Virginia

• Description
• Pattern Information
• Techniques

• Virginia Woolf's novels have been part of Susan's life since she was a teenager and in turn, Virginia's tragic life became a fascination too. The Virginia vest was inspired by a coat worn by Virginia Woolf in several photographs, made of a dark fabric that has a repeating woven pattern on it in a paler colour. This pattern became the starting point for the all-over colourwork motif featured on the vest. The corrugated rib at the welt, neckband and armbands adds an interesting detail to the design. Virginia is worked in the round from the bottom up, and steeks are added at the armholes and front neck. It comes in two colourways and three body lengths.

  Virginia is knitted using Susan Crawford Excelana North, fingering weight a soft, fingering weight 100% British wool, spun for us in nearby Yorkshire and dyed in-house by Susan and her team.

  Virginia is shown here in two colour ways.
  Colourway One uses shades:
  Virginia, Limestone and Damson Wine.
  

  Colourway two uses shades:
  Charcoal, Alabaster and Dock Seed.
  

  Samples shown in sizes 4 / Medium length (on Ruth) and 6 / Short length (on Susan).

  The pattern includes instructions for twelve sizes to fit chest measurements between 71cm (28in) and 157cm (62in) and contains both clear written pattern directions, together with charted instructions for colour work.

• Yarn
  Susan Crawford Excelana North, fingering weight, 100% British wool, 75% Cheviot, 25% Bluefaced Leicester (159m / 174yds per 50g skein approx)

  Colourway One
  3 (3, 3, 3, 3) (4, 4, 4, 4) (5, 5, 5) skeins, shade Virginia
  3 (3, 3, 4, 4) (4, 4, 5, 5) (5, 5, 6) skeins, shade Limestone
  1 (1, 1, 1, 1) (2, 2, 2, 2) (2, 2, 2) skeins, shade Damson Wine
  

  Colourway two
  3 (3, 3, 3, 3) (4, 4, 4, 4) (5, 5, 5) skeins, shade Charcoal
  3 (3, 3, 4, 4) (4, 4, 5, 5) (5, 5, 6) skeins, shade Alabaster
  1 (1, 1, 1, 1) (2, 2, 2, 2) (2, 2, 2) skeins, shade Dock Seed
  

  Suggested needles
  Small Needles: 2.75 mm (US 2) circular needle (80-100 cm / 30-40 in),
  2.75 mm (US 2) circular needle (40-60 cm / 16-20 in )
  
  Large Needles: 3.25 mm (US 3) circular needle (80-100 cm / 30-40 in)

  Gauge
  32 sts and 34 rounds = 10 cm / 4 in over stranded colourwork pattern worked in the round, after blocking. We obtained this gauge using 3.25 mm needles.

  Notions
  Waste yarn, stitch markers, tapestry needle, scissors

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