A versatile cowl that can be worn on either side, showcasing two distinct personalities to suit your mood and style.
Picture yourself wrapped in warmth and elegance, with the soothing embrace of a stormy ocean on one side and the gentle serenity of calm ripples on the other.
The Coastal Marine Cowl is not merely a knitting project; it is an enchanting tale of craftsmanship that intertwines beauty and practicality. With its captivating colourwork pattern, ingeniously designed to conceal floats seamlessly, this cowl is a testament to the artistry and ingenuity of its creator.
In this blog post, we interview designer Helen Kennedy who chose the remarkable softness of Road to China Light for her stunning Coastal Marine Cowl design.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself: how did you get into knitting and designing knitwear?
“Although I learnt to knit as a child thanks to my Nan, my career as a neuroscientist was full on, so for a long time I only knitted occasionally for pleasure. Whilst on maternity leave following the birth of my daughter, I started to dye my own yarn as I wanted to stretch my creativity. That’s when I made my first few designs, to showcase my own yarn. Once I’d started designing, that was it, I was smitten, and my creativity could go wild. Relatively recently I retired from my neuroscience career to follow my dream of being a full-time designer and I love it.“
Tell us about the inspiration for the Coastal Marine Cowl. What makes your design special?
“I’ve always found the ocean fascinating and wild. The colourwork pattern reminds me of huge undulating waves with sprays of white water, reminiscent of a stormy ocean. I made the inside pattern in simple stripes to reflect the opposite, calm almost glass-like water with just occasional ripples.
I think that what makes this design special, apart from the beautiful colourwork pattern, is that it’s been specially designed to hide the floats, so it’s neatly finished on the inside too. The cowl starts with a provisional cast on and then is worked in the round in as a long tube. Once complete, it’s folded in on itself so that the wrong sides are facing each other and grafted together to make a seamless piece. Carefully positioned purl rows ensure the fabric folds neatly to showcase the colourwork pattern.“
This beautiful double-thickness cowl features a stunning colourwork pattern that can be worn on either side, specially designed to neatly hide the floats. The wave pattern on one side is reminiscent of a stormy ocean, and a simple striped pattern on the other reflects the opposite – a calm ocean with occasional ripples. Designed in two jewel-toned shades of Road to China Light, a blend of natural fawn baby alpaca, camel hair, cashmere, and silk, this cowl feels superlatively soft close to the neck.
How does the yarn you choose influence your design?
“Road to China Light is gorgeously soft and warm, but without being too heavy. It’s ideal for this design, which, due to the construction, is double thickness. It gives a really great stitch definition too, ideal for a colourwork pattern.“
What inspires and influences your designs?
“I get my inspiration from many, many places, but probably most often from nature and the urban landscape both of which provide lots of inspirational shapes and colours.“
Could you share your design process with us?
“My design process is really varied and sometimes a bit chaotic. It can start with an interesting yarn, something I see that I want to try and represent, or just see a stitch pattern I like. I usually draw out my idea and then try and make charts or a written pattern to work from. As I work up the pattern I almost never stick to the plan and make lots of changes along the way until I finally come out with something I’m happy with.“
What is your favourite knitting technique and why?
“Mosaic knitting. I absolutely love all the patterns you can create; you can change the texture by doing it in garter or stockinette. Most of all though, it looks so impressive and yet is a breeze to knit! I’m totally addicted to it and want all knitters to give it a go!“
What is your favourite type of knitting project?
“Wow! That’s a tough one! I think probably a shawl. There are so many different shapes you can come up with, it’s pretty much limitless. On top of that, you can have stitch patterns that are simple and rhythmical or complex depending on how much of a challenge you are up for!“
What is your desert island knitting project—what could you knit again and again and still enjoy?
“Shawls. I wouldn’t like to knit the same shawl lots of times, but they can be so varied. I think if I were on a desert Island, I’d especially enjoy getting really experimental with weird and wonderful shapes!“
What is your first knitting memory?
“Sitting with my Nan with my knitting basket. All of my yarn would always be in such a terrible tangle! We would sit for hours slowly unravelling all of the knots and putting it all into neat little balls whilst I asked her lots of questions about life when she was a little girl.“
About The Almanac Series III
The Almanac Series is an ongoing collection celebrating each month of the year with a Yarn of the Month. It is based on the original farmer’s Almanac, a nature-inspired guide to the seasons. In our first two Almanacs, we looked to land with our theme of herbalism. Then to the skies, with our theme of astronomy. Now we look to the seas.
Our third Almanac Series is inspired by the oceans to acknowledge the importance of maintaining a balanced and thriving ocean ecosystem. The moodiness of the deep ocean, the chill of polar seas, the patterns and rhythm of winter swells, and the great migrations of sea birds were some of the inspirations behind this Almanac Series.
Knitting the Coastal Marine Cowl?
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