After the better part of the year making sense of the archives, cataloging work, and sketching out new ideas, it was a treat to get back out to the workshop this fall and actually pull some ink and make some new prints.
This series uses a directional motif that I’ve been thinking about lately and haven’t been able to shake. So, of course, I had to work it out of my system by making it real. Some people have said it reminds them of a castle or flags or mountains – interpretations that are all fine by me.
Each piece features a slightly random sampling of colors, topping out at six colors on some prints. Colors were mixed and applied on the fly and in the moment, so most pieces are unique one-offs while a few ended up in editions of two. Most are printed on white cover stock while a few are on gray, kraft, or chipboard.
Inspired by the intricate patterns of chain maille, these highly cabled fingerless gloves look more complex than they are to knit. Though not as stretchy as some of my other patterns, the thumb gusset gives the gloves a comfortable fit.
These are knit from the bottom cuff up. They are knit in the round.
Special skills: • Knitting in the round • Increase & Decrease • Cable stitching
Size: Adult Approximate finished measurements: Glove length: 8.75 in (22.23 cm), Flat width: 3 in (7.6 cm) – 1 in larger in thumb gusset area.
Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) double pointed needles – set of 4 recommended. Tapestry needle.
GAUGE US7 – 20 st + 24 rows = 4˝ (10.16 cm) in unblocked stockinette stitch.
Knit with worsted weight yarn, these ribbed fingerless gloves feature spiraling ribs reminiscent of a nautilus shell. With minimal cabling, these gloves are very stretchy.
These fingerless mitts knit from the bottom cuff up. They are knit in the round.
Special skills: • Knitting in the round • Increase & Decrease • Cable stitching
Size: Adult Approximate finished measurements: Glove length: 7.5 in (19 cm), Flat width: 3 in (7.6 cm) – 1 in larger in thumb gusset area.
Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) double pointed needles – set of 4 recommended. Tapestry needle.
GAUGE US7 – 20 st + 24 rows = 4˝ (10.16 cm) in unblocked stockinette stitch.
Slowdive’s self-titled “comeback” record was floating around my Spotify playlists last year and it was a nice little reminder of a band I enjoyed in my earlier years. While they weren’t my favorite shoegaze band way back when – that honor goes to Lush – they were a reliable go-to for some solid atmospheric guitar tunes.
But the couple of songs I heard nearly 25 years later wouldn’t leave my head. Select melodies drifted back and forth and I kept coming back for more. A taste here, a taste there. The songs were good, but I had no idea how irresistibly good until I let the whole album run through – at full blast. Then I finally got a copy. It’s barely left the turntable since.
Woozy and atmospheric, tranquil and sometimes rocking, Slowdive is perfect for these long, damp, gray winter days that seem to have settled in. All the sounds – angelic vocals and chiming guitars among them – congeal in a beautiful haze that’s hard to navigate. It doesn’t really matter, though, for the melodies, textures, and pure emotion are enough to push you through. Besides, sometimes it’s best to just surrender and let the sounds wash over. You know, just numb out and stare at the sky for a while.
Again, they weren’t at the top of my list, but Slowdive could seriously put them over the top in a retroactive best-of. Why? Because the record continues to deliver song after song, time after time. And it definitely gets better with age. As with most great records, there are certain moments that jump out immediately, while other more elusive sounds don’t reveal themselves until that fifth, sixth, seventh listen – when you really start digging in. Slowdive is teeming with these tiny little jewels and you’ll be rewarded handsomely for taking the taking time to settle in and discover them.
Anyway, give me a nudge in April to see if any other record has replaced this slab of excellence on our turntable. At this point, I’m not confident anything possibly could.
One chapter ending, another just beginning. Celebrating the end of a dizzyingly bizarre year with a simple gesture via our Christmas card was quite cathartic. And looking ahead is now so very satisfying.
Knits & Prints 
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