Shoowa Vest by Marianne Isager

Shoowa Vest

Knitting
March 2006
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
28 stitches and 54 rows = 4 inches
in garter stitch
US 2½ - 3.0 mm
2394 - 3564 yards (2189 - 3259 m)
S (M, L, XL): 35½ , 39½, 44½, 49
Danish English German Japanese
Errata available: needleworktraditions.com

From ‘Knitting Out of Africa’: As in the pullover shown on page 114, the pattern blocks on this vest were inspired by woven and embroidered cloth made by the Shoowa tribe from the Congo. The pattern blocks are smaller than those used for the pullover, but the overall mosaic effect is the same. The lower body of the vest is worked back and forth in garter stitch in one piece that tapers to the waist at both sides, with the selvedges forming the front slit. The upper body is worked in the round to the shoulders with steeks for the armholes and a cut-and-sewn front neck opening that is finished off with a stand-up collar with a short slit at the top. As in the pullover, each two-colour pattern is worked in a combination of knit and purl stitches to create a featherstitch effect.

FINISHED CHEST/BUST CIRCUMFERENCE: 35½ (39½, 44½, 49”) / 90 (100.5, 113, 124.5) cm

SIZE SHOWN: Small; (35.5” / 90 cm)

YARN REQUIREMENTS: Fingering-weight (CYCA Super Fine #1) yarn, appr. 250 (275, 300, 350) g each main colour (MC) and 100 (125, 150, 200) g of contrasting colour (CC):
Highland (MC) - 1836 (1836, 1836, 2448) yds / 1680 (1680, 1680, 2240) m / 3 (3, 3, 4) skeins and Tvinni (CC) – 558 (1116, 1116, 1116) yds / 510 (1020, 1020, 1020) m / 1 (2, 2, 2) skeins.

SHOWN IN: MC - Isager Highland #14 pine and CC – Isager Tvinni #7 beige heather.

NEEDLES REQUIRED: US 2.5 (3.0mm): 16” / 40cm and 24” / 60 cm or 32” / 80 cm circular needles.

CHARTS INCLUDED: 11 colourwork charts.

ADDITIONAL GAUGE INFORMATION: 29 sts and 33½ rows equals 4” (10 cm) in charted two-colour pattern stitch worked in the round; each square pattern block for vest front (26 sts and 30 rows) measures about 3½ (9 cm) square.

GERMAN PATTERN TRANSLATIONS: Isager-Stitches; Note these are translations only, you will need to purchase a book as well.

Pattern is included in Folk Knitting, 2015