earthfaire is now offering a kit to knit Raven’s Wing Wristlets! It includes luxurious, silk blend yarns and your choice of bead colors. You can see it here.

I love all Corvids, but Ravens are really my favorites. They are plentiful in the desert Southwest – so commonly seen that they are part of the landscape. They can be seen soaring overhead or roosting in tall trees, and their social behavior is complex, fascinating, and at times hilarious. During the year I’ve lived in a remote corner of the high desert, many groups of Ravens have visited briefly, but the only permanent residents are a mated pair. It has been wonderful fun observing them on a daily basis – they truly act like an old married couple. They seem to have acknowledged me and my cat as well; nearly every morning the male sits on an overhead power line next to my trailer and caws until Murphy and I come outside. Usually by that time the female has joined him, and when I open the door and step outside with my coffee, they both give one last emphatic “caw!” and fly away in search of breakfast.

I wanted to evoke the Raven’s feathers in these wristlets. I’ve used luxurious fibers and lush textures, a feather lace pattern and sparkling beads to emulate the Raven’s glossy, deep black, and slightly iridescent plumage. The result has a rather Victorian feel, and it reminds me of how well-to-do Victorian ladies would adorn their hats and other garments with birds’ feathers, and sometimes wings or even whole stuffed birds. These ladies were especially fond of iridescent feathers, and I think these wristlets would perfectly complement an elaborate feathered outfit such as they might have worn back then.

Raven’s Wing wristlets are knit in the round from the beaded cuff to the wrist. They begin with a beaded cast on and a lace pattern that resembles feathers with beaded shafts, worked in a delicate mohair laceweight in deep black. The wrist portion is worked in a sturdier yarn, a beautiful Merino and silk blend. The slightly reflective yarn and textured Beaded Rib pattern echo the Raven’s glossy black plumage. Feather Lace and Beaded Rib patterns are given both as charts and written instructions.

Skills required:
• Working small circumferences in the round
• Stringing beads (instructions given)
• Beaded cast on (instructions given); you will need to know how to do a long-tail cast on
• Knit and purl stitches
• Yarn over
• Decreases – k2tog and Centered Double Decrease
• Adding beads (instructions given)

Sizes: Adult Small/Medium and Medium/Large. All instructions are given for size Small/Medium first, followed by Medium/Large in parentheses. If only one instruction is given, it applies to both sizes. Size is changed by gauge, so knitting instructions are the same for both sizes. Individual size instructions are given for gauge, needle sizes, and yarn quantities.

Gauge: In stockinette stitch with fingering weight yarn: 30 sts = 10cm/4” (28 sts = 10cm/4”)
Note: There is no stockinette stitch in the pattern, but gauge is difficult to measure over ribbing. Gauge is given in stockinette to assist in choosing a needle size

Materials:

Laceweight Mohair Blend Yarn:
• Kidsilk Haze – 25g/229 yds, 70% Super Kid Mohair, 30% Silk
o 599 Wicked – 45 (55) yds
Fingering Weight Merino and Silk Blend Yarn:
• Cascade Heritage Silk – 100g/437 yds, 85% Merino Superwash, 15% Mulberry Silk
o 5672 Real Black – 55 (70) yds

Needles:
• Size 2.50mm (3.00mm) and 3.50mm (3.75mm) for your chosen method of working small circumferences (double points, two circulars, or magic loop). Size is determined by gauge for this project. Choose the size needles that will give you the stitch gauge for the size you have chosen, plus two sizes larger.
• NOTE: needle sizes are suggestions. Please use the size that will give you proper gauge.

Beads:
• 200 size 8/0 seed beads (this quantity includes a few extra in case of loss, damage, etc.). The sample uses silver-lined purple A/B (iridescent finish).
• Fine sewing or beading needle and thread, or a dental floss threader