Woolly Wormhead’s new book Short Row Colourwork has taken the knitting world by storm. It has been hard to get our hands on them and as soon as they do they are gone again. But the exciting news is we have more coming in. If you have had your eye on this book grab your copy now. If you are intrigued what’s inside, already have a copy and wondering what to do, or just excited for when your pre-order copy arrives read on for some yarn inspiration.
Short-Row Colourwork is a meticulous deep dive into the technique of short-rows. Woolly Wormhead is well know for her short row hats which feature intriguing constructions and clever shaping and with this book she has have refined, developed and explored this in great depth.
The book begins with a detailed explanation of short rows with illustrated techniques and full explanations of how to read the designs. Next there is a stitch dictionary of 50 stitch patterns that can be applied to all sorts of projects. Finally there are 10 knitting patterns that use the short row techniques and motifs found in the stitch dictionary. With this blog post I am going to focus on those 10 designs with some yarn suggestions as well so you can get stuck in to your first.
Calathea by Carol Feller. A scarf like this is a great project to really master the short row technique. It is worked flat and has no shaping to take into consideration. Panels of the same motif are repeated throughout but alternated in colour for a bold effect. I would choose Hey Mama Wolf Skadi for this to create a lovely and soft scarf. In the picture on the right are colours Andalusia Grey and Hawthorn Pink.
Damascena by Paola Albergamo. This stunning semi-circular shawl starts from the centre top and is worked in half-Pi construction. Bands of short row motifs stripe across the body. The leafy border is knit at a right angle to the main body of the shawl and joined as you knit. I would knit this in Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply in the colours Burnished and Denim.
Fogrande by Woolly Wormhead. Or course there has to be some hats included in the selection and there are two. This hat is worked sideways incorporating a short row petal detail. The brim is picked up from the bottom edge and knit down. It’s written to be knit in either a worsted or a sport. Fyberspates Scrumptious would make a lovely version of the sport weight one. On the right are the colours Pearl and Teal.
Montes by Šárka Dvořáčková. These gloves use the short row colourwork technique in such a strikingly simple way. Knit sideways with an inset thumb. So many fun possible combinations but I think Socks Yeah would be a good reliable yarn for these. Seen here in Almandin and Peridot.
Parallelism by Karie Westermann. Sometimes the simplest use of a technique is often the most stunning and that is true for this scarf. Using the contrast colour short row stripes elevates this garter stitch scarf and is a real testament to the technique. Creating a balanced and intriguing fabric. You can knit this in two weights either worsted or 4ply. For the 4ply version I would choose Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply in the colours Pebble Beach and Tweed Imps.
Ripplish by Woolly Wormhead. This hat takes the short row technique but works it in the round to create this relaxed slouchy hat. Hey Mama Wolf Mokosh would be a soft and lovely choice for this. I would go for the colours Phlox Purple and Artemisia Turquoise.
Streckade by Linnea Ornstein. This shawl ripples with these wavy lines that curve with the undulating short-rows. Starting at the tip and increasing to the widest point. Written for a sport weight yarn I think it has to be Hey Mama Wolf Mokosh again. Pictured on the right are the colours Sea Holly Blue and Mazarine Blue
Tidal by Lola Johnson. The wavy lines in this shawl are achieved in a similar way to the one above but they are stacked differently and look like rippling water. This is written for a sport weight yarn but on 4.5mm needles I would be tempted to try something a little heavier like Fyberspates Vivacious DK for some real squish. Shown on the right are the colours Blush and Denim.
Triangulum by Caroline Dick. The graphic short row section in this design is worked first creating a bold geometric edge. Stitches are then picked up along the longest edge to work the remainder of the shawl. Easily adjusted to make it smaller or bigger by adding more or less repeats of the short row motif. Knit in a 4ply I’m feeling the light Black Elephant Wensleydale in the colours Sage and Shockwave.
Wavelength by Justyna Lorkowska. This cowl uses the short rows in a clever way to manipulate the rows of the contrast colour. This is also written for a worsted but I think a DK would also work like Pickles Mjukk Merino. Just because the colours are so lovely like Signal and Tomato Tomato here.
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