Maggie Pattern

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Maggie – A vintage-style Fair Isle waistcoat

This pattern is based on the waistcoat worn by Maggie Gyllenhaal in the film Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang.

This is my version.

To fit size small / medium

Actual measurements
Chest – 89 cm (35 inches)
Length from shoulder – 52 cm (21 inches)

Yarn requirements
4 x 50g balls of beige double knitting weight yarn (light worsted)
1 x 50g ball of green double knitting weight yarn
1 x 50g ball of yellow double knitting weight yarn
1 x 50g ball of red double knitting weight yarn
I used Sirdar yarns – Snuggly DK and Countrystyle DK

Needles
3.75mm ( US size 5) straight needles
3.25mm (US size 3) straight needles

Tension
24 sts and 27 rows to 10cm (4 inches) measured over Fair Isle pattern.

Abbreviations
sts – stitches
k – knit
p – purl
RS – right side of work
dec – decrease
k2tog – knit 2 stitches together
beg – beginning
RH – right hand
yrn – yarn round needle
WS – wrong side of work
k2togtbl - knit 2 stitches together through the back of the loops

Pattern

BACK
Cast on 116 sts with 3.75mm needles and beige yarn
(k1 p1) to end
Repeat this row until work measures 10cm ending with RS facing for next row. .
Commence stocking stitch.
1st row (dec) (k2tog, k17) 6 times, k2tog. [109 sts]
Purl 1 row.
Commence pattern
Work 6 rows of diamond pattern from chart 1 joining in green and yellow

stocking st 2 rows in beige

work 11 rows of red pattern from chart 2

stocking st 2 rows in beige

These 21 rows form pattern.
Repeat pattern until work measures 34 cm.

Shape armholes
Keeping pattern correct, cast off 5 sts at beg of next 2 rows. [99sts]
Decrease 1 st at each end of next 6 rows. [87 sts]
Dec 1 st at each end of following 3 alternate rows. [81 sts]
Dec 1 st at each end of following 4th row. [79 sts]
Continue in pattern until armhole measures 18 cm.

Shape shoulders
Cast off 7 sts at beginning of next row, pattern until there are 11 sts on RH needle, turn, leaving remaining sts on a holder.
Working on 11 sts only, cast off 4 sts, pattern to end.
Cast off remaining 7 sts.
With RS facing rejoin yarn to stitches on holder. Cast off 43 sts and pattern to end. [18 sts]
Cast off 7 sts at beginning of next row.
Cast off 4 sts at beginning of next row.
Cast off remaining 7 sts.

LEFT FRONT
Cast on 66 sts.
(P1, k1) to end
Repeat this row until work measures 10cm ending with RS facing for next row. .
Commence stocking stitch.
1st row (dec): (k2tog, k17) 3 times, k1, (p1, k1) 4 times. [63 sts]
2nd row: (p1, k1) 4 times, purl to end.
These two rows set the stitches for the button band, keeping these correct commence pattern as follows
Work 6 rows of diamond pattern from chart 3.

Stocking st 2 rows in beige.

Work 11 rows of red pattern from chart 4

Stocking st 2 rows in beige.

Repeat these 21 rows until 14 rows less than start of armhole shaping have been worked, ending with RS facing for next row.

Next row: pattern to last 10 sts, k2tog, (p1, k1) 4 times.
Next row: pattern to end.

Repeat the last two rows six times more. [56 sts]

Shape armhole
Cast off 5 sts at beginning of next row.
Pattern one row.
Decrease 1 st at armhole edge on next 6 rows.
Decrease 1 st at armhole edge on nest 3 alternate rows.
Decrease 1 st at armhole edge on next following 4th row.
AT THE SAME TIME
Continue front shaping on every RS row as before until 23 sts remain ending with a WS facing for next row.
Work 3 rows straight.
Pattern to last 10 sts, k2tog, (p1, k1) 4 times. [22 sts]
Continue straight until work measures the same as back to start of shoulder shaping ending with RS facing for next row.

Cast off 7 st at beginning of next row.
Pattern one row.
Cast off 7 sts at beginning of next row. [8 sts]

Continue on these 8 sts for button band neck extension until work fits to centre of back piece when slightly stretched. Cast off.

Mark the position on the button band for 6 buttons, the lowest one to be placed 5 rows up from the bottom of the work and the top most one to be placed just before front shaping.

RIGHT FRONT
Cast on 66 sts.
(k1, p1) to end
Repeat this row 3 times more.
With RS facing for next row, work buttonhole row as follows: k1, p1, k2tog, yrn, (k1, p1) to end.
This row creates first button hole. Work 5 further button holes in this way to correspond with the markers on the left front.
NO FURTHER MENTION OF THE BUTTONHOLES WILL BE MADE.

Continue in rib until work measures 10cm ending with RS facing for next row. .
Commence stocking stitch.
1st row (dec): (k1, p1) 4 times, k1 (k17, k2tog) 3 times. [63 sts]
2nd row: Purl to last 8 sts, (k1, p1) 4 times.

These two rows set the stitches for the buttonhole band, keeping these correct commence pattern as follows
Work 6 rows of diamond pattern from chart 5.

Stocking st 2 rows in beige.

Work 11 rows of red pattern from chart 6

Stocking st 2 rows in beige.

Repeat these 21 rows until 14 rows less than start of armhole shaping have been worked, ending with RS facing for next row.

Next row: (k1, p1) 4 times, k2togtbl, pattern to end.
Next row: pattern to end.

Repeat the last two rows six times more. [56 sts]
Repeat the first row 1 more time.

Shape armhole
With WS facing, cast off 5 sts at beginning of next row.
Decrease 1 st at armhole edge on next 6 rows.
Decrease 1 st at armhole edge on nest 3 alternate rows.
Decrease 1 st at armhole edge on next following 4th row.
AT THE SAME TIME
Continue front shaping on every RS row as before until 23 sts remain ending with a WS facing for next row.
Work 3 rows straight.
Pattern to last 10 sts, k2tog, (p1, k1) 4 times. [22 sts]
Continue straight until work measures the same as back to start of shoulder shaping ending with WS facing for next row.

Cast off 7 st at beginning of next row.
Pattern one row.
Cast off 7 sts at beginning of next row. [8 sts]
Continue on these 8 sts for button hole band neck extension until work fits to centre of back piece when slightly stretched. Cast off.

Neaten all loose ends.
Join shoulder seams and sew ends of neck band extensions to back piece. Join cast off ends of neck bands.

ARM BANDS
With RS facing pick up and knit 86 sts along armhole edge.
Work in K1, P1 rib for 7 rows. Cast off.

Join side seams and sew on buttons.

Apologies for the quality of the charts – I’m afraid I’m very much an amateur. I’ve tried to check the pattern over as much as I can – if you stop an error please let me know.