The Amanda jacket is a lovely piece that can trace its roots back to a simple stockinette shrug in a similar yarn weight. This time, the shrug was knitted in a Mosaic stitch pattern, documented by Barbara Walker, which gives a dramatic texture to the piece. A wide Trinity stitch shawl collar was added, providing a lighter contrasting texture. The collar was “finished” with an i-cord bind off, a simple to knit that gives a polished look. The transformation from shrug to jacket was completed with the addition of ribbed sleeves finished with a stockinette curl. The construction of the jacket is deceptively simple since it is based on four rectangles with no shaping.
The store sample, knit in Bluefaced Leister yarn in Aran weight, is soft and lucious. The yarn is 100% wool from West Yorkshire Spinners. The company notes that the wool is “reared, sheared and spun in Britain”. More information about the yarn can be found here.
The jacket can be worn in the traditional fashion, with the shawl collar around the neck. But, for the more adventuresome, it can be styled upside down, with the collar as a band across the bottom of the jacket.
For further versatility, there is no need to make all sections of the jacket. If you stop at the first rectangle, you will have a gorgeous shrug with a textured stitch pattern. If you knit the shrug with sleeves, you will have a collarless jacket. The options are yours.
The pattern is available at Creative Yarns at no charge with purchase of yarn for the project.