Ultimate Six full-fat knitted waistcoat

I thought I’d share with you something I don’t make that often - actually this is the first time!

I’ve done a few of the season 22 knitted waistcoat, but each time I have produced them with either a plain silk back, or using the specially commissioned lining as seen in the Ultimate Six Frock Coat.



These are done for practical as well budget reasons - wearing a version with a knitted back is like wearing a skin-tight pull over underneath the frock coat and in full summer heat it will be unbearably hot!

However, a current client has asked for what I would call the full-fat version - knitted fronts; knitted back AND tails!

The tails are lined with the same lining as in the Frock Coat, so with the work I have done this is truly the most screen accurate replica ever made.

Ultimate Six Frock Coat - completing the costume

I’ve enjoyed showing off my Ultimate Six Frock Coat recently, but the costume is nothing without the extra items that make the ensemble complete.

One of the things I needed to sort out for myself was a waistcoat.

Of the three different versions worn by Colin Baker, my personal favourite has always been the original from season 22.
I liked the fact it had more muted colours, which somehow made the coat standout all the more. The later silk waistcoats just fought the coat and neither won. Now I know the costume is supposed to tasteless, but there are limits!

For many years I thought the waistcoat was made from a tapestry fabric or something similar, but when I got to see the original first hand I was amazed to find it is made from knitted fabric, cut as cloth.

Each side has a very distinctive design: on the left is a geometric grid, with vertical lines of grey and blocks of colour in between; the right has a zig-zag design, with a curious lattice stitch across the surface.

I knew from the outset it would be a very difficult garment to match, but I was determined to achieve it. I could see every stage would be a challenge, from making the fabric to assembling it into a waistcoat.
My college tutor and a fellow classmate who is an avid knitter were both at a loss as to how to replicate it. I quickly learned there were potential limits to what can be achieved even with modern domestic knitting machines.