Inspired by irregular grid patterns Lamèque is designed with a clean, costal vision in mind. Named after a Canadian oyster, which according to OysterGuide.com “are small and delicate, with pretty white-and-green shells. In my experience, nice little oysters.” I think of Lamèque as a piece that embodies the comfort of your favourite hand knit sweater, with the sophistication of a piece you can wear on a zoom call.

About:
Lamèque is knit from the bottom up, in the round, in 3 pieces and joined with a Raglan yoke. It has a slight cropped length with exaggerated sleeves and a clean boat neck. The horizontal stripes are knit as you go, added in at regular intervals. As for the vertical stripes, these are added in with the use of a crochet hook once you have finished the garment. There are two versions of this sweater included in this pattern, one knit in simple stocking net where the stripes are added between the stitches and one with regularly set purl ridges to give you a guide as to the placement of your stripes, both create a beautiful fabric. Lamèque is knit with generous positive ease. Here, I am wearing the size 8 with 6 inches of positive ease. I would recommend 5-8 inches of positive ease.

Yarn:
Yardage:
MC (Artifact): 1025 (1075, 1100, 1175, 1275, 1400, 1450, 1550, 1600) yards
CC (Postcard): 250 (275, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375, 400, 425) yards

For my Lamèque I used Brooklyn Tweed Loft (275yrds/50g). This yarn is a pleasure to work with. The airiness of the fabric lends itself to an extremely elegant garment while the fineness of the yarn makes for a light sweater that breaths beautifully. It is an all around joy to knit with and a pleasure to wear.

When choosing colours for this piece I knew I wanted 2 colours with a lot of contrast to make the grid as visible as possible. I find the use of two cold leaning colours really cohesive while the red and purple tones of the contrasting colour really make the green pop. I would recommend solid to tonal yarns for your laméque or a yarn that is lightly speckled within a single colour family.

Gauge:
Using 3,5mm needles in Stockinette Stitch with MC: 22sts x 40rounds over 4 inches.

Tools and Notions:
3,5mm circular needles or size to obtain gauge.
3mm circular needle or a needle 1 size smaller than needle used to obtain gauge.
2mm crochet hook or size needed to create stitches at a similar size to gauge.
Stitch markers as needed and to mark beginning of row.
Tapestry needle for finishing.

Sizes and Sizing:
Sizes: US 0 (4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32)
Finished Bust: 37 (39, 41.5, 46, 50, 54.5, 57, 61, 65.5)inches.
Arm circumference at Under Arm: 16.5 (16.5, 16.5, 16.5, 16.5, 22, 22, 22, 22)inches.
Length of body at armpit: 10 (10, 10, 10, 10, 9, 9, 9, 9)inches.
Length of sleeve from underarm to cuff: 19 (19, 19, 19, 19, 18, 18, 18, 18)inches.
Distance from collar to fullest bust: 5.5 (5.5, 5.5, 5.5, 5.5, 8, 8, 8, 8)inches.

Do note:
In order to maintain the grid pattern across the sweater and assure comfortable fit, the yoke is deeper in sizes 20-32. This will allow for more bust decreasing. The sleeves and body are the same length from collar to ribbing in every size, more of the sleeve is worked above the bust line in the larger sizes.

Lamèque can be knit with regularly spaced purl columns to create guidelines for your vertical stripes. Think of it as a stitch in the ditch. This first version of the pattern, the one I knit, is worked without the purl column, because I prefer straight knitting. This is a personal choice based on wether you’re a plan ahead type of knitter or a cross that bridge when we get to it type of knitter. This is a no judgement zone, if you’d like the pattern with the purl columns worked in, it is after this first version.