Gertrude

• Description
• Pattern Information
• Techniques

• The two colourways of the Gertrude vest were inspired by the work of Gertrude Jekyll, a garden designer who from 1881 until her death in 1932 designed more than 400 gardens. She pioneered the use of different colour schemes to create moods and atmosphere. Gertrude is a classic fitted vest featuring a Fair Isle-style pattern to the front and a corresponding check pattern to the back. The front neck has a low, round contour, reminiscent of 1970s tank tops. The vest knitted in the round from the bottom up. Steeks are added at the armhole and front neck.

  Gertrude is knitted using Susan Crawford Byre, a fingering weight yarn that is delightfully lofty and soft, created from a blend of Jacobs and Shetland fibres spun exclusively for us in a nearby Yorkshire mill.

  Gertrude is shown here in two colour ways.
  Colourway One uses shades:
  Heather, Dry Stone Wall, Clay, Moss Covered Wall, Room of My Own, Ragwort, Undergrowth, Sunset Over the Bay, Plum Jam, Glimpse of the Sea and Night Sky.

  Colourway two uses shades:
  Denim, Jack 'O' Lantern, Rusty Tractor, Loam, Sunset Over the Bay, Glimpse of the Sea and Fence Post.

  Samples shown in Size 3, Colourway One (on Ruth) and Size 5, Colourway Two (on Susan).

  The pattern includes instructions for ten sizes to fit chest measurements between 76cm (30in) and 152cm (60in) and contains both clear written pattern directions, together with charted instructions.

• Yarn
  Susan Crawford Byre, 100% British wool, a unique blend of Jacob, white Shetland and black Shetland fleeces, Fingering weight (400m / 436yds per 100g skein approx)

  Colourway One
  1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 2) (2, 2, 2, 2) skeins, shade Heather
  1 skein, shade Dry Stone Wall
  1 skein, shade Clay
  1 skein, shade Moss Covered Wall
  1 skein, shade Room of My Own
  1 skein, shade Ragwort
  1 skein, shade Undergrowth
  1 skein, shade Sunset Over the Bay
  1 skein, shade Plum Jam
  1 skein, shade Glimpse of the Sea
  1 skein, shade Night Sky
  

  Colourway two
  1 (1, 2, 2, 2, 2) (2, 2, 2, 2) skeins, shade Denim
  1 skein, shade Jack 'O' Lantern
  1 skein, shade Rusty Tractor
  1 skein, shade Loam
  1 skein, shade Sunset Over the Bay
  1 skein, shade Glimpse of the Sea
  1 skein, shade Fence Post
  

  Suggested needles
  Small needles: 2.5 mm (US 1/2) circular needle (80-100 cm / 32-40 in)
  2.5 mm (US 1/2) circular needle (40-50 cm / 16-24 in)
  Large needles: 3 mm (US 2/3) circular needle (80-100 cm / 32-40 in)
  

  Gauge
  31 sts and 34 rounds = 10 cm / 4 in over stranded colourwork worked in the round, after blocking. We obtained this gauge using 3 mm needles.

  Notions
  Waste yarn, spare needle for grafting shoulders (optional), tapestry needle, scissors.

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