The tenth pattern to arrive from The Almanac Series II is the stunning Capricorn Cowl design from Luciana Etchechoury!
When the cosy Capricorn Cowl arrived at The Fibre Co., we instantly fell in love with the design! Our bulky and sumptuous Tundra yarn was beautifully used by Luciana Etchechoury to create the cosiest of neck warmers. We reached out to Luciana to find out more about her design process and inspiration behind the Capricorn Cowl.
Capricorn Cowl KAL is now live!
Throughout the duration of the January KAL, both the designer and The Fibre Co. will be sharing fantastic content that will help guide you through completing the Capricorn Cowl. You can visit our dedicated Capricorn Cowl KAL page here and enjoy our live interview with Luciana as well as weekly tips and tricks released throughout January.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself: how did you get into knitting and designing knitwear?
“My grandmother and her sisters knitted beautifully. They taught my mom and her sister, and my mom taught me. I only met one of them, but holding and wearing their knits was something inspiring and wonderful. I started knitting in high school, and I always had issues following patterns, so I always created my own!“
Tell us about the inspiration for the Capricorn Cowl.
“Falling skies from Almanac Series inspired my design. There is something magical about night falls, stars, wishes… and then Tundra had the perfect weight and stitch definition to make this design happen! Its softness and color were so inspiring as well!“
What makes your design special?
“I wanted to create something beginner-friendly and quick. I find this project achieves both goals while creating an amazing texture. It’s a repetitive pattern, so beautiful and easy to knit! And I find the finished project very wearable: jeans, a white t-shirt, and you are good to go!“
The Capricorn Cowl by Luciana Etchechoury is a fun cowl for beginners and experienced knitters alike, with a simple shape with an incredibly effective slipped stitch pattern that looks bold and couldn’t be more simple to work. Worked in two shades of Tundra, this project creates the cosiest of neck warmers and will no doubt be a favourite for gift knitters.
This cowl is knitted in the round from the bottom up. It features a gorgeous but easy-to-make textured pattern. This texture is achieved by bringing the yarn to the front and slipping stitches, which makes it interesting but still very beginner-friendly.
What inspires and influences your designs?
“I am inspired by the life around me. Sometimes I walk and see something that awakes a creative sparkle, a texture that I want to recreate, a situation that I need an outfit for.“
What is your favourite type of knitting project?
“Anything that I feel is modern will call my attention. A different shape, a stitch that I have not seen before, or a stitch that is used differently… those are my favorite types of projects.“
Could you share your design process with us.
“I usually get inspired by something I want to make, a yarn I’ve seen, a stitch that got stuck on my head, a texture I want to achieve… I start playing with the yarn, stitch, and dimensions. That part of the process takes the longest. It takes me a while to get convinced of what I want to make. Once I am decided, I usually design it in my size and then move to other sizes.“
How does the yarn influence your design?
“Sometimes I see a yarn and think of a project for that particular yarn, and sometimes is the other way around. Regardless, yarn selection is so important. I feel it can “make or break” the design!“
What is your favourite knitting technique and why?
“3 needle bind-off is so great! It’s so easy to learn, and it makes a huge difference! I also love how the tubular cast-on looks, but it takes longer than other cast-ons, so I don’t use it all the time. ha!“
What is your desert island knitting project?
“I have to say the Capricorn Cowl now! “
What’s your first knitting memory?
“A friend of my father gifted me small knitting needles for kids because I insisted I wanted to learn so bad! I think I must have been like 5 or 6 years old. I still keep the needles!“
We were joined by designer Luciana on Wednesday 4th January for the start of our January KAL, in which we chatted with the designer about what inspires her designs, knitting in our sumptuous yarn Tundra and of course her wonderful Capricorn Cowl!
About The Almanac Series
The Almanac Series is based on the original farmer’s Almanac guide to the seasons, this collection acts as a seasonal guide to knitting with The Fibre Co. and celebrates each month of the year with an ascribed Yarn of the Month, paired with a new design launch in that yarn. For this year’s series, we looked to the heavens for inspiration, letting the beauty and grandeur of the night sky guide us. In the first half of this year’s series, we cover the Autumn Winter season, where each month’s yarn has been specifically chosen for its qualities to complement colder conditions in the northern hemisphere. Erika Knight’s Zodiac Sweater was the first design in The Almanac Series II collection, in which you can read our interview with Erika here.
Knitting the Capricorn Cowl?
If you are knitting the Capricorn Cowl, please do share it with us!
We would love to see it. If you are sharing on social media, please use the hashtags #MadeWithTheFibreCo and tag us @thefibrecompany so we don’t miss it. You can also follow us on social media by clicking the icons below.