Paper Tiger

The main pattern work I’ve done alongside working on my PhD has been a series of patterns for Amirisu, all but one of which I’ve shared on the blog already (see my previous posts on Bramble and Blomsterkrans, and Kitchen Stories). My fourth and final pattern for Amirisu was published in issue 24, the spring/summer 2022 issue. And it happened to be my very first shawl design.

Scallops and Blooms is a basic triangular shawl, knit in garter stitch with a stockinette panel along the bottom to provide a smooth surface for embroidery. The embroidered motifs and the scalloped crochet edge stand out against the simple background. I used water-soluble embroidery paper for the first time on this project (which I learned about from Warunee of Plystre), and I highly recommend it for embroidering on knits. It’s easy to trace your design onto the paper to act as a guide, and it also provides stability while you’re embroidering. When you’re done, the paper dissolves in water.

The design prompt for this issue was “heritage.” While that word could be interpreted in a whole host of ways, Amirisu narrowed it down somewhat, requesting “designs inspired by something passed down from generation to generation in your family, region, or country where you live/are from.” I spent a lot of time reflecting on this, because there was still a variety of ways I could take my ideas in coming up with design proposals. I live in Norway and have obviously drawn on Norway’s knitting traditions in my work, but I had also just completed the Kitchen Stories cardigan for the previous issue, and I thought it would be more interesting to go in a different direction. In the end, my two proposals focused instead on family heirlooms and cultural heritage, respectively. Both proposals were triangular shawls.

Scallops and Blooms was a reimagining of a silk scarf that once belonged to my maternal grandmother, given to me by my mother. Ethereal and gauzy, it features a pattern of flowers printed in gold, with gold scalloped edges. It was also made in Japan. At this point in its life it is still a beautiful object but also a fragile one. My shawl design obviously doesn’t really resemble this scarf, but the decorative elements of the floral embroidery and the scalloped edge carry through.

I knit a small swatch with yarns I had to hand, without thinking too much about the colors. Amirisu liked the colors, however, so we chose similar colors of Life in the Long Grass (LITLG) yarn for the shawl.

The other proposal is still a pattern I would love to make eventually, as it’s an idea I’ve had in the back of my head since long before the call for designs for this issue. A knitted triangular shawl with a plaid pattern, using the technique Franklin Habit employs in this pattern (which he found in a vintage pattern to begin with). I made a scarf for my dad several years ago using this technique and I found it deeply satisfying.

The swatch doesn’t really do the idea justice, but I thought it might be interesting to see anyway. This design proposal is loosely tied to my heritage (there being Scottish roots on my father’s side), rather than any specific family item. But plaid shawls like this are also found many other places, including Norway (such as the shawl worn as part of some of the different national costumes like the Nordland bunad). Regardless, I will return to this idea at some point. If it were knit in a DK or worsted weight yarn it would make for an incredibly warm and cozy shawl, which I find quite appealing, and it would probably also be a relatively quick knit.

All four of my patterns for Amirisu are now available as single patterns to purchase on Ravelry, should you be interested in that. They can be accessed from my designer page.