Piecework, Winter 2019
Although I begin with the photo of a fascinating cardigan by Virginia Woods Bellamy, its pattern is not in this issue. Sigh. But we do have her Butterfly Wrap, a simpler example of what she called “number knitting,” her use of simple geometric shapes, here triangles, in order to create garments and accessories. Unlike some of the unfortunate shapeless “modular” knitting and crochet patterns of the 1970s and 1980s, her work made a point of fitting to the body which makes sense as she patented her technique in the 1940s and wrote her book in 1952. The fitted silhouette marked both eras when it came to knitted garments. The article by Ann W. Braaten and Susan Strawn explains both her life and her technique and I am hoping they manage to publish patterns for more of her work.
The shawls in the next image are from Estonian patterns and an article by Nancy Bush which is followed by the pattern direction for a pelerine or circular shawl using these traditional techniques. Then you see the knitted tam designed by Laura Ricketts and inspired by Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and finally Deanna Hall West’s sample of the Rhodes stitch for cross-stitch which has an appealingly, puffy appearance as you can see. There are more articles on other needlework traditions, including embroidery, plus a pattern for a Shetland shawl from Carolyn Wynborny.
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