New pattern: Garter Yoke

Most knitters are familiar with the term yoke referring to the part of a sweater around the neck and shoulders. However, growing up in Ireland, the word is used to mean… almost anything;

(from the Collins dictionary)

(Irish) any device, unusual object, or gadget“   ⇒ where's the yoke for opening tins?

(from www.urbandictionary.com)

these days in Ireland, a Yoke refers to almost *anything*

"how do you get this feckin yoke to work?" - computer 

"pass me that yoke" - pencil 

"this yoke is feckin broken!" - DVD player 

etc

So this seemed like the perfect neck accessory that could be described as a dickie, a cowl or a neck warmer.

The Garter Yoke is a no-nonsense warming layer around the neck without extra bulk; perfect for under snug fitting coats & jackets. There are ends to tuck in or gaps in the wrapping to worry about. It is more form-fitting than the typical loose cowl, and comes down around the shoulders for extra warmth.

The design came about from a need to keep the Small Human of the house well wrapped up without the complication of wrapping a scarf around the neck; with the added advantage that said Small Human is able to put it on and remove it herself without fuss. It's smaller than the typical scarf, so can be stuffed in a coat pocket in between wearings.

The garter stitch fabric is super stretchy, so the sizing is very flexible, with plenty of room for growth. Smaller sizes can be worn to cover just the neck & collarbone area - the toddler sized yoke will fit over a large adult head, for example.

The pattern is written in five sizes - Baby, Toddler, Child, Small Adult, Large Adult - and in a choice of four different yarn weights - 4ply, sport, DK or aran weight.
It is begun with a provisional cast on, knitted flat & shaped with short rows, and finished with a three-needle bind off. Instructions are also suggested for knitting without the provisional cast on, with a sewn seam.

Samples shown are: 

Toddler size in aran weight; shown in Tivoli New Celtic Aran in shade 951 Cream
Large Adult size in 4ply /fingering weight; shown in Dublin Dye Merino Sock, in shade ‘In the Navy’ 

The pattern is available to buy now through Ravelry.

Thanks to Mr T & The Small Human for modelling, and to Laura & Ber for test-knitting.