Very Simple Knitting

I was in the middle of knitting an extremely complicated cardigan, pictured at right, when I left for Europe at the beginning of April. This is an unusually structured piece with cables going over the shoulders, where stitches are picked up and then a stranded colorwork panel is worked, double moss-stitch forms side panels and sleeves, which also feature the cables and a smaller stranded panel going along their length. I’m knitting this with a worsted-weight yarn and it’s lovely but I’m finding it difficult to resume my work on it. (Note to self: don’t start a complex project when you know you’re going to be going away for a while; it’s now too hot to be knitting a heavy project.)

There are several knitting designers who are deeply influenced by the knitting cultures they grew up in yet who have managed to bring a contemporary feel to their designs. Ysolda Teague, a Scottish designer based in Edinburgh, has produced fascinating designs that draw on the traditions of her culture but are always unmistakably modern. I’m reminded of her Blank Canvas pullover which I’ve knit, which gives a well-fitting design in multiple sizes and encourages knitters to customize it freely. (One of the problems a lot of contemporary knitters face is their fear of modifying patterns either to suit their taste or individual bodies, resulting in a lot of sweaters that don’t get worn.)

Petite Knit is the brand of a Danish designer, Mette Wendelboe Okkels. This designer has taken a lot of flak for charging as much as she does for designs that are really very simple — no unusual stitches, no flamboyant shapes, just timeless, classic pieces (mostly sweaters) that highlight gorgeous, top-quality yarns. But simple doesn’t mean easy to design, and the care and effort that has obviously gone into each piece is a lovely testimony to the clean Scandinavian esthetic embraced by Petite Knit. (I’m of the opinion that designers deserve a fair price for their labor and get screaming angry when people find workarounds to paying for a pattern. It’s stealing, people. If you don’t want to pay for a pattern there are lots of free ones available on Ravelry.) Rosemary and Pines Fiber Arts looks into how Petite Knit took over the knitting world in a video here.

I’m knitting Ysolda’s Musselburgh hat — my fifth — for a friend and I have cast on the Petite Knit Maggie Cardigan. Both of these are straightforward, stockinette projects. This is my first top-down sweater and a lot of concentration is required for the shaping around the shoulders, but once I reach the armpits, it will be very simple. (And, in this case, easy.)