Vitelotte Skirt

**Sizes:** XS (S, M, L, XL, XXL). XS: Hip 35″ / 89 cm, circumference 22″ / 56 cm, cast on 110 sts, length 34½″ / 88 cm, 225 g (1 skein) S: Hip 38″ / 97 cm, circumference 24″ / 61 cm, cast on 120 sts, length 36″ / 92 cm, 250 g (1 skein) M: Hip 41½″ / 105 cm, circumference 26″ / 66 cm, cast on 130 sts, length 37½″ / 95 cm, 275 g (2 skeins) L: Hip 44½″ / 113 cm, circumference 28″ / 71 cm, cast on 140 sts, length 39″ / 99 cm, 300 g (2 skeins) XL: Hip 47¾″ / 121 cm, circumference 30″ / 76 cm, cast on 150 sts, length 40½″ / 103 cm, 330 g (2 skeins) XXL: Hip 51″ / 129 cm, circumference 32″ / 81 cm, cast on 160 sts, length 42″ / 107 cm, 355 g (2 skeins) For additional sizes, simply cast on more stitches in increments of 10 and try on as you go to get the length. **Gauge:** 20 sts / 27 rows = 10 cm / 4″ in stockinette on a 4.5 mm / US 7 needle, after blocking **Needles:** 3.75 mm (US 5), 60 cm / 24″ circular — waistband and tubular edges. 4.5 mm (US 7), 60 cm / 24″ circular — body. **Yarn:** 225 (250, 275, 300, 330, 355) g of Cascade Eco+ (Bulky) — 1 (1, 2, 2, 2, 2) skeins at 478 yd / 437 m per 250 g skein. If you are substituting, you will need approximately 430 (480, 525, 575, 630, 680) yd / 395 (435, 480, 525, 575, 620) m of another bulky weight yarn that achieves the right gauge. **A note on the yarn:** Cascade Eco+ is labelled bulky, but it sits at the light end of that category and behaves much like a heavy aran. Note that this pattern uses a firmer gauge than my other Eco+ designs — 20 sts on a 4.5 mm / US 7 needle here, against 18 sts on a 5 mm / US 8 elsewhere. Eco+ being 100% wool matters here too, as wool has the elasticity this fit depends on. If you are substituting, choose a heavy aran or light bulky with good bounce, and avoid superwash, cotton or plant-fibre blends, which stretch but do not recover. **Notions:** Stitch marker, cable needle, tapestry needle. **Fit and Sizing** This skirt is worn with substantial negative ease. The knitted tube measures 56 (61, 66, 71, 76, 81) cm / 22 (24, 26, 28, 30, 32)″ around when relaxed, and stretches to fit a hip roughly 60% larger than that. The numbers look small on paper — that is expected, and it is what gives the skirt its close, smooth fit. Choose your size by the “to fit hip” column rather than by the unstretched circumference. If you are between sizes, size down for a closer fit or up for a little more room and a slightly longer hang. A note on length. Finished length is graded up slightly with size. Because the fabric is stretched more around a larger body, it draws up vertically as it does so, and a longer knitted tube is needed to end up at the same point on the leg. Try it on as you go to find your desired length, and simply add (or subtract) rounds before the slit as necessary. **Notes** The skirt is worked seamlessly in the round from the waist down. It begins with a stretchy tubular cast on (which is essential) and a few rounds of double knitting, into the 1×1 ribbed waistband, then changes to a larger needle for the stockinette body. The slit is worked flat, with a double-knit edge worked along both sides of the opening so it lies flat and does not curl. This is an interesting technique and worth learning. The beginning-of-round marker sits at the centre back throughout, and the slit opens at that point. Gauge matters more than usual here. Because the skirt is worn stretched, a small difference in gauge changes the finished circumference significantly. Swatch in the round if you can, and block your swatch before measuring.