Textures. Full stop. – 3 Gorgeous textured knitting patterns

I have a confession to make. Knitting (and I like to think it wasn’t age…) has considerably changed my taste in, well, knitwear. In general, I’ve been known for wearing bold colours, like, all the time, as well as for consciously avoiding plain white, grey, and especially black. Man, I used to hate black with a passion – this, after going through a brief period of wearing nothing else but black during my teenage years.

I remember when I picked up the needles a few years ago, my ultimate goal was to be able to knit those funky colourwork patterns. Then one day I decided to have a go at a cable cardigan: Aidez, a free pattern created by Cirilia Rose for Berroco. Although I quite liked the cardigan, I think the main reason I wanted to knit it was to try my hands at all those fancy looking cable stitches; plus the pattern was free.

Now, that was over two years ago, and by now 1) I’ve learnt to appreciate both the practicality and the beauty of more subdued and natural colours. Beige and the different shades of grey are so easy to wear with literally anything. I’m still not convinced about plain black though. 2) I’ve become completely addicted to the different textures one can create with knit fabric. They are both gorgeous and exciting. I guess, I will in no way go for plain and simple. Even if the colours are subdued, there has to be something “special” or “different” about my clothes. I don’t think I’ll be knitting plain stockinette sweaters anytime soon – and not that there’s anything wrong with them.

In accordance with the above, it was no wonder I wanted my top-down knitalong sweater to have an all-over stitch pattern on the body. But it goes without saying that I’m no professional designer. Mental note: I really really have to invest in a few good stitch dictionaries – recommendations welcome.

All this prelude was necessary to create enough “suspense” before I show you my newest finds: three patterns that so blow me away. All three of them were written for Woolfolk’s new yarn quality, TOV, and two are in fact found in the TOV Collection (on Ravelry). The whole collection is exceptional, but these days I mostly seem to be into repetitive geometrical stuff, so my absolute favourites are Bue by Nele Redweik and Rille by Olga Buraya-Kefelian.

Bue is a cool vest/sleeveless sweater that I can see myself layering over blouses and thinner long sleeve tops. I don’t think I ever wore anything like this, but I have to say I quite like the idea. But the main thing is the cable pattern. Isn’t it just so dreamy-flowy and mesmerizing? I might prefer the west in a more drapy and slightly more fluffy-cuddly yarn though.

Photo credit: Woolfolk

Rille is the simplest of beanies that in a way reminds me of Gudrun Johnston’s Hermaness Worsted. It seems to have a similar wave pattern, without the lacey bit. I have absolutely loved knitting the Hermaness, and I really like the clean and simple wave stitch in Rille.

rille-hat

The third design I’m absolutely in love with is the Open Waters cowl by Melanie Berg, which was incidentally also created for the TOV yarn. Just how cool is it? The pattern is published in No.2 of the Making magazine, which I hope will make its way to one of the shops here in Wellington.

Photo credit: Melanie Berg

P.S.: I thought I’d add some árbore·do·fogo shop news here. I’ve been busy working on new designs as well as taking photos, posting on Instagram and developing some sort of a work routine. With respect to last time, now I have three new items in the shop: the Mighty Fox necklace, the Banana Love necklace and a new colour version of Golden Star. Click through to have a look if you fancy.