19 Dec Interweave Knits Winter 2019 – Solidago Hat and Cowl

I’ve always loved the stark contrast of dead, yet still standing, Goldenrod stems against the backdrop of snow in my native Ontario, made all the more graphic by the organic pod shapes of wasp galls here and there. Interweave Knits’ call for natural science-themed designs seemed the right place to try out a pattern based on that mental image. The result is a little more ornate than my previous published patterns, but still crisp and modern.


The pattern motif – Goldenrod stem galls flanked by branching twigs – is not difficult, but it does requires attention to the chart. I’ve been knitting myself a second hat (I won’t see the sample back for a year or so), and I’ve had to tink back a couple of times due to knitting on auto-pilot and missing a twist or an increase.  The magazine sample is knit in Manos del Uruguay Alegria Grande, a kettle-dyed worsted-weight wool/nylon blend. The intense colour of this yarn cannot be described, even in photos – while knitting with it I kept pausing to hold the ball up to the light to admire it’s incredible tonal depth.

Solidago is available now in Interweave Knits Winter 2019. All photos courtesy Harper Point/Interweave.