I took a summer session course in the iron studio at Penland School of Craft, in Penland, North Carolina. Every night at the school we have a slide show for the community to come together and to see the work of the studio instructors. The evenings in the mountains are cool, and across the gallery I spotted the cardigan that inspired this design. Going right along with my newly found obsession with intarsia (yes, you read that right: I love intarsia), I stalked that sweater across campus. Finally reaching the wearer, I told her how much I loved her sweater and asked, “do you knit?” She does! But sadly her cardigan was machine made. So this pattern is my homage to Penland and all the great artisans who come together to learn, share and enjoy a few weeks of doing nothing but working your craft.

I love the pure graphic sensibility of the large cross hatch. I also wanted a yarn with some personality, because Penland is that kind of place. This amazing fuzzy yarn—it’s a little odd, funky even—is made from a painted inner thread that is surrounded by a differently colored net. It knits great, as yarn in a tube is not splitty in the least. If you’re shy about trying intarsia, this yarn with this motif will be as easy as a cool mountain breeze.