MODERN HERITAGE KNITS
by Christina Danaee
DESIGNER CHRISTINA Danaee set out to
celebrate the dedicated, hardworking
people keeping America’s fibre industry
alive, with her new book of knitting
patterns. Taking American-made yarns
as the starting point for her designs,
Christina has developed 15 sweater and
accessory projects for women.
The designs are divided into three
sections representing different regions of
the United States, based on yarns from
these areas and inspired by their climate
and terrain. Throughout the book are short
profiles of each of the yarn companies
featured in the patterns, exploring their
stories and their sustainable approaches
to yarn production.
In the ‘Northeast’ section, the focus is on
beautifully textured and cabled stitches,
reflecting the region’s maritime history.
Rich textures knitted in worsted-weight
Cormo wool feature on the ‘Kinney Shores’
shawl, while super-chunky Quince & Co.
P u f f i n wo ol i s u s e d to ma ke a p a i r of c o s y
slippers. The ‘Odiorne Point Pullover’ is a
drop-sleeve, striped sweater, with a cowl
neck that can be cinched shut with an
i-cord; it’s knitted in Green Mountain
Spinnery’s Cotton Comfort yarn.
Great reads
Showcasing American artisan yarns, this stylish book is filled
with beautifully textured patterns with a timeless look
L a c e a n d s of t te x t u re s t a ke c e nt re s t a ge
in the ‘Mid-Atlantic and South’ section. It
features gorgeous garments, including a
racerback-style sleeveless top. This has
lace panels around the hem and between
the shoulders. The belted, raglan ‘Celo
Cardigan’ has hexagon textures knitted in
American alpaca. Other projects in this
section include a square wrap worked from
the centre out, and lacy trellis socks.
The ‘West Coast’ projects play with
colour patterns inspired by the region’s
wild landscapes. Geometric motifs feature
on the ‘Tygh Cardigan’, an open-fronted,
shawl-collar design. The ‘Agate Bay
Pullover’ is a yoked, top-down sweater
whose colourwork patterns are
highlighted by the use of a gradient yarn
from Spincycle Yarns.
‘Poi nt R i c h m on d C ap’ i s a d ou bl e-l aye r
hat, with one layer using Nordic-inspired
stranded colourwork motifs, and the inner
layer kept plain; the result is super-warm
and fully reversible. We also love the
half-circle shawl in corrugated ribbing
which showcases two natural shades of
a rambouillet-merino wool blend from
Ya r n On T he Hou se.
Christina offers helpful suggestions for
yarn substitutions if you are unable to
source the original yarns. The garments are
mostly sized to fit busts of 32in to 48in.Modern Heritage Knits is published
by Pa ge S t re e t P u bl i sh i n g, pr i c e d
£16.99. Available to order in the UK
from http://www.melia.co.uk or from
http://www.amazon.co.ukPH
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PHY^ BY^ OLIVIA^ EMMERReviews
The Knitter 34 Issue 149 Subscribe now at http://www.gathered.how/theknitter