Good morning! This weekend marks the conclusion of our club’s focus on the Arctic Convoys, whose crews were stationed in, and departed from Loch Ewe during World War 2. Carrying vital supplies to war-torn Russia, their crews endured truly horrendous conditions and the near-constant threat of attack during their journeys around the North Cape of Norway (then under occupation) and across the Barents Sea to Kola Inlet. I’ve read quite a bit about these convoys, and when I call to mind their unimaginable horror, I do not only think of the brave allied personnel whose stories are preserved in the Arctic Convoy Museum in Wester Ross, but remember that the young crews of German U boats faced the war’s highest combat fatality rate (70%). What an appalling waste of life.
Today’s design is a cosy winter cardigan, whose graphic two-tone colourwork might sit equally well within Scottish, Norwegian or Russian knitting traditions, following the geographic trajectory of the Arctic Convoys.
The cardigan is knitted all in one piece, from the hem upwards.
A steek is positioned at the cardigan’s centre front, and two more steeks at the armscyes enable the whole body to be knitted continuously, in the round.
The pattern’s large motif is mirrored both vertically and horizontally: that is, the chart reflects itself across the front opening of the cardigan, and there’s another reflection at the shoulders . . .
. . . which are grafted together using both shades of yarn. This is (honestly) much more straightforward than it sounds, and you’ll find a linked tutorial in the pattern.
When the body of the cardigan is complete, the steeks are reinforced using the straightforward and scare-free needle felting method, which results in a very neat, clean edge, which you can see here on the inside of my cardigan. Note that I’ve not bothered to cover up the steek edges, and that after blocking, and during wear, it sits very nicely just as it is.
Worked at 3.5 stitches to the inch, this is a warm garment, specifically designed for colder weather, whose end result is satisfyingly cocooning.
This cardigan might provide welcome warmth around the shoulders in a chilly office, or be happily worn outside in lieu of a coat on a not-too-chilly winter’s day, much as lopapeysur are in Iceland.
The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted that the motif that I’ve used here in an allover configuration is the same as that which features in a single band, around the hem, of the Isle Maree, and Isle of Ewe designs.
I very much enjoy playing with the scale of colourwork charts, at larger and smaller gauges, and I also like to develop various aesthetic resonances and continuities, which you might read as different pathways through a collection. You’ll find several such paths in Knitting Wester Ross.
With its strong diagonals and satisfying knitterly rhythms, this is a motif I have really enjoyed working with, perhaps especially at this larger scale. I think it has a definitively wintery appearance, and it really is loads of fun to knit.
I’m a big fan of classic blue-on-white, but this cardigan looks equally good in the reverse colourway, with the darker shade predominating, as you’ll see tomorrow, when I pop back here to show you another sample, which has been knitted by Maylin and modelled in the studio by Kate C. Club members: we’ll also provide you with two different sets of charts which will make your knitting simpler, depending on whether you prefer your two-tone colourwork dark-on-light or light-on-dark.
If you like the light-on-dark look as much as I do, we have kits in all sizes in this colourway in the shop, and the pattern will be winging its way to club members’ Ravelry libraries and inboxes as we speak.
I’ll be back with our club members on Sunday to tell you more about Denys Martin, whose name is also that of this design. And, in non-club-related matters, during a rather busy weekend, you might like to look out for a shop update tomorrow, which will include the announcement of a brand new KDD venture, spearheaded by the very talented Kate C : viz, our own hand-dyed yarn, and accompanying exclusive accessory kits (which will make great seasonal gifts for any knitter in your life ).
Happy knitting, and happy Friday, everyone! Love from Kate D x
Denys Martin pattern on Ravelry
Denys Martin kits in the KDD shop
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What kind of hat do you wear with Denys Martin? It looks so nice!
Another brilliant piece, Kate. I do love the repeating symmetry of the motif across the garment. Well done!
Really lovely designs! Both my husband and I have enjoyed all the reads and further exploring from the essays and photos as well. So many accomplished so much.