Here is my Funchal-inspired design! Like the ‘dragons-tooth’ pavements I saw in Madeira (thanks for the info, knitlass), the Funchal Moebius uses a high-contrast OXO motif with strong diagonals. One side is dark-on-light:
and the other is light-on-dark.
The design begins life as a provisionally cast-on tube . . .
. . . which is knit continuously until it reaches the circumference of your shoulders. It is then blocked flat, twisted in the middle and grafted to form a continuous moebius strip. The result is a dramatic wrap that can be worn in several different ways, but which is surprisingly simple to knit.
The yarn is Renaissance Dyeing’s wonderful organic Poll Dorset 4 ply in shades ‘midi’ and ‘ecru’. This is one of my all-time favourite yarns in which to knit colourwork. Because it is slightly lustrous and worsted spun, it is very different from working with a Shetland – the yarn is very smooth, creating a fabric that is incredibly even (to the point of appearing woven) with a slight sheen and very little halo. The Poll Dorset that Andie dyes is grown, and spun close to where she lives in the Pyrennees. I love that every stage of its processing is totally visible. (You can see the sheep that grew it, together with their shepherd, and the spinner that spun the yarn over here on Andie’s blog.) Andie dyes naturally, and her colours are – naturally – amazing.
I am incredibly pleased with the way this design has turned out. It is simple, versatile, really fun to knit, and sure to be useful in the colder weather.
Want to see how you might wear it?
And yes — everything else I’m wearing is WOOL as well.
The pattern for the Funchal Moebius is now available here.
Waouhhh, it’s totaly georgous !! I’m in love !
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it’s stunning.
However… your idea of simple… is VERY different from mine!!
sigh.
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This is very inspiring, all of it!
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Kate,
I just found your post. I’m from Madeira Island and just felt so proud of your creation! Other than quite modern (it’s a must-ware fashion to this winter in Madeira) you inspired in our pavements to do it. I just love the final product but mostly your idea. Thank you for spreading the word about Madeira in such a different way.
Regards.
Linda
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Reblogged this on Linda Machado @ Twitter and commented:
How Funchal (capital of Madeira Island) pavement inspired a very modern knitting creation.
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I love the bold design. I can see from your previous post the inspiration for this amazing work.
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oh, yes! wool is great and your work and pictures too! warm greetings from Paris!
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wow, i am quite literally stunned! just beautiful…
love your red wool dress too, where’s it from?
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a moebius ring
made of blue and white sheep’s wool
your talent is clear
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Gorgeous. I really like the pattern, and ways it can be worn! It would take me many many many hours of solitude to knit this, but oh, it’d be worth it. Love the design…. I really don’t know how you do it….
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Beautiful! Amazing! I really want to knit this. I don’t know, though. Looking at your project makes me think of all those hours of happy solitude required to place stitch after stitch. Maybe I will.
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This is amazing! I MUST knit this one! Only one problem, I don´t know how to knit with two colours – any recommendations for tutorials for this technique? Could you make one for your readers and customers?
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oh my god, it’s absolutely gorgeous !
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This piece is AMAZING!
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BEAUTIFUL! Great design.
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ABSOLUTELY s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g and the double face effect is just genius.
Loved your dress too!
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That’s just amazing. I like that you’ve produced a double-knit effect moebius but without the double knitting or the moebius technique! Genius! It has made your design so much more accessible to the average knitter with limited patience.
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The moebius is lovely, but it will have to wait until myself and 9 friends finish our Peerie Flooers mittens. Some of us are doing the hat as well. What I really covet in those pictures is your DRESS! Love your designs. My January sweater project is going to be DECO. 3 of us who belong to Tina Newton’s Rocking Sock Club are going to knit it.
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Dear Kate,
this Funchal Moebius is one of the best peaces of knit you ever made, and as we all know you created a lot of great designs!
I am already thinking about the colours for my own Funchal Moebius,
thanks for this wonderful design,
the best from your alpine reader
Eva
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Oh and I love the pinafore you are wearing too.
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Love the sheep in this story, and OMG Kate you are a wonderful designer, and knitter, the Funchal moebuis is really lovely.
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Exquisite ! I love how you share a design from first impressions, and your garments have become like A Good Book, and not just a lovely knitted design. And like good books, when they end, there’s a selfish sort of sadness that one must wait patiently until the next. Oh , and I just love your red wool dress !
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Breathtaking, beyond beautiful— a masterpiece!
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Wonderful! Both the cowl itself and the story behind it. (I really have to go to Portugal now!)
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Truly amazing
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Oh my, jaw-droppingly gorgeous! Such a very beautiful, functional and colourful wollen! I am just stunned by your skill.
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Wowee. It does look like it’s woven. Beautiful.
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So very beautiful and exquisitely made. I also love your dress.
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Gorgeous. Do you know the book “Patterns that Connect” by Carl Schuster?
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Stunning! You really made my jaw drop.
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So dramatic. Kate, I don’t knit but I have read your blog faithfully for two years because I am fascinated by textiles and find your post-stroke journey compelling. What an inspiration you have sometimes been to me personally and artistically though my life has taken shape in a radically different way. Thank you.
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Simply breath-taking!
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Truly gorgeous. How I wish I could get enthused about fairisle… love the results, intensely dislike the process. Perhaps I should labour-trade. I’m all about lacework.
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Wow! That’s just fantastic. I really love the woven feel created by the mobius tube – the two halves of the tube look like the right and wrong sides of a piece of woven fabric.
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Wow, another stunning pattern. I love it….
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Absolutely lovely Kate! Might be my christmas knitting treat to myself… Love it against your red coat. Beautiful. Viva la wool!
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Oh my word! I thought it was tapestry when I saw it on your blog header! That is just… wow! WOW! :D
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Brilliant! I love a Moebius construction, and this one is especially welcome because the colorwork is so attractive. Surprising how different the tilework looks with just a change of polarity. The smooth, non-Shetlandy appearance of the yarn in a stranded colorwork project is intriguing, too. I wonder whether such a yarn is available in North America?
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It’s beautiful! I really like the double sided effect to your colourwork, reminds me of those clothes where you have a little something of a fun facing on the inside to line a coat or a skirt. Gorgeous as always, Kate!
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Simply beautiful!
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this is absolutely gorgeous…..one of my absolute favorites of your designs! I still haven’t ventured in colourwork, but am inspired to now!
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Pure beauty and genius….. you are truly gifted. Maybe I will embark on this gem one day…. still knitting the Warriston in amongst the Christmas craft, and have just learned the i-cord binding method. Loving it – thank you so much x
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So pretty! It makes quite a statement. Lovely work, as usual.
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Just stunning, and the pattern is already in my library. Would you consider showing us what the grafted seam looks like?
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What a beautiful piece of work! Being portuguese myself, makes me proud to know the story behind the master piece :) congratulations!!
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Beautiful, an amazing piece of work. You are so clever to design and make something so beautiful that it takes your breath away.
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I love this Kate, unfortunately my knitting is not up to the skill of making it, but I think it one of my favorites of your designs
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WOw, I gasped aloud when I saw your design. Words don’t do it justice… stunning!
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Absolutely stunning!! Stephanie
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Really beautiful, but you have to slow down! I don’t knit as fast as you!
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A wonderful design – well done!
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I am so pleased to see the wonderfully crisp but curvy Moebius you have created with the organic Poll Dorset, I am very proud of this wool or should I say woollen worsted yarn and am very touched that it has found praise from such a master knitter as yourself.
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wow! really, really beautiful.
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amazing! really!
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I feel in love and brought this faster than I can imagine, Bravo Love your designs and always will support your work……
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I am speechless… Your designs never fail to amaze me, and this one is itterly beautiful again…
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Beautiful A fantastic reminder of silver wedding spent in funchal in April Thank you
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I’m very impressed by this beauty! I think I need one. Marvellous!!
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Awesome! Truly a gorgeous pattern.
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Absoulutely stunning! I can imagine this in so many colorways, each looking equally beautiful! Thank you for writing about it as it does “educate” me on textiles.
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Wow, what an absolutely stunning design. Well done Kate, a gorgeous knit.
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swooning here …. and oh, my sore neck from the “cold from hell” says cast on NOW !!
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Knit in a tube, it looks like it has a nice heft to it that would make it very warm. The cheapskate in me immediately thought how I’d use half the yarn by double-knitting it. Do you think it would make it too insubstantial? It’s a beautiful pattern!
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This is incredible! So gorgeous! I am ordering the wool today! Thank you.
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Brilliant! I love the versatility of the shape, and the way the tile pattern is visually so interesting in just the 2 colors.
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Gorgeous! You outdid yourself on this one.
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You are a creative genius, and your last post was a tremendous gift to me, as I’m disabled and most likely will never travel to that part of the world. I am fascinated by the tiles and by how these communities have embraced them in their daily lives. Thank you!
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Gorgeous, and about as unhatlike as could be ;D
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Oh! Oh, that is stunning!
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I saw the pictures on Rav, this is stunning. It’s nice to see the inspiration and then what it became.
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My gosh, Kate! This design just took my breath away. I will definitely be knitting this one as soon as my Christmas knitting is done! I might even use the same colors. Just lovely work!
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That is a stunningly beautiful piece of work, Kate! Magnificent!
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Aaaahhh Kate that’s beautiful!! x
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