RS): Slip first 20 (20, 22) sts onto holder, cut off yarn and rejoin after these sts. Continue working from chart to last 20(20, 22) sts., turn leaving these sts on holder.

Continue working from charts completing left front first then rejoining yarn to right and working to match left side, reversing all shapings.

Finally place centre 60sts onto a holder.

Charts also available as PDF here.

Making up

Front bands

Using 3.25mm (US #4) straight needles and yarn C and with RS facing, pick up 98 (102, 108) sts up right front.
Work 4 rows in moss st.
Repeat on left front but working from top down.

Neckband

Using 3.25mm (US #4) circular needle and yarn A and with RS facing, leaving a long length of yarn at beginning, pick up 4sts across neckband, 20 (20, 22) sts off holder, 15sts up RS, 10 (13, 16)sts across sleeve head, 4sts down right back neck, 60sts off holder at back neck 4sts up left back neck, 10 (13, 16) sts across sleeve head, 15sts down LS, 20 (20, 22) sts off holder, and 4sts across neckband. Return to beginning of row and cast on 50sts. Repeat at end of row. (266, 272, 280 sts)
Next row (starting at left neck with WS facing): (P1, K1) 27 times, P1,(K2tog, P2tog) 8 times, (P1, K1) 6 (7, 8) times, (P2tog, K2tog) 17 times, (P1, K1) 6 (7, 8) times, (P2tog, K2tog) 8 times, P1, (K1, P1) 27 times (200, 206, 216 sts).

Work 5 rows in moss st.
Cast off in pattern.
Place under arm stitches on DPN's and with RS together work three needle bind off.
Darn in all loose ends.