Knitting & Purling

In the early 1990s contemporary sweaters knit by a pre-school mother from Norway caught by eye. In a matter of weeks learning to knit them myself became a  joy. Until then I had never worked with multiple colors or knit in the round. It was fast, fun and addictive.  Do knitters have milestones, turning points or -- dare we say -- transformational moments? Well, yes -- in their own way! One of my first Norwegian sweaters for children, knit in the round. I met Gullborg Johannsson at Ithaca's UCNS pre-school, where parents all took shifts in helping to care for the children. She was knitting a maize-colored sweater at lightning speed, all the while serving as referee at the local Lego table.  In coming weeks, a small band of us trooped through snow and ice every week to learn more about her knitting techniques. She surrounded herself with stacks of hand-knit sweaters that she had made for her three children and her husband, a Cornell graduate s...

A few years ago I set out to create patterns for hand-knit hats to show Cornell University's Big Red spirit. The result was a line of hats that flatter all ages and feature a Norwegian-inspired classic and an appealing rolled-brim beanie. All sport sans-serif lettering.  Left: Norwegian-style hat Right: baby hat I have had great results with Dale of Norway's Heilo yarn for the Norwegian hats, and it produces a crisp edges for the lettering. The baby hat uses a small amount of yarn so it is wonderful to choose luxuriously soft alpaca or cashmere blends. But it's the cozy little baby cap that wins hearts, and I've now made that pattern available for purchase on Ravelry . More Big Red hats: Head gear Hipster A mighty emblem for precious cargo Last, but not least: the "Sesqui Special".  This was a custom baby hat for Liz using a Cornell giving society logo.