My first visit to Ireland inspired the Aisling Cowl pattern (it’s pronounced ash-lin and means “dream” or “vision”).

A snippet of poetry* captured my attention and demanded to be knit:

The Friday Harbor Vest was inspired by a beautiful sunrise on a cold February morning: the waters of the Salish sea glowed, framing the dark outlines of the San Juan Islands; the mountains were visible in all directions, and the spiky evergreens show up against the peachy sunrise. The golden lights of a houseboat signal home.

A magical day spent dyeing yarn with the skilled artisans at the Center for Traditional Textiles / Centro de Textiles Traditionales del Cusco in Chinchero, Peru. Bubbling plant-filled dye pots produced seven deep colors. It was hard to decide what to do with such beautiful yarns that would honor such lovely memories.

Late August on Unst, the northernmost inhabited island of the Shetland archipelago. Treeless green and gold hills. Water on every side, changing colors from moment to moment. Heather turning to rust, leaving just a memory of purple flowers.

Glaciers and lava, fire and ice. Northern lights dancing in the sky. Pools of steaming water. Iceland, both dream and reality. Awe inspiring!

The Celtic Knot Cardigan is a seamless yoke sweater that is knit in the round from the bottom up—the sleeves and body are joined at the underarm. Five sets of short rows give the yoke a flattering fit. This sweater’s classic shape makes it a go-to choice for all seasons.

High in the Peruvian Andes lies a small community called Huilloc Alto. Its small population includes skilled spinners, dyers, weavers, and beaders.

Late August on Unst, the northernmost inhabited island of the Shetland archipelago. Treeless green and gold hills. Water on every side, changing colors from moment to moment. Heather turning to rust, leaving just a memory of purple flowers. This close-fitting cap will keep your hair out of your eyes as you scan the far horizon, breathing deeply...

The colors and ivy motif of this hat were inspired by two luminous tapestries—Flora and Pomona—produced by the William Morris workshop, part of the Arts & Crafts movement in the late 1800s.

Cordova, Alaska. A community built on the elemental drive of salmon to come home in an annual migration. Rimmed by mountains, threaded with glacial streams, it is at once majestic and welcoming.

October, near Taos. Purple clouds gather menacingly over the

A love song to Cordova, Alaska. Silty river deltas fed by glaciers, mountains reflected in a smooth lake as the sun sets near midnight. A dizzying interplay of water, sky, and land. A community built on the elemental drive of salmon to return home.

The golden hillsides of Yellow Island surrounded by sparkling water inspired this cardigan jacket. Twelve shades of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift combine to recreate the magical scene.

The Starburst Shawl is a bold, graceful statement piece that I designed when I was scheduled to give a talk and needed to wear something powerful to give me courage.

Dryas octopetala, an alpine flowering shrub, sports 8-petalled flowers—this seemed like the perfect (albeit slightly awkward) name for this flower-encircled design.

Orcas play in the waters of Puget Sound against a dark backdrop of evergreen trees. A classic Northwest hat is transformed by luxurious merino/cashmere yarn, a slouchy profile, and a frivolous pom pom.

The Beginner’s Fair Isle Cap pattern was designed to introduce the Fair Isle curious to stranded knitting using traditional motifs and yarn. If you have always wanted to try but weren’t sure where to start, this pattern is for you!

The Lilac Wine Tam has a classic tam construction coupled with an asymmetrical brocade pattern that can work with any two colors of yarn, provided they have a strong value contrast.

Convivencia: a shared life. The Convivencia Cap was inspired by Cat Bordhi’s adventures in Central and South America and the delicious feel of Frog Tree Yarn’s Llambrosia yarn.

The Walking Tour Scarf is a lovely riot of color and traditional Fair Isle patterns inspired by images of native Shetland flowers: 36 shades of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift yarn, to be exact. But don’t panic: in true Fair Isle style only two colors are used in any one round.

Wearing the capacious Safe Harbor Shawl feels like being hugged! It is constructed Faroese style in five parts: two side panels bracket a center gusset, and each side panel has a selvedge band. Subtle decreases at the shoulder create a secure fit.

The beautiful soft neutrals of birch bark--twelve shades of gray, tan, orange, and slate blue Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift yarn--wend their way in and out of a mysterious geometric Komi motif.

The Starry Night cardigan takes its inspiration from Van Gogh’s wild sky in flight. The heathery shades of Elemental Affects Natural Shetland yarn add depth to the swirling stranded bands at hip and yoke. Waist shaping emphasizes the feminine look of this lightweight garment.

The dainty blossoms of dicentra--bleeding heart--droop from lacy leaves against a deep, mysteriously heathered green. This seamless yoke cardigan is knit in the round, with steek for the front opening. Full instructions for securing and cutting the steek are included in the pattern. Waist shaping and 3/4-length sleeves emphasize the feminine lo...

Northern New Mexico in October—green and gold glow in the slanted light of autumn while lavender-tinted gray-blue clouds loom in the background. Although this cap has lots of colors—14!—only two are used in each row, and the classic Norwegian star motif is easy enough for beginners.

The Helsinki Sweater is a graceful yoke design with short rows and waist shaping to give a flattering fit. The body of the sweater is a deep olive green; the many oranges and subtle greens of the Turkish motif in the yoke give an overall effect of mid-century Scandinavian pottery designs: thus, the name Helsinki Sweater.

“I’ve loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.” Sarah Williams

This Cascade Cap pattern comes in two colorways: the Natural version showcases the soft browns and grays of Shetland sheep, while the stronger colors of the Winter version were inspired by a drive across the Cascade Mountains one cold December.

Fluorescent pinks paired with haunting purples and blues--a sunset in December is a show-stopper! This classic Fair Isle design uses 8 colors.

Small mountain lakes reflecting bright blue skies and encircled by leafy trees inspired this classic Fair Isle tam design. Eight colors are used in this pattern.

Rainforest mosses and lichens greens can be bright or muted--and the little moss spores are always surprising! Eight colors are used in this classic Fair Isle design.

A dusty summer day in Montana spent searching for garnets trapped in granite inspired the colors in this classic Fair Isle tam. Eight colors are used in this design.

Riding the ferry across Puget Sound on an early winter morning you are surrounded by foggy blues and blurry browns, reflected in this classic Fair Isle tam.

A classic Fair Isle, loose-fitting cap in the colors of an American Fourth of July!

In a nod to mid-century Scandinavian designers, soft gray-greens form a soothing backdrop for oranges that range from muted deep shades to Halloween bright in this slightly slouchy cap.

This classic tam pattern by Janine Bajus is one of six patterns available in the Fall 2011 issue of ColorKnits, a revolutionary digital eMag from Interweave. The tam includes traditional Fair Isle motifs and muted colors inspired by the lovely shades of faded Persian rugs. It has three parts: the band, the body, and the wheel at the top, which ...

The early pink buds of the redbud that form a lovely contrast with the grays and browns of a winter woodlot were the inspiration for this vest.

The Parcheesi Afghan is a variant of a log cabin quilt, knit in garter stitch. It is modeled after an antique quilt I found in a book (sadly can’t remember which book--I’d never intended to write up this pattern!). Mine was knit in Shetland jumperweight yarn--more than 30 colors were used. But you could use fewer colors and heavier yarn if you ...

This is a very large and cushy scarf to cuddle down into when the weather gets bad. The interest comes from reverse-stockinette welts and color changes that produce purl show-through of color. You need 6 colors of a soft, fuzzy, sport-weight or fingering-weight yarn--see the pattern for a breakdown of yardage needed by color.

Ravens are more than black! Seven shades of purples (and some surprises!) dance together in this cap.

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