Flavium
by Lenny Pearl
I always love learning new techniques and I've always loved knitting lace. However, there never seems to be a great deal of lace knitwear for men and I wanted to make something lace that would have a "masculine" feel to it. I've always found the Roman stripe to be the most “masculine" of lace stitches, not to mention it looks great, so I wanted to incorporate it into my newly learnt moebius technique and make a "man's cowl"! So, in combining these two techniques, I came up with a cowl that, along with the name of the stitch, reminded me of the famous amphitheatre in Rome originally named Amphitheatrum Flavium in Latin and thus came the Flavium. Yarn: Approx. 119m (131yd) of DK weight yarn. I used a dyed yarn, 100% wool, produced by a local farm in Ylane, Finland called Rintalan tila. Needles: 5mm (US size 8) circular min. 100cm (40") long Gauge: 16 sts = 10cm (4") in St st Finished size. Approx. 36 x 21cm (14 x 8") Additional materials: Place marker
Abbreviations:
CO = cast on yo = yarn over BO - bind off k2tog = knit two together Rnd = round p2tog = purl two together k = knit pm = place marker p = purl
Pattern:
Using the moebius cast on method, CO 200 sts, pm and k one rnd (see Cat Bordhi's video tutorial. www.youtube.com/watch?v-LVnTda7F2V4). Next do the Roman stripe pattern in the round. Rnd 1. yo, k to end of rnd Rnd 2. k to end of rnd Rnd 3. k2tog to end of rnd Rnd 4: yo, p2tog to end of rnd Rnd 5. yo, k2tog to end of rnd Rnd 6. p to end of rnd Rnd 7. k to end of rnd Rnd 8. yo, p to end of rnd Rnd 9. p to end of rnd Rnd 10: p2tog to end of rnd Rnd 11. yo, k2tog to end of rnd Rnd 12. yo, p2tog to end of rnd Rnd 13: p to end of rnd Rnd 14: k to end of rnd Border: Rnds 15 - 17: rep rnds 1 - 3 Rnds 18 - 21: k to end of rnd Rnd 22: p to end of rnd BO: p 2, \*sl 2 st back onto left ndl, p2tog. p1\* rep to end Note on binding off: I tend to bind off too tightly, even when I bind off loosely! So I chose to use this bind off method which I found gave it a very nice edge too. Weave in loose ends and block. I find blocking a moebius garment a bit tricky, but just work with it so that the edges don't curl up and spread out the lace pattern so it can really be seen well.
