This pattern was designed exclusively for KnitCrate and was the featured selection for the December 2013 Beginner and Intermediate/Advanced subscription package. The pattern is now available for purchase from KnitCrate, and a kit that includes both the pattern and Libby Summer Bulky Wool will be available in January 2013.

This design was inspired by a boat trip on a beautiful summer’s day to the Farne Islands, which is a group of over a dozen islands off the coast of Northumberland England. The instructions provide a recipe for creating a gorgeous cowl using any two of the 10 possible stitch patterns, ensuring that every finished object will be as unique as the knitter who created it.

“The Farne Snood” is therefore the perfect name for a pattern that combines so many different possible combinations of patterns, reflecting the changing number of Islands and the fluctuating nature of their appearance in contrast to the relative simplicity of the appearance of the sea. The complex textures in the patterns are inspired by the appearance of the cliffs with the many different birds, all creating different silhouettes and shadows against the rocks, in contrast to the smooth surface of the sea beneath them.