Esquire Martini Necktie

Esquire Martini Necktie

What Is Being Made

The Esquire Martini Necktie is a knitted neckwear accessory designed by Anastasia Blaes. This finished piece measures 2½ inches wide at its widest point and 53½ inches long, making it a classic necktie silhouette suitable for formal or professional wear. The design features a sophisticated color-blocking approach using two coordinating yarn colors to create visual interest in a traditionally simple garment.

Techniques and Construction

This necktie employs fundamental knitting techniques appropriate for beginner-level crafters. The construction involves strategic shaping through increase and decrease sections that taper the tie to its characteristic narrow point. The pattern utilizes Seed Stitch Stripe as the primary stitch pattern, which creates a textured, reversible fabric with excellent drape—ideal for neckwear that must maintain its shape and appearance from multiple angles.

The pattern incorporates several essential shaping techniques:

• Yarn forward increases (Kfb) used during the increase section to gradually widen the necktie from its starting point
• Slip-slip-knit (SSK) decreases and purl two together through the back loop (P2tog tbl) used during the decrease section to taper the tie to its finished point
• Seed Stitch Stripe Pattern worked in alternating rows across the entire length, combining knit and purl stitches in a repeating four-row sequence

The necktie is constructed in a single piece from cast-on edge through the increase section, the main body, and finally the decrease section, eliminating the need for seaming or assembly.

Stitches Used

The Esquire Martini Necktie relies on basic knitting stitches that make it accessible to beginners:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) stitches form the foundation of the Seed Stitch Stripe pattern
• Yarn forward (Yf) or Kfb (knit front and back) for increases during the widening section
• SSK (slip, slip, knit) for left-leaning decreases
• P2tog tbl (purl two together through the back loop) for right-leaning decreases

The Seed Stitch Stripe pattern alternates knit and purl stitches in a structured four-row repeat, creating a bumpy, textured surface that provides visual depth and helps the necktie maintain its structure during wear.

Materials and Tools

This project uses Malabrigo Susurro yarn in two colorways:

• 75 yards of Matisse Blue (main color/MC) in 1 hank
• 75 yards of Whale's Road (contrast color/CC) in 1 hank

Malabrigo Susurro is a DK weight yarn composed of 25% linen, 25% merino wool, and 50% silk. This fiber blend creates a lustrous, breathable fabric with excellent drape and a subtle sheen appropriate for formal neckwear. Each hank contains 325 yards per 100 grams (297 meters), providing ample yardage for this 53½-inch finished necktie.

The project requires Size 3 (3.25 mm) knitting needles and a tapestry needle for finishing any loose ends. The smaller needle size relative to the yarn weight creates a dense, structured fabric that holds its shape and resists stretching over time—essential qualities for a functional necktie.

Difficulty Level

Rated as a beginner-level project, the Esquire Martini Necktie introduces knitters to fundamental techniques including basic increases, decreases, and stitch pattern work. The straightforward construction and repetitive pattern sections make this an ideal project for those new to knitting who wish to create a wearable, professional-quality garment.