top of page

STAY IN THE LOOP

Get tutorials and blog posts delivered right in your email inbox.

Writer's pictureSusanna

It Started with a Sketch: Sign of the Sun


This shawl design was inspired by Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist, a novel of love, marriage, and betrayal in the 17th-century Amsterdam.


The book's main character Nella is an 18-year-old country girl who is married off to an older man, a rich spice trader from Amsterdam. Living by the canals in the winter is cold and the house draughty, and Nella wears a reading shawl in bed at night. I got to thinking what kind of a shawl a high-society wife would've worn in the 17th century...


Something with traditional lace and a shape that sits nicely on your shoulders when you're reading in bed. The yarn must have been handspun fine lambswool, undyed of course, perhaps with a bit of the exotic like camel or cashmere in the mix. Shilasdair Luxury 4ply (40% angora, 40% merino, 10% cashmere, 10% baby camel) was the perfect choice for the design: soft, rustic, yet luxurious — and dyed with natural dyes. To bring the design to today I decided to add a bright contrasting color and a contemporary crescent shape.




Sign of the Sun is worked from the top down as a hybrid between a semi-circle and a crescent. Interspersed with sections of stockinette and lace in the main color are sets of elongated stitches worked in a contrasting color. The pattern is written with both metric and US terminology. Both written and charted instructions are provided for the stitch patterns.

166 views0 comments

Related Posts

See All
On Instagram
Ask Me Anything

Got a question for me? A great idea for a blog post? Or a knitting tutorial you'd love to see?

 

Type your suggestions below!

Thanks for submitting!

Recent Posts
 
About the author

Susanna Winter is a knitwear designer, creating timeless and elegant pieces with clean lines. She has been knitting for over 20 years, knit blogging since 2007, and designing knitting patterns professionally since 2016.

Subscribe to blog

Join my mailing list and get new blog posts automatically in your email inbox.

bottom of page