The Kilim Cowl is a celebration of my Iranian and Kurdish heritage, and the beautiful artistry of Persian carpets. A Kilim is a flat tapestry-woven carpet or rug traditionally produced in countries of the former Persian Empire that highlights geometric shapes and are handwoven with naturally dyed wool. Growing up, my father owned a Persian rug shop where he fixed and sold antique carpets from the Middle East, including Kilims. I was raised around these beautiful works of arts and was taught all about the laborious process of this ancient craft. I learned all about how many months/years they took to make, the process of creating the vegetable and fruit dyed yarn, and what the various shapes and motifs represented on the carpets. I wanted to honor my heritage by creating a knitted cowl that celebrated this beautiful art form and paid homage to my family’s history. This moebius cowl is knit in the round and features a colorwork motif that signifies my version of the evil eye, or Nazar in Farsi, that’s often woven into Kilims. The piece is then finished off with a twist and grafted together using the kitchener stitch to create the moebius style cowl.

▲ FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

One Size:
Height: 9.75” inches / 25 cm
Width: 16” inches / 41 cm
Total Circumference: 32” inches / 81 cm

▲ YARN

MC: Magpie Fibers Dyed in the Skein (100% superwash merino; 75g / 300 yds): 420 yards of Strange Brew

CC: Spincycle Yarns Dyed in the Wool (100% superwash merino; 200 yds): 400 yards of Shades of Earth