“Oh! Call us not weeds, but flowers of the sea…”
-Mary M. Howard, Ocean Flowers and Their Teachings (1846)

This warm and cozy tubular cowl draws inspiration from natural herstory. Halidrys Siliquosa, commonly known as Sea Oak or more colloquially as Tree of the Sea, is one of dozens of dried algae specimens included by botanist Mary M. Howard (1804-1893) in her marine herbarium Ocean Flowers and Their Teachings (published 1846) and inspired this all-over colourwork pattern. McGill Library has digitized its copy of this special book, which can be viewed in full here.

This pattern was created for a hybrid event, “Knitting Natural HerStory”, hosted by the McGill Libraries on May 30, 2023. You can watch a recording of the event here. For more natural herstory inspiration, watch a recording of Dr. Tina Gianquitto’s April 2023 lecture “’What a nusiance sex is!’: Women Plant Collectors in the 19th Century” on McGill Libraries’s YouTube channel.

The designer, Kristen Howard, and colleague Jacquelyn Sundberg published a paper on the series of knitting events hosted by McGill Libraries from 2021-2023 in RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, & Cultural Heritage in Spring 2024. The article is available open access for all to read here: “Crafting Connections: Bridging Collections & Communities with Knitting.”

In lieu of payment for this pattern, consider making a gift to McGill Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections.

Pattern Details

Finished Measurements:
Width: 8.25”/21 cm
Circumference: 30”/76 cm

Yarn:
Any worsted weight yarn in two strongly contrasting colour, approx. 220 yards each (440 yards total)

Sample Yarn:
Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Tweed in Dill Heather (MC) and Sequoia Heather (CC)

Suggested Needles:
US 7 (4.5 mm), 16” (40 cm) circulars

Notions:
Seven stitch markers (one unique for BOR), tapestry needle, scissors, waste yarn, crochet hook (for provisional cast on), extra set of needles

Gauge:
20 st x 18 rows = 4”, knit in the round and blocked
Note: gauge is not critical for this pattern, but a change in gauge will affect yarn usage and finished size.

Skills Needed:
Knitting in the round, stranded colourwork (including catching long floats), provisional cast-on, and grafting (Kitchener stitch).