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Shimofuri Chairo Ke-Bura |
Shizen iro, or natural color, describes the subtle shibui neutrals of brown and gray in the marled yarn I used for this kimono. The restrained iki style of subdued palette and barely visible woven patterns on the outside of kimono is brought front and center for this garment, which is at once cozy, comfortable, and classic. The overall cable pattern on the back and front panels defends the shape and the two-color garter slip-stitch pattern on the neckband and cuffs provides a statement of casual refinement.
Although only a small percentage of historical Japanese kimono fashion involved wool, its lure is too great for me to resist. For me, wrapping up in wool’s soft warmth is a luxury that has become a standard.
About 51½" (131 cm) in circumference—48¾" (124 cm) garment plus a 2¾" (7 cm) gap at center front—and 27½" (70 cm) in length.
Worsted weight (#4 Medium).
Shown here: Cascade Yarns Cascade 220 (100% wool; 220 yd [201 m]/100 g): #9539 brown marl (MC), 8 skeins; #9471 brown (CC), 1 skein.
Size U.S. 8 (5 mm): two 29" (73.5 cm) circular (cir).
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Cable needle (cn); waste yarn or stitch holders; removable markers; tapestry needle.
17 stitches and 25 rows = 4" (10 cm) in reverse stockinette stitch; 22 stitches and 26 rows = 4" (10 cm) in charted pattern.
GARTER SLIP-STITCH BORDER (multiple of 2 sts + 1)
NOTE Slip all sts purlwise.
ROWS 1 AND 2 With MC, knit.
ROW 3 (RS) With CC, k1, *sl 1 with yarn in back (wyb), k1; rep from *.
ROW 4 With CC, k1, *sl 1 with yarn in front (wyf), k1; rep from *.
ROWS 5 AND 6 With MC, knit.
ROW 7 With CC, k2, *sl 1 wyb, k1; rep from * to last st, k1.
ROW 8 With CC, k2, *sl 1 wyf, k1; rep from * to last st, k1.
Repeat Rows 1–8 for pattern.
With MC, CO 142 sts. Do not join. Work Rows 14–16 of Back chart (see page 24) once, then rep Rows 1–16 until piece measures about 27½" (70 cm) from CO, ending with Row 16 of chart. Place sts on waste yarn holder.
With MC, CO 51 sts. Do not join. Work Rows 14–16 of Right Front chart, then rep Rows 1–16 until piece measures about 27½" (70 cm) from CO, ending with Row 16 of chart. Place sts on waste yarn holder.
With MC, CO 51 sts. Do not join. Work Rows 14–16 of Left Front chart, then rep Rows 1–16 until piece measures about 27½" (70 cm) from CO, ending with Row 16 of chart. Place sts on waste yarn holder.
Place 142 held back sts onto one needle and 51 held right front sts onto another needle. With RS tog, use the three-needle method (see Glossary) to BO 51 right front and back sts tog for right shoulder, then BO next 40 sts for back neck, then place 51 held left front sts onto second needle and use the three-needle method to BO 51 left front and rem back sts tog for left shoulder.
Measure and mark 13" (33 cm) down from shoulder on front and back at side edges. With MC and RS facing, pick up and knit 111 sts evenly spaced between markers. Do not join. Knit 3 rows. Change to rev St st (purl RS rows; knit WS rows) and work even until piece measures 1½" (3.8 cm) from pick-up row, ending with a WS row.
DEC ROW (RS) P1, ssp (see Glossary), purl to last 3 sts, p2tog, p1—2 sts dec’d.
Work even in rev St st for 1½" (3.8 cm) ending with a WS row. Rep dec row. Dec 1 st each end of needle in this manner every 1½" (3.8 cm) 7 more times—93 sts rem. Knit 1 (WS) row. Work Rows 1–8 of garter slip-stitch border (see Stitch Guide) 2 times, then work Row 1 once more. With WS facing, BO all sts kwise.
With MC, RS facing, and beg at lower edge of right center front, pick up and knit 126 sts to right shoulder seam, 39 sts across back neck, and 126 sts from left shoulder seam to lower edge of left front—291 sts total. Working back and forth with 2 cir needles, knit 1 WS row. With CC and beg with Row 3, work through Row 8 of garter slip-stitch border, then work Rows 1–8 two more times, then work Row 1 once more—band measures about 2¼" (5.5 cm) from pick-up row. With WS facing, loosely BO all sts kwise.
Wet-block (see Glossary) to measurements. Let air-dry completely.
With MC threaded on a tapestry needle, RS facing, and using a mattress st for rev St st (see Glossary), sew side and sleeve seams, changing to mattress st for garter st (see Glossary) for cuffs. Lightly steam seams to set sts.
