BETON

BETON Dickie by Nataliya Sinelshchikova

What Is Being Made

The BETON Dickie is a knitted neckwarmer and shoulder piece designed by independent designer Nataliya Sinelshchikova. This garment is a versatile layering piece that covers the neck and upper shoulders, suitable for both men and women. Available in three sizes with finished widths of 11.5 inches (size 1), 13.5 inches (size 2), and 15.5 inches (size 3), the dickie combines functional warmth with geometric visual interest.

Construction and Techniques

The BETON Dickie is worked flat from the bottom up in two separate pieces. The back piece is intentionally shorter than the front piece, and these two sections are sewn together at the shoulders to create the proper fit and drape. After the main body is complete, stitches are picked up around the neckline opening to knit the turtleneck portion in the round using either a small circumference circular needle or a set of double-pointed needles.

Wrap and Turn Short-Row shaping is employed to carefully shape the shoulder areas, allowing for a custom fit that follows the natural contours of the wearer's shoulders and neck. This technique creates subtle shaping without requiring complex decreases or increases across the main fabric.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The geometric pattern that defines the BETON Dickie is created through a combination of specialized knitting techniques:

• Half-Twisted 1x1 Rib: The primary stitch pattern used throughout most of the garment, which creates a textured, elastic fabric. The gauge is 30 stitches and 34 rows over 4 inches when worked in this pattern, blocked and slightly stretched.
• Left and Right Twists: Directional twisted stitches that work in combination with the half-twisted rib to form the geometric visual pattern
• 2-Stitch I-Cord Edges: Decorative and structural edges created using the I-Cord technique on a 2-stitch base, providing a finished, refined appearance to the piece

Materials and Yarn

The BETON Dickie is designed to be worked in Woolfolk Tov DK, a DK-weight yarn composed of 100% Ovis 21 Ultimate Merino® fiber. This yarn provides 160 yards per 50-gram skein. The yardage requirements vary by size: size 1 requires 3 skeins, size 2 requires 4 skeins, and size 3 requires 5 skeins. The pattern is shown in two colorways: TDK02 and TDK05, with samples photographed on both a female and male model of 5'11" height to demonstrate the garment's versatility.

Tools and Notions

This intermediate-level knitting project requires US 2.5 (3 mm) needles for the flat construction of the back and front pieces. For the turtleneck portion worked in the round, a US 2.5 (3 mm) circular needle for small circumference or a set of double-pointed needles (dpns) is needed. Additional supplies include a tapestry needle for seaming the shoulder seams and blocking tools to achieve proper gauge and finished dimensions.

Difficulty Level

The BETON Dickie is classified as an intermediate-level knitting project. While the basic stitches are accessible to knitters with foundational skills, the combination of half-twisted rib, directional twists, short-row shaping, and the transition from flat to in-the-round knitting requires solid understanding of intermediate techniques and the ability to follow pattern instructions with attention to stitch orientation and shaping details.