I have loved this stitch pattern for ages. When worked in two colors it has the advantage of all the wraps being in the contrast color. The border pattern is a lace pattern inserted into a slip stitch pattern. Makes open work with a bit of bone structure, so to speak. Though there is quite a bit of stitch manipulation in these stitch patterns they are not acrobatic to work. Every row is worked with just one color at a time for knitting that looks more complicated than it really is. What knitter doesn’t like that?

Worked as a top down triangular shawl with increases at the center and edges the stitch pattern progresses greedily on the needles in a familiar shape that is always easy to wear.

Which colors would you pair for Allium?

Specifications:
• Yarn: The Fibre Company Meadow 40% merino, 25% baby llama, 20% silk + 15% linen 545 yds/100 gram skein in cornflower (MC), fennel (CC), 1 skein each.
• Gauge: 20 sts + 20 rows = 4″ in St st after blocking.
• Needle: 1 – 40″ US 7 (4.5 mm) circs.
• Finished Dimensions: 62″ wingspan x 32″ deep.

Buy the pattern here.

Photography by Amanda Stevenson Lupke

I have joked recently that I should start a group for people as addicted to chevrons as I am called Chevron Annon. It’s catchy, no?

Since there is no remedy for my obsession I cast on another chevron shawl. This time I was grappling with edgings. I have a love/hate/love relationship with knitted edgings. They must be considered – but how? I also love the challenge of the edges. This is to say that while I love a chevron, I still love a rectangle. And if worked in pattern most chevrons make points or curves. Lovely but not what I was looking for here. Instead I filled in the corners of the chevron with garter stitch triangles so that they themselves made the edging. The edges make the edging! Along the long sides I worked the whole first/last half of the repeat in garter stitch instead tacking on extra stitches as an edging.

While I love the even stripes of Aster, Ladyslipper and Bergamot I would love to see Cepa knit in whimsically uneven non repeating stripes, or low volume subtle stripes, or neutrals and one super bright contrast. I could go on (and on).

How would you stripe Cepa?

Specifications:
•Yarn: The Fibre Company Meadow 40% merino, 25% baby llama, 20% silk + 15% linen 545 yds/100 gram skein in aster (MC), ladyslipper (CC1), bergamot (CC2), 1 skein each.
•Gauge: 23 sts + 30 rows = 4″ (10 cm) in St st after blocking.
•Needle: 1 – 40″ US 7 (4.5 mm) circs.
•Finished Dimensions: 23″ wide x 68″ long.

Buy the pattern here.
Photography by Amanda Stevenson Lupke

Sometimes I am so stridently focused on the geometrical aspects of my aesthetic that I overlook the fluid lyrical ones. Luckily this stitch pattern came into view to remind me of my oversight. Ernest and lovely, feminine and brazen this pattern needed to become part of this collection the instant I had it off my needles. Having always loved pi shaping I thought that extending the edges to make it a crescent shape would increase its wearability without diminishing its delicateness. To keep the lace pattern from becoming overly twee I saved it for the edging and highlighted the yarnover shaping with stockinette stitch. It turned out just as I had imagined!

I loved wearing the Lillydale sample over a bare shouldered summer dress in the June heat.

How would you wear Lillydale?

Specifications:
•Yarn: The Fibre Company Meadow 40% merino, 25% baby llama, 20% silk + 15% linen 545 yds/100 gram skein in pennyroyal, 1 skein.
•Gauge: 22 sts + 28 rows= 4″ in St st after blocking.
•Needle: 1 – 32″ US 7 (4.5mm) circs.
•Finished Dimensions: 15″ deep, 110″ full wingspan.

Buy the pattern here.

Photography by Amanda Stevenson Lupke

Some days we want a statement piece and some days we want the staple. Roseum is that staple. The symmetrical twin to Twinleaf, Roseum is a rectangle accentuated with balanced short row stripes. Incorporating the foundations of knit and purl with a few knitterly manipulations of provisional cast on and icord edging (I can’t resist them!) it is not out of reach for an adventurous beginner knitter.

I can see myself wearing this sample throughout the warmer months then adding another one in more saturated colors when it’s cooler.

How would Roseum fit into your wardrobe?

Specifications:
•Yarn: The Fibre Company Meadow 40% merino, 25% baby llama, 20% silk + 15% linen 545 yds/100 gram skein in aster (MC), queen anne’s lace (CC1) + gentian violet (CC2), 1 skein each.
•Gauge: 20 sts + 44 rows = 4″ in garter st, after blocking.
•Needle: 1 – 40″ US 5 (3.75 mm) circs, 1 – US 5 (3.75mm) dpn.
•Finished Dimensions: 15″ width, 80″ length

Buy the pattern here.

Photography by Amanda Stevenson Lupke

Have you ever fallen in love with a stitch pattern? Me too! I have loved this stitch for a long, long time. Though it looks like complicated lace knitting – it’s not! The open work is created by using one needle 4 sizes larger than the other and simple stitch manipulation. If you can cast off you can work this stitch!

Not for the first time I longed for a set of interchangeable needles when I swatched this stitch pattern. Imagine not having to use different sized needles but instead just different sized tips on the same cord! Since I still have this stitch on the brain I might justify the purchase and cast on another!

What needles would you use to knit Shallot?

Specifications:
• Yarn: The Fibre Company Meadow 40% merino, 25% baby llama, 20% silk + 15% linen 545 yds/100 gram skein in larkspur, 2 skeins.
• Gauge: 24 sts + 16 rows = 4″ in Web + Pillar Stitch after blocking.
• Needle: 1 – 40″ US 15 (10mm) + 1 – 40″ US 9 (5.5mm) circs.
• Finished Dimensions: 15.75″ width x 72″ length.

Buy the pattern here.

Photography by Amanda Stevenson Lupke

I have been thinking about an off balance rectangle (technically a trapezoid, I know) for a long, long time. I seem to wear my shawls in a fairly consistent way. One end as an anchor of sorts on the shoulder and the other flung around as the wrap. Why not admit it in the design? Making one end narrower and the other side flared creates a shape better suited to my style of wearing shawls. Using short rows and stripes to highlight that shaping makes Twinleaf the asymmetrical twin to Roseum.

If Roseum is the staple piece, then Twinleaf is the statement.

How does Twinleaf speak to you?

Specifications
• Yarn: The Fibre Company Meadow 40% merino, 25% baby llama, 20% silk + 15% linen 545 yds/100 gram skein in black adder (MC), 3 skeins, cornflower (CC), 1 skein.
• Gauge: 20 sts + 40 rows = 4″ (10 cm) in garter st, after blocking.
• Needle: 1 – 40″ US 5 (3.75 mm) circs.
• Finished Dimensions: 28″ at widest point, x 62″ Length.

Buy the pattern here.

Photography by Amanda Stevenson Lupke

I loved swatching this lace pattern, calm and organized it was easy to memorize and flowed almost effortlessly off of the needles. I wanted to pair it with a design that was equally uncomplicated. Umbrel starts with knitting the bottom edging with some short row shaping to turn the corners, then the stitches are picked up and the lace pattern is worked with a garter border continuing into the knitted off cast off. Soothingly straightforward.

Could you use Umbrel in your life?

Specifications:
• Yarn: The Fibre Company Meadow 40% merino, 25% baby llama, 20% silk + 15% linen 545 yds/100 gram skein in pokeweed, 1 skein.
• Gauge: 18 sts + 32 rows = 4″ in garter stitch / One motif = 1.5″ wide and 2″ high, after blocking.
• Needle: 1 – 32″ US 7 (4.5 mm) circs, or size to obtain gauge.
• Finished Dimensions: 13.5″ wide x 66″ length.

Buy the pattern here

Photography by Amanda Stevenson Lupke

Most of the time I doodle. I doodle digital. I doodle analog. I doodle on plain paper. But mostly I doodle on graph paper. I love graph paper. Frequently those doodles arrange themselves into completely unknittable things but sometimes I look down and realize that, yes, I could knit this. I could knit it and it would be grand and straightforward and knitterly. Ursa was birthed from idle doodling and one clear moment of “yes! It could work!”

The marriage of geometry and stripes, Ursa employs three different colors paired together starting with the center square worked corner to corner then the smaller triangles are picked up and finally the larger triangles are picked up and worked. Easy and manageable elements coming together to form a modularly composed rectangle.

How would you compose Ursa?

Specifications:
• Yarn: The Fibre Company Meadow 40% merino, 25% baby llama, 20% silk + 15% linen 545 yds/100 gram skein in fennel (A), 2 skeins, prairie (B), 1 skein, and ladyslipper (C), 2 skeins.
• Gauge: 22 sts + 52 rows = 4″ in Garter stitch after blocking.
• Needle: 1 – 32″ US 5 (3.75 mm) circs.
• Finished Dimensions: 26.5″ width x 60″ length.

Buy the pattern here.

Photography by Amanda Stevenson Lupke

When Courtney mentioned that they were working on a new lace weight yarn I jumped at the chance to get my hands on a few preview skeins. Have you met their new yarn Meadow? Lovely, no? If you happen to live near one of their stockists you should do yourself a favor and get your hands on a skein (or 2!) Those colors, right! How can you choose? Fortunately I didn’t have to. Each color is used at least once in each of the eight shawls in the Allium Collection.

Allium

Cepa

Lillydale

Roseum

Shallot

Twinleaf

Umbrel

Ursa

I was privileged to work with Kelbourne Woolens to cultivate this collection to support this amazing new yarn!

Here is my in progress shot

And the back

And finished!

I thought that the white would make the text shimmer and boy was I right!

I can’t wait for this month to arrive.

PS
Rebecca was so lovely to feature my work on her blog. Do go on over and have a look.