Knitting the Zig Zag Tunic in Handspun

Editor’s note: Amy Tyler’s Zig Zag Tunic is a crowd favorite. We wanted to knit our own version using handspun, and asked Amy for some advice on choosing the perfect yarn for this pattern.

I’ve knitted this sweater twice, both times using solid-color commercial-spun yarns of 50% Merino wool and 50% cotton. I am a big fan of wool/cotton mixes. I do see an excellent opportunity for handspinners to create other yarns that would be perfect for this pattern.

Pick the Perfect Fiber

Because this is a loose-fitting sweater, drape is important. It helps to use a yarn than is not too tightly knitted and one that is also not overly elastic. There are several fibers that drape nicely and would work well: longwools (such as Wensleydale, Lincoln, Bluefaced Leicester), alpaca, llama, silk, cotton, and linen.

Analyzing the Swatches

I rummaged through my stash of handspun yarns left over from long-ago projects and found four that include some of the above-mentioned fibers. The first swatch is a Romney/silk combination; the second is a mohair/longwool combination; the third is a llama/wool combination; and the fourth is Bluefaced Leicester. They all drape appropriately for this sweater.

1. Swatch one is a blend of 70% Romney lamb and 30% muga silk carded roving from Lucky Cat Craft. It is a mostly solid color with some heathering from the silk. The yarn is a two-ply. The swatch was knit with a size 7 (4.5 mm) needle.
2. Swatch two is a blend of 10% mohair and 90% wool (a mix of Bluefaced Leicester, Lincoln, and Romney) combed top from Carol Densmore at Crosswind Farm. This gray top was overdyed with turqouise for a solid color. The yarn is a two-ply. The swatch was knit with a size 6 (4 mm) needle.
3. Swatch three is is a blend of 70% llama and 30% Columbia wool carded roving from Tracie Herkner at It's Sew Ewe. Amy spun four natural colors randomly to create a variable marled yarn. The yarn is a two-ply. The swatch was knit with a size 10 (6 mm) needle.
4. Swatch four is 100% Bluefaced Leicester spun from undyed combed top, then plied for a two-ply yarn. After spinning and plying, Nancy Finn dyed the yarn in "spice" colors. The swatch was knit with a size 9 (5.5 mm) needle.

For each swatch, I cast on 30 stitches. The first 10 stitches are in stockinette stitch, the second 10 stitches follow the instructions for one “zig and zag” as described for the front of the sweater, and the last 10 stitches are in reverse stockinette stitch. I worked 36 rows, then bound off. I used needle sizes that I thought would result in a loose gauge.

Get a closer look! Click on any image below to view it in full-screen mode.

Notice that swatches one and two are relatively solid in color, resulting in a subtle play between the stockinette and reverse stockinette sections.

Swatch three is a blend of four colors of roving, spun as a mixed-up marl yarn. I think the color strategy of a marled yarn, where the plies are of different colors, did not make the most of the stockinette and reverse stockinette pairing.