Table of contents for Winter 2021 in Interweave Knits

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…

Mary Shelley’s Shawl combines two different yarn textures, with a strand of each yarn held together throughout. Worked back and forth from the bottom up, the focal point of this dramatic shawl is the large garter-stitch cable in the center. On each side, the repeating pattern of multiple increases and decreases creates highly textural peaks and valleys. YARN Sugar Bush Yarns Itty-Bitty and Sugar Bush Yarns Drizzle Difficulty Level Yarn Weight Finished Size 92" wide and 43½ " tall. Yarn Sugar Bush Yarns Itty-Bitty (65% fine superwash Merino wool, 25% nylon, 10% cashmere; 153 yd [140 m]/1¾ oz [50 g]): #5012 Slate, 16 balls. Sugar Bush Yarns Drizzle (76% super kid mohair, 24% silk; 219 yd [200 m]/7⁄8 oz [25 g]): #8020 Stormy Sky, 11 balls. Needles Size 6 (4…

The unique Whitby Cowl & Hood features decorative cables on the front yoke and is light enough to wear under a coat or jacket. Functioning somewhat like a dickey, but much more fashionable, the sides of the body are open. This garment is worked back and forth in two pieces from the bottom up and seamed at the shoulders. YARN Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted Difficulty Level Yarn Weight Finished Size 14½ (15½, 15¾, 16¾, 17¼, 17¾, 18, 19)" wide at shoulder. Cowl shown measures 15½ ". Yarn Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted (100% wool; 220 yd [201 m]/3½ oz [100 g]): #14018 Rhapsody, 4 (4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5) skeins. Needles Size 7 (4.5 mm): straight and 16" circular (cir). Size 8 (5 mm): straight and 32" cir. Adjust…

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…

Adeline’s Cardigan is a stunning feast for the eyes. The generous peplum is worked sideways in three pieces. Stitches are picked up from the top of the peplum, and the back and fronts are worked separately from the bottom up. Captivating cables abound in this piece for the adventurous knitter. YARN Manos del Uruguay Alegría Grande, distributed by Fairmount Fibers Difficulty Level Yarn Weight Finished Size 34½ (37½, 40¾, 44½, 48¼, 52¼, 56¼, 60¼)" circumference at underarm, buttoned. Cardigan shown measures 34½ "; modeled with 3½ " of positive ease. Yarn Manos del Uruguay Alegría Grande (75% superwash Merino wool, 25% nylon; 197 yd [180 m]/3½ oz [100 g]): #AG2058 Turmeric, 11 (12, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) skeins. Yarn distributed by Fairmount Fibers. Needles Size 6 (4 mm):…

The chevrons and ribbing in the Vaulted Swoncho were inspired by towering spires and rib vaults of Gothic architecture. Worked in the round from the top down, this swoncho is perfect for layering and cozying up as the weather gets colder. YARN Harrisville Designs flyWHEEL Difficulty Level Yarn Weight Finished Size 46¾ (50, 54, 60, 63¼, 69, 73¼, 78)" circumference at largest point. Swoncho shown measures 50" on model with 35" bust. Yarn Harrisville Designs flyWHEEL (100% pure virgin wool; 170 yd [155 m]/1¾ oz [50 g]): #959 Penstock (dark brown; MC), 5 (6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 9) skeins; #901 Birch Bark (light blue; CC), 3 (4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6) skeins. Needles Sizes 5 (3.75 mm) and 6 (4 mm): 32" circular (cir) and set…

Cables are one of the most impressive design elements in handknitting. The raised stitches of a cable pattern cross and intertwine in intriguing ways, making the knitting look incredibly complex (even though cables are not that difficult to knit). However, while the cables themselves are the primary focus of the design, the background stitches are equally important because they provide a platform on which to display and accentuate the cabled stitches. Cables can be worked over a background of stockinette stitch or a textured stitch pattern such as moss stitch. More often than not, however, cables are worked on a background of reverse stockinette stitch so they will really stand out. But the relationship between the cables and the reverse stockinette background stitches can sometimes be problematic. One of the…

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…

The Sublime Mitts are worked in the round from the cuff to the fingers, with a pretty cable and lace pattern on the forearm. The generous ruffle is added by picking up stitches around the wrist. These elegant fingerless mitts make a great conversation piece. YARN Cascade Yarns Cascade 220 Fingering Difficulty Level Yarn Weight Finished Size 7" palm circumference, 8" forearm circumference, and 12½ " long. Yarn Cascade Yarns Cascade 220 Fingering (100% Peruvian highland wool; 273 yd [250 m]/1¾ oz [50 g]): #8010 Natural, 2 skeins. Needles Size 1 (2.25 mm): 16" circular (cir) and set of double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge. Notions Markers (m); cable needle (cn); stitch holder; tapestry needle. Gauge 40 sts and 54 rnds = 4" in…

The cables of the unique Miss Eyre’s Cape are meant to mimic medieval aesthetic s. This cape is worked side to side, then stitches are picked up along one edge for the yoke. Wear this cape open more like a shawl or make it cozy by buttoning up. YARN Green Mountain Spinnery Mewesic Difficulty Level Yarn Weight Finished Size 44 (48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72)" circumference, buttoned. Cape shown measures 48" on model with 31" bust. Yarn Green Mountain Spinnery Mewesic (100% fine American wool; 180 yd [165 m]/2 oz [57 g]): #8951 Purple Rain, 8 (8, 9, 10, 11, 11, 12, 13) skeins. Needles Sizes 5 (3.75 mm) and 6 (4 mm): 32" circular (cir). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge. Notions Markers…