Interweave Knits

editor’s note

Dear Reader, Many people don’t believe me when I tell them that winter is my favorite season. Reactions range from amusement to incredulity when I say that I prefer the short days and long nights of wintertime. But the truth is that I’ve always enjoyed the dark more than the day, the snow more than the sun, in part because of the contrast it draws. This issue of Interweave Knits emerged from a conversation I had with then-editor Hannah Baker soon after I was hired at Interweave. I’ve always loved Gothic literature, and a sojourn to Italy and England during my college years left me with an adoration for Gothic architecture as well. When I was hired at Interweave, one idea possessed me above all others: Why not do a Gothic issue…

it was a dark and stormy knit …

1 PLYMOUTH YARN MOJITO MERINO Content: 81% fine Merino wool, 19% nylon | Color: #26 Cobalt | Put-up: 191 yd (175 m)/1¾ oz (50 g) Recommended Needle Size: Size 10 (6 mm) Chainette construction makes this yarn light and lofty and gives it a bouclé-like texture. The plush feel comes from a blend of Merino and nylon fibers. It makes elegant trim for a hooded cape and splendidly warm, cozy scarves and mittens. www.plymouthyarn.com 2 MADELINETOSH FARM TWIST Content: 100% superwash Merino wool | Color: Antique Moonstone | Put-up: 225 yd (205 m) | Recommended Needle Size: Size 6–7 (4–4.5 mm) With a soft twist and a speckled coloration, this yarn captures the look of rough-cut minerals. The color variations are subtle yet interesting, adding depth to both simple stockinette stitch and complex cables. Try…

art of darkness gothic, aesthetics, and knitting

Everyone has a different image in mind when they hear the word Gothic. Some picture the soaring edifices of many of Europe’s most famous cathedrals, while others imagine those cathedrals in ruins and inhabited by windswept maidens dressed in white. Still others may envision the barbarian tribes that plagued the Roman Empire, or the goth fashion movement popularized in the latter half of the twentieth century. Where, then, does true Gothic lie? The answer is a complicated labyrinth of history, terminology, politics, and culture. The term “Gothic” derives from the Latin term for a barbarian tribe in Northern Germany. It is perhaps no surprise that, given its association with barbarians, when Gothic was used to describe the towering architectural style that emerged in the mid-twelfth century, it was meant as an…

dorian gray’s pullover

Simple, elegant details make up Dorian Gray’s Pullover. Worked in the round from the bottom up, this romantic pullover features a V-shape on the front neck composed of traveling cables, slipped stitches, and eyelets, as well as wide bell sleeves left open from the elbows down. YARN Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts Socknado Difficulty Level Yarn Weight Finished Size 33¾ (38¼, 41¾, 45½, 49¼, 53½, 57¼, 61)" circumference at underarm. Pullover shown measures 38¼ "; modeled with 7¼ " of positive ease. Yarn Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts Socknado (80% superwash fine Merino wool, 20% nylon; 385 yd [352 m]/3½ oz [100 g]): Chocolate Lab, 4 (4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7) skeins. Needles Sizes 2 (2.75 mm) and 4 (3.5 mm): 16" and 24–32" circular (cir), depending on size you are making. Adjust needle size if…

christabel’s shawl

Christabel’s Shawl is worked from the top down in five wedges to create a semicircular shape. The eyelet and cable patterns play together cleverly on this drapey, wide-wingspan shawl. YARN The Yarn Collective Bloomsbury DK, distributed by LoveCrafts Difficulty Level Yarn Weight Finished Size 60" wide and 26" deep. Yarn The Yarn Collective Bloomsbury DK (100% Merino wool; 263 yd [240 m]/3½ oz [100 g]): #107 Moss, 3 skeins. Yarn distributed by LoveCrafts. Needles Size 7 (4.5 mm): 32" circular (cir). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge. Notions Markers (m); cable needle (cn); tapestry needle. Gauge 17 sts and 22 rows = 4" in body patt. ? For techniques you don’t know, please visit our online knitting glossary at www.interweave/go/knitting-glossary. NOTES • This semicircular shawl is worked from the top down in five wedges, each with increases…

carmilla’s mitts

Carmilla’s Mitts were designed with the rib vaults and arches of a cathedral interior in mind. These mitts are worked in the round from the bottom up and feature gorgeous lace cuffs that transition into the stranded-colorwork pattern. YARN Knit Picks Stroll and Knit Picks Stroll Hand Painted Difficulty Level Yarn Weight Finished Size 6½ (7¼, 8)" hand circumference and 8¼ (8¾, 9)" long. Mitts shown measure 7¼ ". Yarn Knit Picks Stroll (75% superwash Merino wool, 25% nylon; 231 yd [211 m]/1¾ oz [50 g]): #23701 Black (MC), 1 ball. Knit Picks Stroll Hand Painted (75% superwash Merino wool, 25% nylon; 462 yd [422 m]/3½ oz [100 g]): #28270 Taffeta (CC), 1 skein. Needles Size 2 (2.75 mm). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge. Notions Markers (m); waste yarn to be used…