I have recently become friends with the gorgeous sheep who provide Doulton Border Leicester wool, and with their neighbours the rescue hens. Border Leicesters are a rare breed with lovely bouncy wool which is excellent for cables. It’s also excellent for many other things including colourwork and has superb stitch definition. DBL yarn comes in 4ply, DK and aran weight, and I was delighted when Ellie, who owns the sheep and loves them with all her heart, asked me to design a men’s slipover/tank top/vest for Geoff, who looks after the sheep.
So armed with a large quantity of the freshest eggs I have ever had, I set to work and this is the result.

The first picture shows the fifth size (extra large) worn with 10cm/4 inches of positive ease. The second picture shows the fourth size (large) worn with zero ease.

NOTE if you buy this pattern from here, I will refund the cost of the pattern if you work it in Doulton Border Leicester yarn. I will not be able to refund any VAT or sales tax you may have paid. Please send me a DM with a picture of your receipt for your yarn purchase. You can buy yarn here. Unfortunately it is not currently possible to ship yarn to the US. The Doulton Border Leicester yarn comes from a single, slaughter free flock of sheep who live to grow old. They all have names, and have a lovely life, with only the best being good enough for them. The Border Leicester is a large sheep with a lovely crimpy fleece. DBL DK yarn is on the heavier end of DK. It is a great all-round yarn for plain knitting, cables and colourwork, having lovely bounce and grip, and a little bit of lustre.

The garment is worked in the round from the bottom up. A central large cabled plait is flanked by twisted stitches, and a narrower cable runs up each side of the front and back.
After dividing for front and back, the upper body is worked flat. The central cable runs into a v-neck but there is also an option for a round-necked version. After shaping the shoulders they are joined either by seaming or by three-needle bind-off. The sample garment is long enough to cover the lower back, but you can shorten it if you wish.

The cable designs in this pattern are straightforward and easy to memorise. Techniques include casting on, binding off, optional three-needle bind-off, optional short rows, simple increases and decreases, working from a chart, simple cables and twisted stitches.
Written instructions for the charts are also included.