Mirabilis by Sabine Riefler

Nearly seamless knits have always fascinated me and one of my first encounters with that kind of knitter’s bliss was the traditional Icelandic yoke sweater. While designing this girls’ shirt, I had a look at a number of yoke sweaters and most of them do only 3 or 4 decrease rows. However, as expected, this did not work out in the cotton yarn I had chosen which is far less forgiving than wool. It took some experimenting until I had found a sequence that did not include too many decrease rows but did not pucker either. Here it is. As a special feature this shirt includes short row shaping for the back.

Lately, I have been experimenting with small devices to change a design. A crochet edging is one of these devices, embroidery is another. To show you how they change the shirt, you’ll find pictures of all three alternatives, the knit shirt, the crochet shirt and the embroidered shirt. The choice is yours – or maybe you have more ideas to change the basic shirt?

Sizes

4 (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) years
Shown in size 10.

Yarn

Schachenmeyer Catania (100 % cotton; approx. 136 yards [125 meters]/50 grams): Color 0237 (MC), 2 (2, 2, 3, 3 , 3, 3) balls;
Schachenmeyer Catania (100 % cotton; approx. 136 yards [125 meters]/50 grams): Color 0222 (CC1), 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1) ball;
Austermann Limone (100 % cotton; approx. 136 yards [125 meters]/50 grams): Color 72 (CC2), 1 (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) balls

Needles

US #2: 24” circular
US #3: 24” circular
US #3: 2 sets of dpns
1 crochet hook size C/3

Gauge

24 sts and 32 rows = 4” in St st.

Notions

Tapestry needle; 2 stitch markers; 4 stitch holders

Abbreviations

Slip Stitch Crochet (SSC): * Insert hook into stitch and draw yarn through both top loop of stitch and loop on hook without any yo, rep from* to end.

Single Crochet (SC): *Insert hook into stitch, yo, draw loop through stitch, yo, pull yo through both loops already on hook, rep from* to end.

Double Crochet (DC): *Yarn over hook, insert hook into next st and draw through a loop. You have now three loops on hook. Yo again, pull it through two loops on hook, yo hook, pull yarn through last 2 loops on hook, rep from* to end.
French Knot: With yarn on tapestry needle, bring it out from the back of the fabric at A, wrap twice around tapestry needle and insert needle one stitch and one row to the left. (The stitch that is diagonally one row lower)

Lazy Daisy Flower: With yarn on tapestry needle, bring it out from the back of fabric at A and insert it again at A, then bring it out at B, which will be three rows from A and insert needle again at C, which will be one row above B for the two middle pedals and one row and one stitch to the left or right from B for the side pedals. Make 6 pedals around French knot.

Wrap3: **With yarn at back slip 3 sts to RH needle, bring yarn to front, slip 3 sts back to LH needle, rep from ** one more time, bring yarn to back, slip 3 sts to RH needle.

Pattern Notes

Please note that you have to decide on the knit hem or crochet edging before you start working.

Japanese wrapped Flower Stitch (10 sts repeat)

Rnds 1 & 3: k
Rnds 2 & 4: p
Rnd 5: *(p1, ktbl1) 4 times, p2 rep from* to end.
Rnd 6: *p1, ktbl1, p1, wrap3, , p1, ktbl1, p2, rep from* to end.
Rnd 7: *p1, ktbl1, p1, k3, p1, ktbl1, p2, rep from* to end.
Rnd 8: *p1, wrap3, rep from* to end.
Rnd 9: *p1, k7, p2, rep from* to end.
Rnd 10: *p1, k2, wrap3, k2, p2, rep from* to end.
Rnd 11: *p1, k7, p2, rep from* to end.
Rnd 12: *p1, wrap3, k1, wrap3, rep from, p2* to end.
Rnd 13: *p1, ktbl1, p1, k3, p1, ktbl1, p2, rep from* to end.
Rnd 14: *p1, ktbl1, p1, wrap3, p1, ktbl1, p2, rep from* to end.
Rnd 15: *(p1, ktbl1) 4 times, p2 rep from* to end
Rnds 16 & 18: p
Rnd 19: k

Pattern

Body

Using the long-tail cast-on, CO 170 (178, 188, 196, 202, 206, 212) sts, pm for beginning of rnd, join to work in the rnd being careful not to twist.

for knit shirt: Work 6 rows in St st using smaller circular, then 6 rows in garter stitch using larger circular.
for crochet shirt: Work 4 rows in garter stitch using larger circular.

Change to St st and pm after 85 (89, 94, 98, 101, 103, 106) sts, decr one st on both sides of markers every 10th rnd as foll: ssk before marker, k2tog after marker a total of 5 (6, 7, 8, 8, 8, 8) times; 150 (154, 160, 164, 170, 174, 178) sts rem. Work straight until piece measures 8 (9, 9.25, 10, 10.75, 11.25, 12)” from first garter stitch row.
Change to CC1 and work rows 1-18 of chart A once. Change to CC 2 and work 2 rows in St st.

Put body aside while you knit sleeves.

Sleeves(make 2)

Using dpns and CC2 CO 52 (54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64) sts and work

for knit shirt: Work 6 rows in St st using smaller circular, then 6 rows in garter stitch using larger circular.
for crochet shirt: 4 rows in garter stitch using larger circular.

Change to St st and work 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4) rnds.

Join sleeves to body

K body sts to 6 (6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7) sts before m, slip 1 st, put next 11 (11, 11, 13, 13, 13, 13) sts on holder. Put first 11 (11, 11, 13, 13, 13, 13) sts of sleeve on holder, k next sleeve st and slipped st of front together, pm, k across sleeve sts, k last sleeve st and next st of back together. Work to 6 (6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7) sts before m, slip 1 st, put next 11 (11, 11, 13, 13, 13, 13) sts on holder. Put first 11 (11, 11, 13, 13, 13, 13) sts of second sleeve on holder, k next sleeve st and slipped st of back together, k across sleeve sts, pm to indicate beg of rnd, k last sleeve st and next st of front together. Knit one rnd across.

Short row section

Knit across front, the first sleeve, back, the second sleeve and 6 (6, 6, 9, 9, 9, 9) sts into front. Turn and wrap next st, p across sleeve, back, sleeve, p 6 (6, 6, 9, 9, 9, 9) sts into front, wrap next st and turn. *K across front, the first sleeve, back, the second sleeve and 2 sts into front. Wrap next st and turn, p across sleeve, back, sleeve, p 3 (3, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6) sts into front, wrap next st and turn. Rep from * 1 (1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2) more times, wrapping the st 3 sts before last wrapped st; 3, (3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4) wrapped sts.

Work 1 rnd over all sts; 206 (214, 224, 224, 234, 242, 252) sts

Yoke

Sizes 8 (9, 10) only

Next rnd (dec rnd 1): *k7, k2tog, rep from* until 0 (8, 0) sts rem, k 0 (8, 0)

k 8 (9,9) rounds

dec rnd 2: *k6, k2tog, rep from* until 0 (8, 0) sts rem, k 0 (8, 0)

k 7 (8,8) rnds

dec rnd 3: *k5, k2tog, rep from* to end of rnd.

k 5 (6,6) rnds

dec rnd 4: *k4, k2tog, rep from* to end of rnd.

k 3 (4,4) rnds

dec rnd 5: *k3, k2tog, rep from* to end of rnd.

k 3 (3,3) rnds

dec rnd 6: *k2, k2tog, rep from* to end of rnd.

k 2 (2,2) rnds

Sizes 4 (5, 6, 7) only

dec rnd 1: *k6, k2tog, rep from* until 6 (6, 0, 0) sts rem, k 6 (6, 0, 0)

k 8 (9,9, 9) rounds

dec rnd 2: *k5, k2tog, rep from until 6 (6, 0, 0) sts rem, k 6 (6, 0, 0)
k 6 (7,7,8) rnds

dec rnd 3: *k4, k2tog, rep from * until end of rnd.
k 4 (5,5,5) rnds

dec rnd 4: *k3, k2tog, rep from* until 5 (5, 5, 5) sts rem, k 5 (5, 5, 5)
k 3 (4,4,4) rnds

dec rnd 5: *k1, k2tog, rep from* until 4 (4, 4, 4) sts rem, k 4 (4, 4, 4)
k 2 (2,2) rnds

78 (81, 84, 84, 78, 81, 84) sts

Work 4 rnds in garter st.

Finishing

Graft together body and sleeves at small openings under arms.

Knit shirt: Fold hems on body and sleeves to inside and sew down.

Crochet shirt

Sleeves: Join yarn to lower sleeve seam and with RS facing and using a crochet hook, work 1 rnd of single crochet around sleeve opening; 52 (54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64) sts. With RS still facing, work 1 rnd as follows: *single crochet into next st, skip one st, work 5 DC into next stitch, skip one st, rep from* to end.

Hem: Join yarn to hem and with RS facing and using a crochet hook, work 1 rnd of single crochet around hem; 170 (178, 188, 196, 202, 206, 212) sts. With RS still facing, work 1 rnd as follows: *single crochet into next st, skip one st, work 5 DC into next st, skip one st, rep from* to end.

Neck

You will work single crochet first around front, then around back, while DC are first worked on back, then on front.

Join yarn to left shoulder and with RS facing and using a crochet hook, work 1 rnd of single crochet around front and back; 78 (82, 84, 84, 78, 82, 84) sts. With RS still facing, work 1 row around back and front as follows: *single crochet into next st, skip one st, work 5 DC into next st, skip one st, rep from* to end.

Embroidered shirt

Using CC1 embroider Lazy daisy flowers to front yoke. In the center of each flower make a French knot in MC. Arrange flowers as shown in picture or according to your own liking.

Weave in all ends.

About the Designer: Sabine Riefler

SaRi has been a knitter for over 20 years now. She admits being a knitting addict and is thankful for audiobooks, because reading is her second major free-time occupation. Her musings on knitting can be read on her blog: www.sarismindfulknitting.blogspot.com!