Moore - Knitting Wizardry: 27 Spellbinding Projects

These magical patterns were first published by Interweave in a publication that must not be named.

The designers who created these garments were inspired by worlds filled with fairies and elves, enchanted plants, talking mirrors, charmed handkerchiefs, witches and wizards, ghosts and giants, flying mortar and pestles, transfor-mative combs, and heroic journeys out into the world and within oneself.

Fairy tales and mythology have intrigued writers and knitters alike for gener-ations. While most of us were transfixed by these stories in our childhood, they provide a rich landscape for our imagination and roadmap for our adult lives as well.

In fairy tales and mythology, mundane objects such as handkerchiefs, cloaks, boots, and combs often become imbued with special properties that help a protagonist overcome obstacles and achieve feats once deemed impossible. As knitters, we have intimate knowledge of how ordinary tools and materials are given meaning and purpose: a garment made by hand is charged with love in every stitch.

This book is filled with inspired knitwear drawing on a love for literature and age-old stories from cultures around the world. We chose designs that subtly allude to our love of a hidden, magical life. We also wanted to create a balance between oppositesplayful/serious; light/dark; inside/outside; wild/civilized; mundane/magic; hidden/visible; up/down; love/hate; tolerance/intolerance; good/evil.

We included designs that challenge the advanced knitter, engage the intermediate knitter, and invite the beginning knitter into this enchanted world of making something from nothing.

May your knitting be magical,

Amy Clarke Moore

Emma Welford

This vest is a quirky take on a traditional layering piece. The body is worked in a multitextured stitch pattern that combines cables, eyelet lace, and dropped stitches when you get dreamy and distracted from memorizing new spells to cast. Knitted in one piece from the bottom up, the stitch pattern keeps you on your toes until the big reveal comes when select stitches are dropped at the end.

2612 (3012, 34, 38, 4112, 4512, 49)" (67.5 [77.5, 86.5, 96.5, 105.5, 124.5] cm) bust circumference, buttoned. Vest shown measures 3012" (77.5 cm).

Imperial Yarn Columbia (100% wool; 220 yd [201 m]/4 oz [113 g]): #113 golden sun, 3 (4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6) skeins.

Size 7 (4.5 mm): 32" circular (81.5 cm) (cir) and set of double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

Markers (m); stitch holders; cable needle (cn); tapestry needle; eight 1" (2.5 cm)buttons.

20 sts and 28 rows = 4" (10 cm) in patt, after dropping sts.

Notes

• This vest is worked in one piece to the underarms, then the fronts and back are worked separately.
• A circular needle is used to accommodate the large number of stitches.
• When decreasing for the armholes and neckline, work stitches in stockinette stitch if they cannot easily be worked in pattern. Each k2tog and p2tog is paired with a yarnover; if there are not enough stitches to work the decrease, work the stitch in stockinette stitch and omit the yarnover.
• When binding off or decreasing a stitch marked as drop stitch on the chart, drop the stitch from the left needle and ravel it to the cast-on rather than binding off or decreasing it.

CO 132 (151, 170, 189, 208, 227, 246) sts. Do not join. Work in k1, p1 rib for 2" (5 cm), ending with a WS row. Purl 1 RS row. Work Cable and Lace chart for your size over all sts until piece measures 14" (35.5 cm) from CO, ending with a WS row.

Work 42 (48, 55, 60, 67, 73, 79) sts in patt, BO 4 (4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6) sts for underarm (see ), work 62 (72, 81, 89, 98, 108, 117) sts for back, BO 4 (4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6) sts for underarm, work to end124 (143, 162, 177, 196, 215, 234) sts rem: 42 (48, 55, 60, 67, 73, 79) sts for right front, 62 (72, 81, 89, 98, 108, 117) sts for back, 20 (23, 26, 28, 31, 34, 38) sts for left front. Place right front and back sts on holders.

Work 1 WS row. At beg of RS rows, BO 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3) sts 2 times16 (19, 22, 22, 25, 28, 32) sts rem. Work 1 WS row.

Dec row: (RS) K1, ssk, work to end1 st decd. Rep Dec Row every 0 (6, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1) row(s) 0 (2, 4, 5, 8, 11, 13) more times, working WS Dec Row (if needed) as foll: Work to last 3 sts, ssp, p115 (16, 17, 16, 16, 16, 18) sts rem. Work even until armhole measures 3 (3, 3, 312, 312, 334, 334)" (7.5 [7.5, 7.5, 9, 9, 9.5, 9.5] cm), ending with a RS row.

BO 1 (2, 3, 0, 0, 0, 2) st(s) at beg of next WS row14 (14, 14, 16, 16, 16, 16) sts rem. Work even in patt until armhole measures 614 (634, 714, 734, 814, 834, 914)" (16 [17, 18.5, 19.5, 21, 22, 23.5] cm). Place sts on holder.

With WS facing, rejoin yarn to 62 (72, 81, 89, 98, 108, 117) back sts.

BO 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3) sts at beg of next 4 rows54 (64, 73, 77, 86, 96, 105) sts rem. Work 1 WS row.

Dec row: (RS) K1, ssk, work to last 3 sts, k2tog, k12 sts decd. Rep Dec Row every 4 (2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1) row(s) 1 (3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11) more time(s), working WS Dec Row (if needed) as foll: P1, p2tog, work to last 3 sts, ssp, p150 (56, 63, 65, 70, 76, 81) sts rem. Work even in patt until armholes measure 414 (434, 514, 534, 614, 634, 714)" (11 [12, 13.5, 16, 17, 18.5] cm), ending with a WS row.