• Jen, seen from a 3/4 angle, smiles at the camera. She wears a light pink knit jacket, designed with a moss stitch pattern and featuring knit plackets around the zipper.
  • Seen close up, Jen wears a Letters from the Open Road jacket, partially unzipped. The jacket is knit from light pink yarn in a moss stitch design, and has purple, green, orange, and pink plackets around the zipper.
  • Jen wears a light pink jacket, knit with a high collar and a gold zipper, and smiles at the camera. Four plackets in various colors surround the zipper.
  • Seen close up, Jen unzips the gold zipper of a light pink jacket. Four plackets, knit in purple, green, orange, and pink yarn, surround the zipper.
  • Jen, hands in the pockets of a blue skirt, wears a light pink moss stitch jacket. The jacket features a gold zipper, with multi-colored plackets around the zipper band.
  • Folded on a tabletop, a moss stitch sweater with multi-colored plackets features a high collar and a gold zipper.
  • Seen from the shoulder down, Jen unzips a light pink, moss stitch sweater. The sweater has four plackets, knit with purple, orange, green, and pink plackets, and a high collar.
  • Jen holds open a folded Letters from the Open Road jacket, showing the inside of the plackets knit around the zippers.
  • Jen, leaning against a window frame and looking off camera, wears a blue skirt with a hand knit, light pink jacket. The jacket features four plackets around a gold zipper, with a high collar.
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One Wild Designs

Letters From the Open Road

Letters From the Open Road

$14.00 USD
$14.00 USD
Sale Sold out

Letters From the Open Road - a bespoke and sophisticated jacket knitting pattern

Whether you lean towards sassy athleisure or moto-jacket sophisticated, Letters from the Open Road will absolutely showcase your talents. As a friend of mine put it, “that’s a bit of a flex, then, isn’t it?” And YES! it definitely is.

This bespoke jacket is packed with thoughtful details: more ease in the front than the back, sewn tubular bind-offs, and a self-facing hem and collar. The allover seersucker stitch adds texture and warmth, elevated by welted zipper plackets worked in slipped stitches. The length can be customized for zipper length by working more or fewer rows between the cast on and the underarm.  Letters from the Open Road is worked in pieces from the bottom up, which are seamed together. Stitches are picked up for the hem and collar, which are finished with an optional tubular bind-off. The zipper is sewn in by hand (using a sewing machine is not recommended).

This pattern includes step-by-step instructions for zipper installation, including a video and a zipper supplement with lots of photos.

Construction

Letters From the Open Road is worked in pieces from the bottom up. You’ll work the fronts and back first, then seam them together. Stitches are picked up on either side of the front and the welted zipper plackets are worked by slipping stitches.

Stitches are picked up and knit for the hem and the collar, which are finished with an optional tubular bind-off. The zipper is sewn in by hand (using a sewing machine is not recommended). Sleeves are knit flat and seamed, and then set in.

Sizes

A (B, C, D) (E, F, G) (H, I, J)

To fit actual upper chest measurement: 29.5 (32.75, 36, 39.25) (42.5, 45.75, 49) (52.25, 55.5, 58.75) inches / 273 (82, 90, 98) (106.5, 114.5, 122.5) (130.5, 139, 147) cm

Finished full bust measurement, zipped: 31 (35.5, 39.5, 43.5) (47.5, 51, 55) (59, 63, 66.5) inches / 77.5 (89, 99, 109) (119, 127.5, 137.5) (147.5, 157.5, 166) cm

​Finished upper sleeve circumference: 11 (11.75, 13, 13.75) (15, 16.25, 17.5) (19, 20.75, 22.25) inches / 27.5 (29.5, 32.5, 34.5) (37.5, 40.5, 44) (47.5, 52, 55.5) cm

Download the full schematic here.

Your best fit

Choose the size closest to your actual upper bust measurement: 29.25 (32.75, 36, 39.25, 42.5) (45.75, 49, 52.25, 55.5, 58.75) inches / 73 (82, 90, 98, 106.5) (114.5, 122.5, 130.5, 139, 147) cm.

Upper chest is measured above the full bust, at an angle close to diagonal beneath the underarms, and straight across the back.

Letters From the Open Road is designed to fit with approximately 2-3 inches / 5-7.5 cm of positive ease at the full bust, and 2 inches / 5 cm of positive ease at the upper arm.

This sweater is graded for bodies with breasts and has more material in the front than the back. The difference between the back width and the front width at the full bust is 1 (1, 1.5, 2) (2.75, 1.5, 2) (2.75, 3.25, 4.5) inches / 2.5 (2.5, 4, 5.5) (6.5, 4, 5.5) (6.5, 8, 11) cm.

Jen is wearing size D in length A, with 3 inches / 7.5 cm of positive ease at the full bust. Her upper chest is 41.5 inches / 104 cm. 

Yarn

Sample is shown in Sprinkled Fibers 2 Ply Fingering

80% Superwash Merino, 20% nylon; 463 yards per 100g skein. This is a lightweight yarn with a subtle speckle that lends the garment depth. The 2 ply yarn, held double, creates a very textural fabric. Main Color is held double for the Seersucker Stitch and held single for the welted Zipper Placket. 

Lengths A - C are for zippers 50, 60, and 70 cm.

Main Color
Length A: 2715 (2955, 3220, 3495) (3760, 3990, 4245) (4525, 4825, 5030) yds / 2715 (2955, 3220, 3495) (3760, 3990, 4245) (4525, 4825, 5030) m; 6 (7, 7, 8) (9, 9, 10) (10, 11, 11) skeins

Length B: 3005 (3290, 3600, 3920) (4230, 4495, 4790) (5115, 5455, 5695) yds / 2750 (3005, 3295, 3585) (3865, 4110, 4380) (4675, 4990, 5210) m; 7 (8, 8, 9) (10, 10, 11) (12, 12, 13) skeins

​Length C: 3315 (3640, 4005, 4365) (4720, 5025, 5365) (5735, 6120, 6400) yds / 3030 (3330, 3660, 3995) (4315, 4595, 4905) (5245, 5595, 5850) m; 8 (8, 9, 10) (11, 11, 12) (13, 14, 14) skeins

4 Contrasting colors, each
Length A: 65 yds
Length B: 70 yds
Length C: 90 yds

Gauge

28 sts and 40 rows over 4 inches / 10 cm in Seersucker Stitch with yarn held double and size A needles.

Needles

All garment sizes use both needle sizes.

Size A: US size 3 / 3.25 mm
Size B: US size 2 / 2.75 mm, or one size smaller than size A.
Size C: US size 1 / 2.25 mm, or two sizes smaller than size A.

Notions

  • Stitch markers (optional)
  • Tapestry needle
  • Smooth waste yarn in contrasting color for the tubular cast-on (optional)
  • Spare DPN
  • Cable needle
  • Sewing needle and cotton thread
  • Straight pins
  • Separating jacket zipper (instructions are given for 20, 24 and 28 inch / 50, 60 and 70 cm zippers)

Techniques

  • Working directional increases and decreases
  • Working a sloped bind-off (optional)
  • Working a tubular cast-on (optional)
  • Picking up and working stitches
  • Sewing a tubular bind-off (optional)
  • Handsewing (for the zipper)
  • Seaming
  • Recognizing a knit and purl on the needle

Credits

Tech edit: Boann Petersen
Photography: Hypnotic Imagery, LLC
​Model: Jennifer Parroccini
Testers: Soda, Maria, Lea, Molly, Zofie, Colette, Cornelia, Fiona, Annamaria, Elizabeth Margaret, Asli, Shari

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