Luise O’Neill made her debut in Twist Collective with Kinsol Trestle, a subtly textured men's vest. This post originally appeared on her blog.

Image copyright Mårten Ivert

Inspiration: The Kinsol Trestle

While doing some vacation research online, I came across this absolutely awe-inspiring structure which became the inspiration for my design — the Kinsol Trestle men’s vest.

The Kinsol Trestle is a wooden railway trestle, built in 1911 – 1920, located in the Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. At 44m (145 feet) high and 188m (614 feet) long, it is the longest trestles in the British Commonwealth and one of the highest in the world.

Abandoned in 1980, preservation efforts have been underway to include this historic treasure as part of the Canada Trails system so it can be used by runners, hikers, cyclists and equestrians. There are many more pics and stories on their website.

The Yarn

Briggs & Little Regal is a slightly rustic wool — you’ll find wee bits of vegetable matter that tell you the wool has not been overly processed. It provides beautiful stitch definition for this design. I chose the slightly heathered medium grey to reflect the colour of the aged wood of the trestle.

The Details

1. the knit-on edging – rather unique, I think. It creates knit stitches that meet the fabric at an angle, and

2. the V-neck.

Plus – there are cables and subtle textured stitches incorporated into the body design to reflect the wonderful structure that was its inspiration.

The vest is knit in the round to the underarms, so the only seaming is at the shoulders.