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© Knitty 2002-2006. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. This means you.

 


aiblhinncathodebelle epoquetemptingcandymariahleftoverswavy
bob + weavecape maycross-countrymaryellav.tall socksmuffypasha
winecozytinselk. kozyperuvianmancalawombmiss dashwoodnoa

by Libby Baker

At the height of Edwardian fashion was the tea gown.

The Duchess Sarah Bedford created the tradition of afternoon tea, and when the Industrial Revolution provided women the opportunity and means for more leisurely activities, afternoon tea became a ritual that revolutionized women's roles as well as attire. Edwardian husbands may have been masters of their wives for most of the day, but for a few hours every afternoon, women were allowed to undo the laces of their corsets and entertain their own guests in their own chambers - in their own way.

Tea gowns, in sharp contrast to the contorted garments worn throughout the rest of the day, were corset-less, pastel in color, lacy and resembled lingerie. In addition to the sexual intrigue that often times ensued during the height of the Belle ƒpoque era, afternoon tea offered women the chance to bond and converse with other women outside of societal restraints. Like in the knitting circles of old, here the roots of feminism can be traced.

While not meant to be a refuge from a corset, Belle ƒpoque should certainly be knit in such spirits, accompanied by tea and friends.

model: Libby Baker photos: Lisa Fordyce

SIZE
S [M, L, XL]
 
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Chest: 40 [43.5, 48, 51.5] inches
Length: 30 [31, 32, 33] inches

MATERIALS

Austermann Accapella [50% Kid Mohair 50% Acrylic; 167 yd/150m per 50g skein]; color: Arctic Ice; 8 [8, 9, 10] skeins

1 set US #6/4.0mm double-point needles
24-inch US #6/4.0mm circular needle

Notions required (optional)
1-2 yds 0.25 inch elastic
2 sets of snaps
1-2 yds 2 inch satin ribbon
4 yds 2 inch coordinating sheer ribbon

 
GAUGE

20 sts/27 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch
 
stitch pattern

[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations can be found here]

Crocus Bud Pattern (CB)
Worked in the round over multiple of 2 sts + 1
NOTE: Number of sts will increase on Rnds 1 & 3, and will be decreased again on Rnds 3 & 4.

Rnd 1: K1, [YO, k2] to end.
Rnd 2: [K3, pass 3rd stitch on right needle over first two stitches] to last st, k1.
Rnd 3: [K2, YO] to last st, k1.
Rnd 4: K1, [k3, pass 3rd stitch on right needle over first two stitches] to end.
Repeat Rnds 1-4.

Reverse Crocus Bud Pattern (RCB)
This is Crocus Bud Pattern worked back and forth, instead of in the round.
Row 1 [RS]: K1, [YO, k2] to end.
Row 2 [WS]: P1, [p3, slip three stitches just knitted back onto left needle, pass 3rd stitch on left needle over first two stitches, return stitches to right needle] to end.
Row 3 [RS]: [K2, YO] to last stitch, k1.
Row 4 [WS]: [P3, slip three stitches just knitted back onto left needle, pass 3rd stitch on left needle over first two stitches, return stitches to right needle] to last stitch, p1.
Repeat Rows 1-4.
 
DIRECTIONS

NOTE: Garment is worked in the round to the armholes, then the front and back are separated and worked back and forth to the shoulder.

Lower Body
Using circular needle, CO 222[238, 262, 278] sts. Place marker and join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist.
Rnd 1: P1, [k1, p1] 24 times (49 sts in 1x1 rib), place marker, work rem sts in CB patt.
Cont in patt as set until work measures 2 inches, ending on Rnd 4 of CB patt.
Next Rnd: Work 49 sts in rib as set, work 11 sts in CB patt, k25[29, 35, 39] sts, place marker, k 101[109, 121, 129] sts, place marker, k25[29, 35, 39] sts, work rem 11 sts in CB patt.
Cont in patt as set until work measures 21.5[22, 22.5, 23] inches from beg, ending with Rnd 4 of CB patt.

Divide for Armhole Shaping
Next Rnd: Work sts in 1x1 ribbing and CB patt as set, k20[24, 30, 34], BO 10 sts, k91[99, 111, 119], BO 10 sts, cont in patt as set to end of Rnd. Break yarn. (Row 1 of CB patt just worked.)
Place sts for upper back (91[99, 111, 119] sts of stockinette) on a st holder. 111[119, 131, 139] front sts rem on needles.

Upper Front
Read through this entire section before proceeding.
Attach yarn at left edge of upper front sts (ready to work a WS row).
Row 1 [WS]: BO 2[3, 4, 5] sts, cont in patt as set to end of row, working Row 2 of RCB patt instead of Rnd 2 of CB patt. (CB patt will now be replaced by RCB patt.)
Row 2 [RS]: BO 2[3, 4, 5] sts, cont in patt as set to end of row.
Row 3 [WS]: Work in patt as set.
Row 4 [RS]: K1, k2tog, work in patt as set to last 3 sts, ssk, k1.
Work armhole decreases as set in Rows 3 & 4, 5[7, 8, 9] times more.
AT THE SAME TIME when work measures 23.5[24, 24.5, 25] inches, tightly BO center 49 sts in 1x1 ribbing and continue to work each side separately.

After all decreases are worked, 23[24, 28, 30] sts will remain on each side.
Work even in patt as set on these sts until work measures 29.5[30.5, 31.5, 32.5] inches from beg, ending right side with RS row, and left side with a WS row.
Next Row (Each Side): BO (at armhole edge) 6 sts, work in patt to end.
Next Row: Work all sts in patt.
Next row: BO 6[7, 6, 7] sts, work in patt to end. 11[11, 16, 17] sts rem.

Sizes S and M only: Place rem sts on holder.
Sizes L and XL only: Next Row: Work all sts in patt.
Next Row: BO _[_, 5, 6] sts, work in patt to end. Place rem sts on holder.

NOTE (All Sizes): Only sts in RCB should remain on holders. These will be used to work the back collar.

Back
Attach yarn at left edge of upper back sts (ready to work a WS row).
Row 1 [WS]: BO 2[3, 4, 5] sts, p to end of row.
Row 2 [RS]: BO 2[3, 4, 5] sts, k to end of row.
Row 3 [WS]: P all sts.
Row 4 [RS]: K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1.
Work armhole decreases as set in Rows 3 and 4, 5[7, 8, 9] times more. 75[77, 85, 89] sts
Cont in stockinette st until work measures 29.5[30.5, 31.5, 32.5] from beg.
BO 6 sts at beg of next 2 rows.
BO 6[7, 6, 7] sts at beg of next 2 rows.

Sizes S and M only: Work across rem 51 sts, BO all sts.
Sizes L and XL only: BO _[_,5, 6] sts at beg of next 2 rows. Work across rem 51 sts, BO all sts.

Collar Extensions
Place held sts from one side of upper front on needle.
On first row, CO 1 st at edge of work opposite neck edge (This will be an edge st, worked in St st, which will allow the collar extensions to be seamed to the neck edge of the upper back without disrupting the st pattern.)
Work in RCB patt, keeping edge st in stockinette, until collar extension measures 10 inches. This extension will be attached to the held collar sts from rem upper front, so finish on a row that will allow the pattern on the extension to match the pattern on the held sts.
BO edge st, then BO sts from extension tog with held sts, using three-needle BO. This will create a short seam at side neck.

Sleeves (Make 2)
Using dpns, CO 59[63, 69, 73] sts. Distribute evenly between dpns, place marker and join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist.
Work in stockinette stitch until work measures 2 inches, ending with Rnd 4 of patt.
Cont in stockinette stitch until work measures 17.5[18, 18, 18.5] inches.

Sleeve Cap Shaping
Next Rnd: BO 10 sts, work to end of Rnd. Sleeve cap will now be worked back and forth.
BO 2[3, 4, 5] sts at beg of next 2 rows.
Work 3 rows even.
*Next Row [RS]: K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1.
Work 3 rows even.
Rep from * 4 times more. 31[37, 41, 43] sts
Next Row [RS]: K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1.
Next Row [WS]: P all sts.
Work these 2 rows 5[8, 10, 11] times more. 19 sts
BO 3 sts at beg of next 2 rows. BO rem 13 sts.
 
FINISHING

Sew shoulder seams. Set sleeve caps into armholes and sew in place. Sew collar extensions to neck edge of upper back.
Weave in all ends and block to measurements.

Ribbon Band (optional)
Measure ribcage under bust, add 3 in seam allowance and cut satin ribbon accordingly. Press in both cut edges of ribbon .5 inch and then .5 inch again. Hand or machine stitch in place. On the inside of one end of ribbon, attach hooks and then attach corresponding eyes to the outside of the CB pattern on sweater. Attach the second set of eyes to the outside of the same end of ribbon and corresponding hooks to the inside of the opposite end of ribbon so that ribbon overlaps 1 inch when fastened.

Ribbon Roses (optional)
Using the ribbon rose technique at Offray, make two roses out of the wire edge sheer ribbon. Hand stitch bottom of petals to secure in place and then attach to ribbon as follows: Hand stitch first rose to the outside of the free ribbon end so that it is centered over the CB pattern when the ribbon is fastened on the sweater. Attach the second rose 6.5 inches (or so) along the ribbon so that the second rose is also centered in the CB pattern when the ribbon is fastened.

Gathered back-No ribbon band (optional)
Measure ribcage directly under bust and cut elastic according to measurement. Overlap elastic 1 in and sew into a band. Inside the garment, fasten elastic securely at the outside edge of the CB pattern in a row which falls under the bust. Weave the yarn through the back loops of the stitches above and below the elastic, along the inside back of the garment, to the outside edge of the CB pattern. Secure elastic to outside edge of the CB pattern. Leave elastic detached from sweater at the front CB and 1x1 ribbing patterns, so that all gathering occurs at the back of the sweater.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Libby Baker loves to celebrate the feminist aspects inherent in all the Domestic Arts.

She lives, with her husband and two children in Englewood, CO. You can keep track of her on her blog, Creazativity.
Pattern & images © 2004 Libby Baker. Contact Libby