“… What’s that pattern?”

As you might guess, I get asked that a lot on our social media accounts (and almost never remember the answer), so I decided to start keeping track of the patterns you likely see me wearing in the shop so that we (collectively) can remember what in the world I knit.

At the moment, I’ve got colorwork on the brain, mostly because I love an excuse to play with color combos. And, playing with multiple colors usually opens up more yarn options for me. Fair Isle is also a great thicker fabric for winter weather, and as the weather keeps cooling down, I am getting more intrigued by projects that require me to focus and pay attention. One of the habits I have set to pick up for winter is to carve out specific time for my knitting in my planner each day, so it becomes part of an evening wind-down from the day. The attention that colorwork requires can be so good for focusing and being present, rather than being taken away by the stress of the day.

The two patterns below are already in my wardrobe. Each one was fairly easy to navigate, with rows that were easy to memorize quickly, while the two-color stranded work kept the brain focused. If you are looking for a meditative knit, I highly recommend them both.

Terracotta Sweater

I love the stripes of textured stitches and colorwork in this pattern. They’re simple enough to keep track of while you’re watching your favorite show, but enough to stay interesting, with some plain stockinette in between for when you want a mental break. This is knit top-down with a fingering weight yarn and a laceweight silk mohair held together. Fingering-weight Baa Ram Ewe Pip or WoolDreamers 90 Varas held with laceweight De Rerum Natura Bérénice Mohair would be a great choice for a soft, fluffy, and warm sweater! The relaxed drop-shoulder style is perfect for layering—the designer recommends wearing it with 8-11″ inches of positive ease.

Sizes

(XXS) XS/S (S/M) L/XL (2XL/3XL) 4XL (5XL); finished bust circumference (38.5) 43 (47.25) 51.5 (56) 60.25 (64.5)”.

Yarn

MC: (6) 6 (6) 7 (8) 8 (8) skeins WoolDreamers 90 Varas Fingering (100% transhumant Merino wool; 225 meters/246 yards per 50 grams) OR (12) 12 (12) 14 (16) 16 (16) balls Baa Ram Ewe Pip (100% British wool; 126 yards (116 meters) per 25-gram ball)

held together with (2) 2 (2) 4 (4) 4 (4) balls De Rerum Natura Bérénice Mohair (55% Mohair / 25% Silk / 20% Merino; 230 yards/210 meters per 25-gram ball)

CC: (3) 3 (3) 4 (4) 4 (4) skeins WoolDreamers 90 Varas Fingering (100% transhumant Merino wool; 225 meters/246 yards per 50 grams) OR (7) 12 (7) 9 (9) 9 (9) balls Baa Ram Ewe Pip (100% British wool; 126 yards (116 meters) per 25-gram ball)

held together with
(1) 1 (1) 2 (2) 2 (2) balls De Rerum Natura Bérénice Mohair (55% Mohair / 25% Silk / 20% Merino; 230 yards/210 meters per 25-gram ball)

Gauge & Suggested Needles

22 stitches and 28 rows = 4” on US#6 (4 mm) needles, in stockinette stitch worked in the round after wet blocking. Use 2 sizes smaller (US#4/3.5 mm) and 5 sizes smaller (US#2.5/3 mm) needles for textured stitches and ribbing.

Old World

This is another great, seamless top-down knit, this time in worsted-weight, so it’ll work up fast. While it might look complicated at first, the colorwork is done in a single color of Spincycle Yarns Dream State, so the yarn is actually doing most of the work here! For the background color, De Rerum Natura Gilliatt or your favorite hand-dyed worsted-weight yarn will pair beautifully with the Dream State. Pro tip: With a deep circular yoke like this one, it’s good to try it on as you go to figure out where you want to split off your sleeves for the best fit.

Sizes

1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6); finished bust circumference 42.5 (44.8, 54, 59, 61.4, 68.5)”, suggested positive ease 10-14″.

Yarn

MC: 2 (3, 3, 4, 5, 5) balls De Rerum Natura Gillatt (100% Merino wool; 270 yards/250 meters per 100-gram ball)
CC: 2 (2, 3, 3, 4, 4) skeins Spincycle Yarns Dream State (100% wool; 150 yards/137 meters per 100-gram skein)

Gauge & Suggested Needles

20 stitches and 25 rows = 4” on US#7 (4.5 mm) needles, in stockinette stitch worked in the round after wet blocking. Use 1 size smaller (US#6/4 mm) for ribbing.