Interweave Knits Spring 2024

Dear Reader, In the late 1800s and first half of the 20th century, my hometown of Rochester, New York, had a thriving garment industry. In fact, until 2023 when operations were moved to Mexico, Hickey Freeman, a giant in the world of tailored suit-making, was headquartered here. I love to imagine skilled tailors and seamstresses 100 years ago among towering bolts of wool fabric and rows of industrial sewing machines. Oh, the buzz there must have been—both machines and the opinions on the latest fashions! Rochester set its sights on technology years ago, and you’re more likely to bump into an engineer than a tailor these days. In a nod to the city’s former clothier glory, the projects in this issue of Knits are named for streets around the small…

A – PURL SOHO COTTON PURE Content: 100% organically grown cotton Color shown: Peacock Teal Put-up: 279 yd (255 m)/3½ oz (100 g) Weight: Sport Discover exceptional softness and sustainability in this 100% organically grown cotton. The unmercerized cotton has a subtle matte sheen, and the 10-ply structure produces incredible stitch definition. It’s the perfect choice for designer Kirsten Joel’s Baycrest Pullover (p. 10). B – FIBRA NATURA RAVELLO, DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL YARN Content: 75% cotton, 16% extra fine Merino wool, 9% recycled cashmere Color shown: Sea Whisper Put-up: 207 yd (1 90 m)/1¾ oz (50 g) Weight: Fingering The cashmere in Ravello is recycled from sweaters, which helps make this luxury fiber affordable. Treat yourself to this buttery-soft yarn with a subtle halo and make Blazenka Simic-Boro’s Dowling Top…

The loss of a loved one is never easy. Now, imagine that loved one was a maker, and as their family grieves and tries to take care of their loved one’s affairs, they come across unfinished projects (UFOs). It is heartbreaking to think that those stitches may go unfinished. Thanks to Jennifer Simonic, Masey Kaplan, and thousands of volunteers participating in the Loose Ends Project, those projects can now be completed. Founded in the summer of 2022, Jennifer and Masey work to pair willing crafters with unfinished projects. “In knitting patterns, this is noted as K2Tog (knitting two together),” their website reads. Matching the right person to the right project is a manual process of looking at “geography, skill level, and druthers.” The projects that the Loose Ends volunteers finish…

Early in 2020, Austin Rivers learned about the number of LGBTQIA+ youths in New York City who were without stable housing. Upon hearing this, many of us would shake our heads and move on. Not Austin. An actor with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and a Master’s in Public Administration, he combined his experience as a knitter and an activist to found Knit the Rainbow. There are more than 550,000 LGBTQIA+ young people in the United States who are homeless or in unstable housing situations. More than 8,000 of those youths are in New York City, where fewer than 400 dedicated shelter beds are available. New York’s brutal winter weather makes a lack of stable housing even more dangerous. General shelters are often not safe spaces for the LGBTQIA+…

Lace knitting, with its intricate patterns and delicate designs, has long been associated with tradition and elegance. The art of creating lace fabric using knitting needles has a rich history that dates back centuries, but that doesn’t mean it’s stuck in the past. In fact, lace knitting has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, thanks, in part, to innovative designers who are finding creative ways to modernize this classic technique. In this article, we’ll explore several exciting ways to breathe new life into lace knitting. EMBRACE BOLD COLOR Lace knitting is often associated with neutral tones and pastel colors, but you can break free from tradition by embracing bold and vibrant hues. Modern lace designs look stunning in rich jewel tones, neon shades, or even gradients that transition…

When you think of lace knitting, the image that comes to mind is probably an intricate shawl made with a gossamer-thin yarn. Beautiful, but not easy to work into your contemporary wardrobe. In this issue’s exploration of modern lace, we wanted to take a closer look at how changing the yarn and the gauge changes the look and feel of knitted lace fabric. I chose a favorite classic lace stitch pattern and paired it with five different yarns from Malabrigo ranging from fingering-weight to bulky. THE STITCH PATTERN For this swatch study, I chose one of my favorite lace knitting patterns: Vine Lace. This deceptively simple stitch creates a bit of scallop at the cast-on edge and the columns of stitches curve across the fabric. The 9-stitch and 4-row repeat…