Eixample

I was lucky enough to visit Barcelona recently and one of my favourite memories of the trip was wandering the streets of the Eixample district (pronounced "ay-sham-pla"). This design is inspired by the many beautiful Art Nouveau-inspired facades I saw there, which were often painted onto buildings, in panels between balconies and windows. CONSTRUCTION This body of this garment is mainly worked sideways, which means that the number of rows worked determines the width and the number of stitches determines the length. You begin by casting on the stitches for the left sleeve, working ~1” / 2.5 cm, then casting on the stitches for the body length onto the second set of gauge needles, before joining the two together. The body is worked flat, with short row shaping used to add width to either the shoulders or the body, depending on your chosen size. A band of colourwork is added at the upper shoulder, which can be worked flat or in the round, depending on personal preference. The neckband is then shaped and the front and back are worked separately, before rejoining and working a mirror image of the left side of the body on the right. Stitches for the neckband, waistband and sleeves are picked up around the body. Neckband and sleeves are worked in the round; the waistband can be worked either in the round or with a split, depending on personal preference. SIZING GUIDE This garment is graded into sizes 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9, 10). Recommended positive ease is 5+” / 12.5+ cm at the chest circumference and 1” / 2.5 cm at the upper sleeve circumference (although if you wish to shorten the sleeves, you may prefer to increase the positive ease here). You can mix and match chest and sleeve sizes to achieve the best fit for you. Finished Garment Chest Circumference: 37.5 (41.5, 42.75, 46.25, 50.75) (54.75, 58.75, 62.75, 66.75, 70.75)" 93.5 (103.5, 107, 115.5, 127) (137, 147, 157, 167, 177) cm SAMPLE The wearer is 5’10” / 178 cm with a 37” / 92.5 cm chest circumference. The sample has been worked in size 4, with two extra rows worked into the body at each opportunity given in the pattern (to suit broader shoulders), giving the wearer 11.5” / 29 cm of positive ease at the chest. To accommodate the height of the wearer, the longer body length has been worked and an extra 2” / 5 cm of length has been added to the sleeve length. Sleeves have been worked in size 3. GAUGE Using 3.5 mm / US size 4 needles, or needle size required to meet gauge, 24 stitches over 28 rows / rounds in both stockinette stitch and colourwork, wet blocked, creates a 4x4” / 10x10 cm square. YARN The sample has been worked using Botanical Yarn’s Organic Sport Non-Superwash base (300 m / 328 yds per 100 g) in colourways Candytuft Umbellata for the Main Colour and Hellebore Orientalis for the Contrast Colour. YARDAGE (includes ~10% excess) Main Colour: 857 (930, 1023, 1094, 1166) (1256, 1311, 1373, 1454, 1527) metres 938 (1018, 1119, 1197, 1275) (1374, 1435, 1503, 1590, 1671) yards 286 (310, 341, 365, 389) (419, 437, 458, 485, 509) grams Contrast Colour: 205 (206, 208, 209, 211) (212, 213, 215, 216, 217) metres 224 (225, 227, 229, 230) (232, 233, 235, 236, 238) yards 68 (69, 69, 70, 70) (71, 71, 72, 72, 72) grams *Yardages assume the Longer Body Length option has been worked.* TOOLS & NOTIONS 2.75 mm / US size 2 circular needles (to work neckband, cuffs and waistband; varying cable lengths would be helpful) Two sets of gauge needles are required: -Sleeve 3.5 mm / US size 4 circular needles (with cable length to suit chosen sleeve circumference) -Body 3.5 mm / US size 4 circular needles (with cable length of at least 40” / 100 cm) 2 markers scrap yarn tapestry needle to weave in ends *If you opt to work the colourwork in the rnd and steek it: 2.75 mm / size C-2 crochet hook Scissors Optional: sewing machine* SKILLS REQUIRED -long tail cast on -joining and working in the round -Judy's Magic cast on -joining and working flat -German short row shaping -working left and right make one increases -reading colourwork charts -working stranded colourwork with two colours flat or in the round -picking up stitches -working a repeating pattern of decreases -decreasing using K2tog and SSK -contrast colour bind off edging