Eclectic Closet Litblog, Book Reviews & Knitting Designs

A litblog dedicated to book reviews/recommendations, as well as literary and publishing news. Now enhanced with knitting designs.

Beaded Knots Cowl

November3

This pattern was inspired by the knotwork found in ruins of an abbey in The Burren. These unique three-part cables feature an arm running up the centre. To me, in the narrow panel on the right, these look like “beads” running up a chain.

This pattern is the third release in Northern Landscape, Part 3.

Patterns in Northern Landscapes, part three are available individually or as part of collection. During the pre-order period, the ebook is available at a special, discounted price of $24.95. Over the next 12 to 18 months, the rest of the patterns will be published. Once all the patterns have been released individually, the eBook version of the patterns will be uploaded (tentatively release date – March 2022). At that time the price of the eBook rises to $35.95 (full retail price of the individual patterns is approximately $90).

The Northern Landscapes collection, part one is available here and Northern Landscapes collection, part two is available here.

Ruin in the Burren by IMBiblio under CC licence

Available to purchase through:
Ravelry: Click here
LoveCrafts: Click here
Payhip: Click here

Klambratún Stole

October22

The inspiration for the stitch patterns used in this design was the birch trees found in Klambratún Park in Reykjavik, Iceland.

This shawl was originally designed in 2017 using a special colourway of Caper Sock dyed to celebrate Shall We Knit’s 10th anniversary. As happens sometimes, this pattern’s release was delayed until now and I’ve just found out that String Theory is retiring from the yarn business. I won’t be able to buy my beloved Caper Sock anymore but for those of you with this luscious yarn in your stash, here’s a pattern to show off its depth of colour and beautiful stitch definition it provides.

If you want an exact composition match (80% merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon), have a look at Squishy by Anzula, Djinni Sock by Dragonfly Fibers, Swanky Sock by Magpie Fibers or Capretta by Knit Picks. For those just interested in a similar hand, any fingering weight Merino/Cashmere/Nylon or Merino/Cashmere/Silk blend will work.

Icelandic Birch Klambratún Park Reykjavík by Thomas under CC licence

This pattern is the second release in Northern Landscape, Part 3.

Patterns in Northern Landscapes, part three are available individually or as part of collection. During the pre-order period, the ebook is available at a special, discounted price of $24.95. Over the next 12 to 18 months, the rest of the patterns will be published. Once all the patterns have been released individually, the eBook version of the patterns will be uploaded (tentatively release date – March 2022). At that time the price of the eBook rises to $35.95 (full retail price of the individual patterns is approximately $90).

The Northern Landscapes collection, part one is available here and Northern Landscapes collection, part two is available here.

Available to purchase through:
Ravelry: Click here
LoveCrafts: Click here
Payhip: Click here

Sveinstekksfoss Stole

October19

Introducing Sveinstekksfoss Stole, the first pattern release in the Northern Landscape, part 3 collection.

Named for the waterfall in Iceland, the stitch pattern used for the border reminded me of the rocks sticking out of the waterfall’s rivulets.

Sveinsstekksfoss by James Stringer under CC licence

Patterns in Northern Landscapes, part three are available individually or as part of collection. During the pre-order period, the ebook is available at a special, discounted price of $24.95. Over the next 12 to 18 months, the rest of the patterns will be published. Once all the patterns have been released individually, the eBook version of the patterns will be uploaded (tentatively release date – March 2022). At that time the price of the eBook rises to $35.95 (full retail price of the individual patterns is approximately $90).

The Northern Landscapes collection, part one is available here and Northern Landscapes collection, part two is available here.

Available to purchase through:
Ravelry: Click here
LoveCrafts: Click here
Payhip: Click here

Foxy Stripes Cowl

October14

I’m so please to announce that Foxy Stripes Cowl is now available!

In Fall 2019 I took a class with Bristol Ivy on “Knitting Outside the Box” and my mind was blown! She took us through a number of exercises to help our creative process and one of these was an exercise using Mad Libs. We each got three words and we were to use these to come up with a knitting concept.

I got ‘stripes,’ ‘cowl’ and ‘goofy’ and this cowl design was the result. Thanks Bristol! The yarn is the wonderful Blue Sky Fibers Woodstock Worsted.

Note: I used all but a few yards of the 3 skeins of Woolstok for my cowl. You may wish to purchase extra if you are using Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Worsted to ensure you have enough to finish the cowl.

Available to purchase through:
Ravelry: Click here
LoveCrafts: Click here
Payhip: Click here

Variations on a Theme

February9

I suspect many designers do it. We create a design and then, much like a composer does, we continue to work with the stitch patterns over time – putting them together in different ways. Essentially, variations on a theme.

Sometimes this is because we aren’t done with a stitch pattern, it still has us in its grasps. Like a melody that haunts a composer, this stitch pattern isn’t ready to let us go. For me, that haunting stitch pattern is the one used in my Cartouche series (Cartouche Shawl, Cartouche Stole and Cartouche Slouchy Beret, if you’re curious). I’m pretty sure I’m not done with it yet.

Designs using cartouche stitch pattern

Cartouche Stole, Shawl & Beret

As I mentioned in the blog post announcing the release of Twisted Circles Cowl, the idea for it was sparked in early 2013, after I saw a picture of a stitch pattern that creates the illusion of circles, reminiscent of op-art, by the simple use of blocks of reverse stockinette stitch. I knew instantly that I wanted to use it in something but didn’t have an idea yet. Fast forward a year to a doodle made while I was on the phone and I suddenly found the inspiration to use the stitch pattern. I had been doodling hour glass shapes and it suddenly came to me – alternate sections of this circle pattern with a densely cabled pattern to create the hourglass shape. Do this multiple times in a circle to make a unique infinity cowl!

Twisted Circles Cowl, showing wide and narrow sections

Figuring out the shape I wanted essentially determined the construction. The cowl begins with a provisional cast on and is knit flat back and forth. The piece is finished by grafting the two ends together. The gently scalloped cable edging provides a beautiful frame to the face. All that was left was to figure out what yarn to use. I knew I wanted it to be a worsted yarn that had spring and loft and I love knitting with Indigodragonfly Yarn’s wonderful yarns and colourways. So I turned to Kim for advice and she pointed out the rich green colourway – “Is the Money Okay? Did they Hurt the Money? (Buffy)” – in their MerGoat Worsted base.

Twisted Circles Cowl

Twisted Circles Cowl

I had thought that would be the end of working with these stitch patterns until a friend presented a challenge – could I use the same stitch patterns to create a long, shallow shawl. The quick answer was yes, of course I could, but to make it something that would be attractive, wearable and yet could be written up as a pattern would be the challenge.

The shape was already determined what I had to do was determine how to put the stitch patterns together that would showcase the best qualities of each design. The added challenge was the differences in gauge between the two main patterns. In the cowl where the two stitch patterns alternated, these differences wouldn’t matter. In a longer piece, those differences could be significant, depending on where the stitch patterns were place.

Twisted Circles Shawl cover shot

Twisted Circles Shawl

During the design phase, I considered multiple shawl constructions methods; top down, bottom up, and even working the body first in the circle pattern followed by an attached edging of the dense cables. None felt quite right until I looked at the piece from a different angle and decided the construction needed to be worked from tip to tip. That way all three stitch patterns could be knit at the same time with periodic short rows are worked in the densely cabled sections to compensate for row gauge differences.

Twisted Circles Shawl, back view

I already knew this shawl was going to be published in Knitty and that it would be done in the luminous Clematis shade of Miss Babs Yowza – Whatta Skein. On to the knitting!

Thus ends the story of the Twisted Circles variations. Now I’m curious to see what variations the knitterati choose as they knit these patterns!

Twisted Circles Shawl

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