I wanted to share my latest pattern which was released last week. Amongst the current restrictions due to Covid-19, many yarn businesses have had to implement major changes in their logistics in order to continue working safely from home. This latest release has given me a lot to look forward to and also has me feeling very thankful that this was still able to happen. I hope this new Wool People Collection has brought a little light and creative joy into the daily routines of knitters and the group of designers involved.
As I mentioned, this latest pattern was part of Brookyn Tweed’s annual Wool People Collection. This year the BT team decided to split the collection into two chapters and launched them on different dates. My contribution, Scofidio, can be found in Chapter 2: Oriel which came out on April 22nd. Chapter 1: Odeon, was released slightly earlier on April 8th.
Photo from Pinterest.
Photo from Pinterest.
From the beginning, Wool People 14’s theme focused on architecture. The pictures above, were two from the mood board that I was immediately draw towards. Knitting and architecture share many similarities. Individual stitches and building blocks are used to create a larger form or shell, ideally for protection. I decided to experiment with a small and repetitive colour-work pattern to create a large overall texture for sections of my designs. I felt colour-work would be a perfect element to to play with horizontal and vertical lines.
Original swatch.
Original swatch.
The pictures above were of my original swatches for Scofidio. I had originally used a yarn very close to Loft but BT ultimately chose Peerie for me to work with. I was happy to use Peerie again because I new it had amazing stitch definition and the colour combinations would be endless. Last year BT sent me a box of Peerie to use for my design, Culm, in Wool People 13 so I couldn’t wait to get it on the needles again. Scofidio can also be knit in Loft. I’ve already seen one version, it looks fabulous and has a cosy cabin vibe. TrishKnits’ on Ravelry knit her version in two colours of Loft and pictures can be seen on her pattern page.
I only made one change from my original swatches that I thought I should point out. My first swatch had 2x2 ribbing for the cuffs and trim. However, after much reflection, I felt that 1x1 ribbing would fit better with the 1x1 colour-work design.
Original sketch.
Original sketch.
I’m very happy with how the final version turned out compared to my original sketches above. You can see the final images below of Scofidio. This final version used three colours of Peerie. Mesa for the main colour while Muslin and Gingersnap we used for the contrasting colours. Another beautiful version of Scofidio can be seen on jessicajlevin’s pattern page. Jessica used a combination of blues and greens for her Peerie version. I can’t wait to see what combinations other knitters try out. I’m already thinking of knitting a version for myself in Loft.
Photography by Brooklyn Tweed.
Photography by Brooklyn Tweed.
“Scofidio elevates its one-by-one colorwork by playing with proportion and personalization, welcoming the knitter to dream in color and engage with their inner artist. Work every row in a unique contrasting color to best express yourself, or cater to your chic closet with modern neutrals and a monochromatic palette. Purl dashes accent the colorwork columns with a punctuation of texture and contrast, continuing down the shoulder into the dropped sleeves. Stitches are picked up for the collar then folded over to finish for a satisfying and balanced neckline.” -Brooklyn Tweed
Scofidio is knit in pieces and while knitting colour-work on the right and wrong side might feel intimidating, this easy 1x1 pattern is easy to memorize and rhythmic to knit. For this year’s photoshoot, BT photographed the same Scofidio sample on two different models. I thought this was a great idea to show how different amounts of positive ease will change the finished look of the garment. The positive ease varies between 11¾“ on the first model and 4¾” on the second model.
Photography by Brooklyn Tweed.
Photography by Brooklyn Tweed.
All of the patterns from Chapter 1: Odeon and Chapter 2: Oriel are all available online through Ravelry or Brooklyn Tweed. Or, check in with your local yarn shop. They may be stocking the physical paper patterns and probably have a safe delivery or pick up system established for the shop.
Scofidio and the patterns from Chapter 2: Oriel are currently on sale through Brooklyn Tweed’s website till May 5th, 2020. BT have started an initiative, Apart Together, to help both knitters and designers. Save a dollar while purchasing a pattern from this collection and that dollar will be sent to the designer along with their original commission. For the past few weeks BT has already been running this initiative to help local yarn shops who stock Brooklyn Tweed yarn. If you are considering using BT yarn in an upcoming project, many shops have it discounted right now. Another option is to purchase yarn through BT’s web shop and you also get to choose what local yarn shop you would like to support. Read all about it here. A big thank you to the team at BT who have keep this collection on schedule, plus the extra support was unexpected but very appreciated. Many thanks to the knitters aswell. Your support has been immense. Please keep sharing your projects, tag me in them on Instagram, I love seeing them!