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This week on the podcast I introduce you to the latest Shawl Society design, the Rune Shawl, and then dive into a discussion of the many amazing types of stitch patterns that can enrich a shawl design. Lace, colourwork, cables…stitch patterns are an endless source of interest for me. I share some of my favourite stitch dictionaries and resources and chat about the challenges and joys of working a stitch pattern into a new design.
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Alongside an eclectic yarn range, which includes Hazel Knits, Icelandic Lopi & CoopKnits, we stock a carefully chosen selection of needles and notions. We’ve also recently launched ‘hand dyed by meadowyarn’, our very own in-house, hand-dyed yarn range. Working in our tiny dye studio, nestled in the Suffolk countryside, we are able to indulge our love of colour, producing complex tonal, kettle-dyed shades across a range of weights and bases. With regular updates our collections evolve and grow, inspired by the landscape and people around us.
AYS is a wool boutique specializing in hand dyed yarns and luxury fibres from around the world. You’ll always find a well curated collection of yarns and colors on the shelves and a friendly knowledgeable staff on hand. Some of our favorite brands include Hedgehog Fibres, SweetGeorgia Yarn, Julie Asselin, Shibui Knits and The Fibre Co. You can find A Yarn Story on Walcot Street in Bath or online at www.ayarnstory.co.uk
Show Links:
Super Stitches Knitting stitch dictionary
Vogue Knitting Stitchionary series
Harmony Guides to stitches (knit and crochet)
Lace and Eyelet: 250 Stitches to Knit by Erica Knight
Up, Down, All Around Stitch Dictionary by Wendy Bernard
Knitted Cable Source Book by Noarah Gaughan
Mary Jane Mucklestone’s colourwork books
My interview with Mary Jane Mucklestone Curious Handmade Ch 127
I’ve just released the 4th pattern in this season of The Shawl Society, The Rune Shawl.
Found carved into ancient artefacts, monuments and standing stones scattered across the north, runes carry stories across thousands of years. Every rune was much more than a simple letter in an alphabet. Each one was also a symbol of power, revered as magical, used in divination and charms. To inscribe or invoke a rune was to invoke the force for which it stood. In several old languages, the origin of the name “rune” hints at their true purpose. Whether the word is traced back to a Germanic root, Old English, Welsh, or Old Irish Gaelic, the old meanings are evocative. Secret. Whisper. Mystery. Miracle. Intention.
Inspired by such beautiful words and the depths of their hidden meanings, it seemed only fitting that the second season of The Shawl Society should feature a Rune Shawl. Our fourth shawl has been imbued with a little of that ancient mystery. This is a shawl full of subtle detail and secret features. Knit in two colours with a deceptively simple garter and eyelet pattern, there is more to Rune than meets the eye at first glance. The angular elegance of runic alphabets are reflected in the elongated triangle shape, and the shawl’s increases are hidden in the centre lace motif: there if you know how, and where, to look. The Rune Shawl is a gorgeous accessory to wear on the days you’d like a little reminder of your own inherent power.
Millennia after the first runes were used, we can still understand the magical charge of creating something with a powerful intention and a deeper meaning. Just like a rune, a handmade object is always more than the sum of its parts, and always carries a message. To ourselves, to others around us, and maybe to the generations who will treasure it long after we are gone.
The yarn I used for the sample was the Fiesta Fingering base by Circus Tonic Handmade, in the Cape Barren Goose and Laughing Turtle Dove colourways.
Since I’m in Australia for this release, I’ve taken the opportunity to pair up with Circus Tonic Handmade for a special event in Sydney on Saturday the 5th of August at the lovely Skein Sisters yarn shop. I’ll be there from 11 am. We’ll be having a trunk show where you can meet the Rune Shawl sample in person and get your hands on some of Circus Tonic’s magnificent yarn. We’ll also be having a group cast-on for the shawl, so I’d love to see as many Society Members there as possible. It’s a rare chance to meet other members in real life, and I think it will be a very special afternoon.
Camp Curious Scavenger Hunt Project
This week I’d love to see a stitch pattern that catches your eye: either something you’ve knit or just a pattern you admire. Post your photo in The Big Camp Curious Participation Thread post on Ravelry so that you’re in with a chance to win prizes at the end of camp!
That’s everything for this episode! Have a lovely week and happy knitting.
