Mead is a cropped, relaxed fit, turtleneck vest worked in a soft, worsted weight yarn featuring beautiful, striking cables. It is meant to be worn with 2-8” of positive ease. “Mead” means “from the meadow” and the rows of cables remind us of rows of flowers and flowing fields.
Time: 40 Hour Project
Skill Level: Intermediate
Sizes To fit 39 (42, 47, 49) (52, 55, 63)”
Length: 20.5 (20.5, 21.5, 22.5) (23, 24, 24)”
2-8” of positive ease recommended.
Sample shown is size 39”
Gauge: 20 sts and 30 rows = 4” [10 cm] in moss st after blocking
Yarn: Kelbourne Woolens Germantown (100% North American wool; 220 yards [201 meters]/100 grams): #609 Rhododendron (7 (8, 9, 10) (11, 12, 13) skeins.
Needles: US size 5 (3.75 mm) 16” and 24” circular needles
Notions: Markers, removeable markers, cable needle, tapestry needle, four 1” buttons
Downloads:
- Mead Cabled Vest – Chart Key
- Mead Cabled Vest – Baroque Cable
- Mead Cabled Vest – Staghorn Cable
- Mead Cabled Vest – Left Cable
- Mead Cabled Vest – Right Cable
- Mead Cabled Vest – Ribbing Chart D
- Mead Cabled Vest – Ribbing Chart C
- Mead Cabled Vest – Chart B
- Mead Cabled Vest – Chart A
Abbreviations
SM – slip marker
Special Stitches
M1L – make one stitch left leaning: Insert left needle from front to back under the horizontal strand between the stitches on the two needles, knit this lifted strand through the back loop to twist the stitch to the left. (1 st increased)
Moss Stitch (even number of sts)
Row 1 (RS): *K1, p1; rep from *.
Row 2 (WS): *P1, k1; rep from *.
Row 3: *P1, k1; rep from *.
Row 4: *K1, p1; rep from *.
Pattern Notes
Mead is worked flat in pieces and seamed so most of the sides remain open. Feel free to adjust the length of the side seams to your personal taste. One extra knit stitch is included at each edge for both the front and back and are used to seam the ribbing and Moss stitch edges together. These extra stitches are included in the total number of stitches to cast on. A long-tail cast on is recommended as it provides a stable yet elastic edge. Since the long-tail cast on creates the first row of stitches and the smooth side of the cast on is used for the RS, the first worked row will be a WS row.
Pattern
Back
Using the long-tail CO method, CO 126 (134, 142, 150) (158, 166, 174) sts.
Begin Ribbing Charts
Row 1 (WS): Work (p2, k2) rib over 4 (8, 12, 16) (20, 24, 28) sts, pm, work Row 1 of Chart C, then Chart D, then Chart A, pm, work (k2, p2) rib over 4 (8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28) sts.
Row 2 (RS): Work rib as established to marker, sm, work Row 2 of Chart A, then Chart D, then Chart C, sm, work rib as established to end.
Work Rows 2-5 of ribbing charts a total of 5 times, or to desired length, ending with Row 5.
Work Rows 6 and 7 of all three charts, working M1L incs where indicated. (134 (142, 150, 158) (166, 174, 182) sts)
Begin Cable Patterns
Row 1 (RS): Work Row 1 of Moss stitch over 4 (8, 12, 16) (20, 24, 28) sts, sm, work Row 1 of Right Cable, pm, p2, [Row 1 of Staghorn Cable, pm, p2] twice, Row 1 of Right Cable, pm, p1, Row 1 of Moss Stitch over 32 sts, p1, pm, Row 1 of Left Cable, pm, p2, [Row 1 of Staghorn Cable, pm, p2] twice, Row 1 of Left Cable, pm, work Row 1 of Moss Stitch over 4 (8 , 12, 16) (20, 24, 28) sts.
Row 2 (WS): Work even in patterns as established.
Dec Row (RS): Work 1 st in pattern, ssk, work to last 3 sts, k2tog, work last st in pattern. (2 sts decreased)
Rep Dec Row every 20 (15, 11, 10) (7, 6, 5) rows 1 (4, 7, 9) (12, 15, 18) times, working following WS Dec Row when needed. (130 (132, 134, 138) (140, 142, 144) sts rem)
Dec Row (WS): Work 1 st in pattern, ssp, work to last 3 sts, p2tog, work last st in pattern. (2 sts decreased)
Cont even in pattern as established until back measures 19.5 (19.5, 20.5, 21.5) (22, 23, 23.5)” or to desired length, ending after a WS row.
Next Row (RS): Work 41 (42, 43, 45) (46, 47, 48) sts in pattern, sl next 48 sts to st holder or scrap yarn for Back Neck, sl rem 41 (42, 43, 45) (46, 47, 48) sts to st holder or scrap yarn for Left Shoulder.
Work 1 WS row even.
Right Shoulder
Dec Row (RS): Work in pattern as established to last 3 sts, ssk, k1. (1 st decreased)
Next Row (WS): Work even in pattern.
Rep last 2 rows 3 more times. (37 (38, 39, 41) (42, 43, 44) sts rem)
Cont even in pattern as established until length from CO edge is 20.5 (20.5, 21.5, 22.5) (23, 24, 24.5)”.
Slip Right Shoulder sts to st holder or scrap yarn and break working yarn.
Left Shoulder
Next Row (RS): Reattach yarn at neck edge and work in pattern to end of row.
Next Row (WS): Work even in pattern.
Dec Row (RS): K1, k2tog, work in pattern as established to end. (1 st decreased)
Next Row: Work even in pattern.
Rep last 2 rows 3 more times. (37 (38, 39, 41) (42, 43, 44) sts rem)
Cont even in pattern as established until length from CO edge is 20.5 (20.5, 21.5, 22.5) (23, 24, 24.5)”, ending with a WS row.
Slip Left Shoulder sts to a st holder or scrap yarn and break working yarn.
Front
Using the long-tail CO method, CO 126 (134, 142, 150) (158, 166, 174) sts.
Begin Ribbing Charts
Row 1 (WS): Work, (p2, k2) rib over 4 (8, 12, 16) (20, 24, 28) sts, pm, work Row 1 of Chart C, then Chart B, then Chart A, pm, work (k2, p2) rib over 4 (8, 12, 16) (20, 24, 28) sts.
Row 2 (RS): Work rib as established to marker, sm, work Row 2 of Chart A, then Chart B, then Chart C, sm, work rib as established to end.
Work Rows 2-5 of ribbing charts a total of 5 times, or to desired length, ending with Row 5.
Work Rows 6 and 7 of all three charts, working M1L incs where indicated. (140 (148, 156, 164) (172, 180, 188) sts)
Begin Cable Patterns
Row 1 (RS): Work Row 1 of Moss Stitch over 4 (8, 12, 16) (20, 24, 28) sts, sm, work Row 1 of Right Cable, pm, p2, [Row 1 of Staghorn Cable, pm, p2] twice, Row 1 of Right Cable, pm, Row 1 of Baroque Cable, pm, Row 1 of Left Cable, pm, p2, [Row 1 of Staghorn Cable, pm, p2] twice, Row 1 of Left Cable, pm, work Moss Stitch over 4 (8, 12, 16) (20, 24, 28) sts.
Row 2 (WS): Work even in pattern as established.
Dec Row (RS): Work 1 st in pattern, ssk, work to last 3 sts, k2tog, work last st in pattern. (2 sts decreased)
Rep Dec Row every 20 (15, 11, 10) (7, 6, 5) rows, 1 (4, 7, 9) (12, 15, 18) times, working following WS Dec Row when needed. (136 (138, 140, 144) (146, 148, 150) sts rem)
Dec Row (WS): Work 1 st in pattern, ssp, work to last 3 sts, p2tog, work last st in pattern, (2 sts decreased)
Cont even in pattern as established until front measures 17.5 (17.5, 18.5, 19.25) (19.75, 20.5, 21)” or to desired length, ending after a WS row.
Next Row (RS): Work 48 (49, 50, 52) (53, 54, 55) sts in pattern, sl next 40 sts to st holder or scrap yarn for Front Neck, sl rem 48 (49, 50, 52) (53, 54, 55) sts to st holder or scrap yarn for Right Shoulder.
Left Shoulder
Dec Row (RS): Work in pattern as established to last 3 sts, ssk, k1. (1 st decreased)
Next Row (WS): Work even in pattern.
Rep last 2 rows 10 more times. (37 (38, 39, 41) (42, 43, 44) sts rem)
Cont even in pattern as established until length from CO edge is 20.5 (20.5, 21.5, 22.5, 23, 24, 24.5)”.
Slip Left Shoulder sts to st holder or scrap yarn and break working yarn.
Right Shoulder
Next Row (RS): Reattach yarn at neck edge and work in pattern to end or row.
Next Row (WS): Work even in pattern.
Dec Row (RS): K1, k2tog, work in pattern as established to end. (1 st decreased)
Next Row: Work even in pattern.
Rep last 2 rows 10 more times. (37 (38, 39, 41) (42, 43, 44) sts rem)
Cont in pattern as established until length from CO edge is 20.5 (20.5, 21.5, 22.5) (23, 24, 24.5)”, ending with a WS row.
Slip Right Shoulder sts to a st holder or scrap yarn and break working yarn.
Finishing
Wash and wet block pieces to size. Use 3-needle BO to attach Front to Back at Shoulders. Use mattress stitch to seam sides to desired height. Weave in all ends.
Turtleneck
With RS facing, beg at Right Shoulder, pick up 7 sts along Right Back Neck, 48 sts from scrap yarn at Back Neck, 7 sts along Left Back Neck, 17 (17, 19, 19) (19, 21, 21) sts along Left Front Neck, 40 sts from scrap yarn at Front Neck, 17 (17, 19, 19) (19, 21, 21) sts along Right Front Neck, pm for beg of rnd. (136 (136, 140, 140) (140, 144, 144) sts)
Next Row (RS): Work (k2, p2) ribbing for 6-8”, or to desired length.
BO in pattern.
Weave in any rem ends and block turtleneck, if necessary.