Cassiopeia Vest

Cassiopiea Hat Set and Vest patterncard kit designs by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn

Cassiopiea Hat Set and Vest patterncard kit designs by Alice Starmore and Persian Tiles wrap by Jade Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn

Cassiopiea Vest and Hirta Hat Set patterncard kit designs by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn

Description

Measurements:
Petite – Underam 86cm. Length 52cm.
Small – Underarm 93.25cm. Length 53cm.
Medium – Underarm 100.75cm. Length 54cm.
Large – Underarm 106.5cm. Length 55cm.
X Large – Underarm 112.5cm. Length 56cm.
XX Large – Underarm 120cm. Length 57cm.
XXX Large – Underarm 127.5cm. Length 58cm.
XXXX Large – Underarm 135.5cm. Length 59cm.

This kit includes a colour-printed pattern card with full instructions in eight sizes and all the Alice Starmore 2 Ply Hebridean™ yarn required to make the Cassiopeia Vest in your chosen size and colours.

There are three colours used: a Main Colour (MC); a Pattern Colour (PC) used for the larger pattern bands, and a Contrast Colour (CC) used for the cast-on and the little pattern bands worked between the larger bands.

There are two colourways shown in the photographed examples. The first shows the vest with a Main Colour of Glen, a Pattern Colour of Golden Plover and a Contrast Colour of Driftwood. The pale vest is made with a Main Colour of Pebble Beach, a Pattern Colour of Solan Goose and a Contrast Colour of Whin. These two colourways illustrate just how much colour choice can affect the finished design. With just three colours in the scheme, you can choose any combination of Hebridean 2 Ply colours to make the vest co-ordinate perfectly with any outfit. The Glen version is shown worn with a matching Cassiopeia Hat Set, while the Pebble Beach version is shown with a Hirta Hat Set.

The vest is entirely worked in the round with a subtle contrast colour worked in the Channel Islands Cast-on, (this cast on method is shown in our free video tutorials section). The body patterns are worked in the stranded knitting technique with steeks worked at the armholes and neck shaping. For a step-by-step video tutorial showing all the techniques involved in knitting and finishing stranded garments visit our Stranded Knitting in the Round with Steeks tutorial section.

Click here for a digital shadecard of all Hebridean 2 Ply colours.

£69.00 – £93.00

Size

Main Colour

Pattern Colour

Contrast Colour

Clear

International Delivery Information

International Shipping

Tracked International Shipping Costs

Orders up to £150 to a single address – Total Shipping £10

Orders up to £175 to a single address – Total Shipping £15

Orders up to £250 to a single address – Total Shipping £20

Orders up to £350 to a single address – Total Shipping £30

Orders up to £450 to a single address – Total Shipping £40

Orders over £451 to a single address – Total Shipping £50

Orders over £551 to a single address – Total Shipping £60

Orders over £651 to a single address – Total Shipping £70

Orders over £751 to a single address – Total Shipping £80

Orders over £851 to a single address – Total Shipping £90

Orders over £951 to a single address – Total Shipping £100

This scale reflects the fact that larger orders will go in separate boxes.

Please ensure that you check our DELIVERY INFORMATION page for full details.

UK Delivery Information

UK Delivery

Orders up to £100 to a single address – Total Shipping £5

Orders up to £150 to a single address – Total Shipping £7

Orders up to £250 to a single address – Total Shipping £10

Orders up to £350 to a single address – Total Shipping £15

Orders up to £450 to a single address – Total Shipping £20

Orders up to £550 to a single address – Total Shipping £25

Orders up to £650 to a single address – Total Shipping £30

This scale reflects the fact that larger orders will weigh more and will go in separate boxes. All of our UK parcels are sent by Royal Mail 1^st Class. Shipping times within the UK are 2-3 days on average.

Please contact us if you wish to make an order over the value of £650.

Please ensure that you check our DELIVERY INFORMATION page for full details.

Purchase Information

Our pattern-inclusive kits are made up in skeins of varying weight, according to the amounts required for each project. Every project on our website has been knitted here at Virtual Yarns, so we know precisely how much yarn is required to make them. Each kit contains that amount plus an extra 8 per-cent more yarn. This is enough yarn to knit a swatch and the project, PROVIDED THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOLLOWED FOR THE SIZE ORDERED. The extra 8 per-cent allows reasonable leeway for knitter error. Kits are made up by hand to order, and each yarn amount is carefully weighed.

For further information, please check our PURCHASE INFORMATION page.

Washing Instructions

Please note that all of our yarns are supplied washed and therefore do not require to be washed or fulled after knitting, unless you have an accident. Generally speaking, your garments should not require cleaning/washing any more than a coat would.

All of our designs are made with 100% pure new wool yarns and should be washed either by hand with pure soap in hand hot-water, or in a front loading washing machine which has a specific wool programme using a small amount of non-biological detergent. We do not recommend the use of any fabric softeners or any additives that will remain in the fabric after rinsing.

If hand washing, dissolve a small amount of pure soap flakes – or if using a pure soap bar, grate the required amount – into hand-hot water. Ensure that the soap has thoroughly dissolved before immersing the piece. Use a gentle squeezing motion to wash; do not cause any friction by rubbing or scrubbing as this will cause the fibres to felt. Gently squeeze out the excess soapy water and rinse well in warm water. It is important to remove as much excess water as quickly as possible as the longer moisture is left in wool yarn, the more likely it is to shrink or felt.

The best method for removing water is to spin in a washing machine, but if you prefer to remove the water by hand then gently squeeze the piece to remove the main water load and then lay the piece flat on towels and roll up, squeezing out as much water as possible into the towels. You will have to use several towels and repeat the process to remove as much moisture as you can.

Alternatively, spin to remove the excess water. If using a top loading machine it is important to place the piece in a suitable pillowcase (white cotton is best) so that it does not wrap around the spindle and become distorted. For both top-loading machines and front-loading machines, it is vitally important to remove from the spinner as soon as it has stopped: otherwise the piece can become permanently creased.

In all cases, dry flat on towels away from direct heat/sunlight, and smooth gently into shape. You can place small towels – or even better, cut and finish old towelling into the garment shapes, such as sleeves etc – and place inside the garment so that the two layers are separate. This will greatly help speed up drying process.

For straight, dropped-shoulder pullover styles, a woolly board is an excellent method of drying as the garment is placed on the board and dried to size allowing air to circulate inside. The board can also be used for cardigans in this style so long as you tack the front bands closed using a strong cotton thread, which you then carefully remove once the garment has dried. Glove boards can also be used for gloves which will allow them to dry in perfect shape.

Story

Living in the Outer Hebrides at a latitude of 58° means that the northern circumpolar constellations can be viewed in the night sky in all their mysterious glory. With the exception of high summer when the skies never darken, I can watch the constellations as they turn majestically around Polaris. The constellation of Cassiopeia is highly distinctive, being composed of five luminous stars set in the Milky Way. As it traverses around Polaris it appears as an “M” in the winter months, then gradually moving end on, it forms a “W” in the summer skies.

The main pattern band on the gloves and hat reflect this motion with a line that weaves its way around through “M” and “W”. The large shape held within depicts Cassiopeia’s largest star, Schedar, and the small contrasting borders depict its containment in the Milky Way.

Both beret and gloves feature the Channel Islands Cast-on which can be made in the main colour as shown on the Red Deer set, or adding a contrast colour as shown on the Glen set. This cast-on provides a beautiful edge for the k1,p1 rib on both beret and gloves. I’ve made the cuff ribs extra long so that they can be worn high up the arm or doubled over. Whichever way you choose to wear them, they are sure to keep you very cosy. With just three colours in the scheme, you can choose any combination of Hebridean 2 Ply colours to make this set co-ordinate perfectly with any outfit.

The vest is quick and fun to knit and the style is both practical and versatile. It will create a spectacular outfit when worn with the Cassiopeia Hat Set which you can make using the same choice of colours worked to match the vest exactly or with the colours placed differently.

Alice