Earth Stripe Tunic in Rowan Kidsilk Haze - ROWEB-04029-DEP - Downloadable PDF

Kaffe Fassett Earth Stripe Tunic in Rowan Kidsilk Haze – Pattern Summary (ROWEB-04029-DEP)

The Earth Stripe Tunic is a stunning hand-knitted tunic designed by the celebrated colorist Kaffe Fassett, worked in the luxurious Rowan Kidsilk Haze lace-weight yarn. This pattern, available as a downloadable PDF, delivers a richly textured, multi-tonal striped garment that showcases Kaffe Fassett's signature approach to layering color through carefully sequenced stripe combinations. The tunic is classified as intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with basic techniques and ready to explore more complex colorwork through yarn pairing.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a striped tunic-length sweater worked in a classic, relaxed silhouette. The design is available in four sizes, accommodating bust measurements from 81–86 cm up to 112–117 cm (sizes S, M, L, and XL). The garment's defining visual feature is its intricate, ever-changing stripe sequence that runs throughout the body, creating a painterly, earthy palette effect that is entirely characteristic of Kaffe Fassett's aesthetic.

Colorwork and Stripe Design

One of the most distinctive elements of this tunic is its extraordinarily detailed stripe sequence, which spans well over 140 rows and changes color combination almost every one to four rows. Each stripe is worked using two strands of Rowan Kidsilk Haze held together, with the two strands often drawn from different colorways to create a blended, hazy tonal effect unique to this yarn. This double-strand technique is central to Kaffe Fassett's approach with Kidsilk Haze, allowing subtle color mixing that would be impossible with a single, solid yarn.

The stripe color combinations used throughout the pattern include pairings such as:

• Majestic (G) and Trance (H) – opening the stripe sequence
• Drab (D) and Majestic (G) – recurring throughout for an earthy anchor tone
• Bark (B) and Mint (F) – introducing cool contrast
• Majestic (G) and Blushes (J) – adding warm blush undertones
• Hurricane (A) and Bark (B) – deep, rich pairings for grounding
• Candy Girl (E) and Bark (B) – a soft pop of warmth
• Twig (C) and Jelly (I) – cool, muted combinations
• Mint (F) and Jelly (I) – delicate, ethereal blends

This rotating palette of ten colorways ensures that no two sections of the tunic look identical, producing a garment with genuine visual depth and artisanal character.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls exclusively for Rowan Kidsilk Haze, a lace-weight yarn renowned for its halo of kid mohair blended with silk. This combination gives the finished fabric a soft, luminous quality with a characteristic fuzzy surface that beautifully blurs the transitions between stripe colors. The ten colorways used are:

• Hurricane 632 (A) – 2 x 25 g balls across all sizes
• Bark 674 (B) – 2 x 25 g (S/M/L), 3 x 25 g (XL)
• Twig 730 (C) – 2 x 25 g balls across all sizes
• Drab 611 (D) – 4 x 25 g balls across all sizes
• Candy Girl 606 (E) – 1 x 25 g ball across all sizes
• Mint 693 (F) – 2 x 25 g (S/M/L), 3 x 25 g (XL)
• Majestic 589 (G) – 5