This sophisticated style simulates a skirt and top. The classic top boasts amazing details - crossed straps at the back and a zipper at the front for more decollete. Tough, high boots add a rock music note! By the way, for a sexy look, turn the dress back to front - the crossed straps become the perfect halter neck.

Size: 36/38.

Materials: Schoppel-Wolle "In Silk" (75% pure wool, 25% silk, approx. 200 m/100 g): 200 g in Grey Melange, col 9680, and 300 g in Navy, col 4193; size 3.5 mm Addi circular needle, 80 cm/32" long; cable needle (cn); one zipper in grey, 30 cm/12" long.

Shaker rib pat in rnds: Rnd 1: * yo, sl 1 as if to purl, p1; rep from * around. Rnd 2: * ktog next st and yo, p1; rep from * around. Repeat rnds 1 + 2 throughout.

Stockinette: K on RS, p on WS Reverse Stockinette: P on RS, k on WS. 

Cable patterns A and B: Work according to charts A and B. Work RS rows from right to left. On all WS rows not shown on chart, work sts as they appear. Work 19 pat sts once. Work rows 1 - 8 throughout.

Tension: 20 sts and 34 rnds = 10 x 10 cm/4" x 4" in shaker rib pat; 17 sts and 25 rows = 10 x 10 cm/ 4" x 4"in Stockinette; 19 sts of cable patterns A and B = 7 cm/2 3/4" wide.

Skirt: With Navy, cast on 150 sts. Join for working in rnds and place beg of rnd marker. Work shaker rib pat in rnds until skirt measures 39 cm/15 1/2" = 132 rnds from cast-on.

Next rnd: Knit and dec (k2tog) 16 sts evenly around = 134 sts. Sl 37 sts to LH needle so that needle tips are now at center of front, then work in Stockinette, back and forth in rows for 2 rows as foll: Work 37 sts with Grey Melange for right front, work 60 sts with Navy for back, work 37 sts with Grey Melange for left front. Twist yarns around each other at each color change to prevent holes.

Next RS row: With Grey Melange, work selvedge st, 17 sts in Stockinette, 19 sts in cable pat A according to chart A; with Navy, work 60 sts in Stockinette; with Grey Melange, work 19 sts in cable pat B according to chart B, 17 sts in Stockinette, selvedge st. To make the cables travel towards the back, work paired increases and decreases on 3rd row as foll: Work to cable pat A, M1R (= pick up horizontal thread and k1tbl), work cable pat A, SKP (sl 1 kwise, k1, psso) first 2 back sts, work to last 2 back sts, k2tog, work cable pat B, M1R, work to end of row. Repeat paired incs and decs every foll 6th row 10 times = 29 sts each for right and left front in Grey Melange before and after cable pat and 40 sts in Navy for back. Cont in pat as established until piece measures 68 rows from shaker rib pat.

Divide for front and back: Sl front sts to holders and cont to work remaining 40 back sts in Stockinette with Navy as foll: Bind off 2 sts at beg of next 2 rows, 4 sts at beg of next 2 rows and 6 sts at beg of next 2 rows. Bind off remaining 16 sts. Next, bind off the purl sts at beg and end of cable pat A, then cont to work remaining 16 sts (= chart sts 3 through 18) in cable pat as established for 40 cm/15 3/4" = 100 rows. Bind off all sts. Repeat for cable pat B, working chart sts 2 through 17. Next, beg with a RS row, cont to work remaining 29 right front sts in Stockinette as foll: Selvedge st, M1, work in Stockinette to end = 30 sts.

Shape armhole: Bind off 2 sts at beg of next WS row, then 1 st at beg of next 3 WS rows. Cont in Stockinette until right front measures 33 cm/13", ending with a WS row.

Shape neck: Bind off 2 sts at beg of next 2 RS rows, then 1 st at beg of every other RS row 5 times = 16 sts. Cont in Stockinette until neck measures 14 cm/5 1/2" from beg. Bind off remaining 16 shoulder sts. Work left front same as right front, reversing all shaping. 

Finishing: Pin piece to measurements and block with damp towels. Cross cable strips in back and sew bound-off edges to right and left front shoulder sts. Sew side edges of cable stripes to top edge of back. Sew in zipper, sewing bottom 3 cm/1 1/4" of front below zipper closed.