Zig Zag Tunic

Inspired by a gift of wool-cotton yarn to make a roomy tunic-length pullover, Amy Tyler used a fancy zigzag stitch on the front and back to separate stockinette and reverse stockinette halves. Following advice from Deborah Newton, she knitted the yarn at a looser gauge than normal to allow plenty of drape, creating a top you’ll reach for from autumn’s first frost to spring’s last chill.

MATERIALS

Yarn Madelinetosh Wool + Cotton (50% superwash Merino wool, 50% pima cotton; 219 yd [200 m]/3½ oz [100 g]; DK weight); Ceremony, 5 (5, 5, 6) (6, 7, 7, 8) skeins.
Needles Size 6 (4.00 mm) at least 24" (60 cm)for body and sleeves. Size 5 (3.75 mm) 16" or 20" (40 or 50 cm) circular (cir) needle for neck edge. Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Notions Markers (m); stitch holders; scrap yarn or removable markers; tapestry needle.
Gauge 19½ sts and 26 rows = about 4" (10 cm) in St st using larger needles.

Finished Size 37 (40, 43½, 47) (51, 55, 60, 65)" (94 [101.5, 110.5, 119.5] [129.5, 139.5, 152.5, 165] cm) chest circumference. Tunic shown measures 47" (119.5 cm), worn with 11" (28 cm) ease.

NOTES

• The Zig Zag pattern can be worked from charts or written instructions.
  
• The tunic is worked flat in pieces from the bottom up and seamed.
  
• The two largest sizes have the widest upper bodies, so their sleeves are shorter to prevent the overall wingspan of the garment from becoming too wide.
  
• For instructions on working the Sloped Bind-off, see purlsoho.com/create/sloped-bind-off.
  
• The larger sizes have deeper armholes, so their lower bodies are shorter to prevent the overall garment length from becoming too long.
  
• Avoid binding off tightly across the sleeve tops.
  
• The lower edges of the body and sleeves will roll gently to the knit side of the fabric after blocking.
  

About: Amy Tyler has spent her adult life studying human movement, both in art (modern dance) and science (kinesiology and physiology). She spent nine years teaching physical therapy students but left academia in 2004 to pursue fiber arts. When asked by a former physiology colleague if she uses her science background in the fiber arts, she replied, “Every single day!”

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