Interweave Knits Summer 2018

Dear Reader, Artists are inspired by beauty, whether it is from their own culture or another. Since Paleolithic humans began painting on cave walls, people have been influenced by the various cultures that compose the human race. The lines between cultures are often blurred in this nebulous composition of humanity, and navigating where cultural appreciation stops and appropriation begins can be uncertain. Cultural appropriation (often referred to as cultural misappropriation) occurs when a person assumes aspects of a culture that is not their own.1 More specifically, it occurs when a person of an oppressive culture assumes aspects of a systemically oppressed minority culture for entertainment and capital gain.2 The act of cultural appropriation (e.g., donning another culture’s symbols and dress without understanding their meaning) does more than just disrespect the…

Blends of wool and plant fibers make the perfect summer yarn: linen and cotton are ideal for warm weather, and wool adds stretch and bounce to your garments. Here are six of our favorite summer wool/plant blends. NO. 1 SCHOPPEL-WOLLE BIO MERINOS DIST. BY: SKACEL PRICE $9.95 Content: 95% virgin wool, 5% linen Put Up: 164 yd (150 m)/1¾ oz (50 g) Care: Handwash Color: #0500 Bernstein Recommended Needle Size: Size 1½–4 (2.5–3.5 mm) Stitch Pattern: Lace Chart (Arizona Tee, page 90) Made from organic Patagonian wool and French linen, Bio Merinos has a tonal look thanks to the depth of color the darker linen adds. This single-ply yarn is felted to improve durability and prevent pilling. Use it for structured cardigans and cabled pullovers. NO. 2 PLYMOUTH YARNS EQUINOX…

Peggy Jo Wells opens the door to the home she shares with her husband, Robert. The wan autumn light streams into their living room, which looks out onto the broad bluffs that punctuate western Nebraska’s landscape. On the far wall hang two Navajo rugs in shades of blue and brown woven from yarn that was spun and dyed about half a mile away, at Brown Sheep Company, the mill founded by Peggy Jo’s father, Harlan Brown, on the sheep farm where she was raised. Scattered throughout the Wells’s home and the nearby yarn mill are reminders of the long-standing relationship between Brown Sheep and Navajo weavers that began when Brown founded the yarn company in 1980. A handful of rugs—with tags bearing the weaver’s name—are tucked away in the house.…

The striking and gorgeous colorwork in the Tucson Pullover is inspired by the basketweaving patterns of the Tohono O’odham Nation, whose members reside primarily in Arizona and the Sonoran Desert. Their basketwork features stacked geometric shapes and stripes. The brilliant colors and alluring motifs in this pullover draw both the expert and novice knitter. This sweater is an ideal layering piece to pull on when the summer sun sets. YARN Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts Passion 8 Finished Size 38½ (43, 46¼, 50¾, 55½)" bust circumference. Pullover shown measures 38½"; modeled with 6½" of positive ease. Yarn Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts Passion 8 (80% superwash merino, 20% nylon; 437 yd [400 m]/4 oz [113 g]): Irish linen (beige; A), 3 (3, 3, 4, 4) skeins; Davy Jones’ locker (teal; B), a…

The American Southwest averages three hundred days of sunshine every year, and the Cadencia Poncho harnesses the warmth and radiance of that Southwestern sun. The mingling vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines catch the eye, and the drop stitches create a swingy, fun fabric. This poncho is worked from side to side and finished with an I-cord edging and fringe. YARN Sugar Bush Yarns Crisp Finished Size 39¼ (43¼)" wide and 17¾ (21)" tall, excluding fringe. Poncho shown measures 39¼" on model with 32" bust. Yarn Sugar Bush Yarns Crisp (100% extra fine superwash merino wool; 95 yd [87 m]/1¾ oz [50 g]): #2026 maple, 19 (24) balls. Needles Size 5 (3.75 mm): 40" circular (cir) and set of double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.…

With its snaking, graphic colorwork and bands of solid color, the Arkansas River Pullover pays tribute to both the rapids and gentle straightaways of its namesake river. This handsome and sporty pullover is worked in the round from the bottom up, and it features a comfortable and warm shawl collar for chilly early mornings and nights in the high desert. YARN Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Finished Size 35¾ (40, 44¼, 48½, 52¾)" chest circumference. Pullover shown measures 44¼"; modeled with 6¼" of positive ease. Yarn Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok (100% fine highland wool; 123 yd [112 m]/1¾ oz [50 g]): #1301 storm cloud (light gray; MC), 7 (7, 7, 8, 9) skeins; #1317 midnight sea (dark blue; CC), 5 (5, 6, 6, 7) skeins. Needles Sizes 6 (4 mm) and…