Without the knit stitch, we wouldn’t have the purl stitch (did you know the purl is simply a knit worked backward?)… and without both, we wouldn’t have the plethora of lace, cables, and texture we get to play with. Knit and purl are the foundational stitches of all knitting. Even though they are where everything else comes from, I find we often relegate them to playing the side character: the border Garter stitch, edging of Seed stitch, or hems and cuffs in ribbing.
This season, I decided it would be fun to see how knits and purls hold their own as the main pattern. And it turns out, those knits and purls, though often subtle in their effects, offer a beautiful texture that showcases the yarn perfectly. Swatching with a custom-dyed sock blank by Kathy Thai and a dark contrast colour of Tough Love Sock showed me just how much depth and delight these simple stitches create.
Stitch Diaries: Season Three includes:
- A unique, custom colourway imagined and dyed by one of our SweetGeorgia dyers: Hillside Splendor on Sock Yarn Blank
- A coordinating semi-solid: Cayenne on Tough Love Sock
- A 13-page booklet that is half stitch dictionary and half pattern recipe. There are 6 stitch patterns, both written and charted, and a Camden Fields Scarf recipe to mix and match your favourite stitch.
- A faux leather clothing label custom-made for SweetGeorgia
These patterns are just the first step in an endless process of discovery, offering you an equally unending amount of pattern opportunities to test. Knitting is a powerful practice that takes us right to the center between imagination and creativity. I hope Stitch Diaries Season Three shows you all the possibilities.
Visit the School of SweetGeorgia for loads of workshops and tutorial resources to help bump your skills and discover new techniques!
