Are you ready for an adventure? Travel might still be a bit of a distant dream, but hey, we’ve got our knitting needles to transport us! Fresh off the press and piled high in the online shop, we’ve got a little book that’s your ticket to an Icelandic knitting adventure: Modern Daily Field Guide No. 17: Lopi.
Mary Jane Mucklestone is our intrepid guide, bringing us five designs that showcase one of the knitting world’s most recognisable yarns, Léttlopi. So just what’s on the itinerary? Let’s have a peek.
The Destination Pullover … it had us at “casual sweatshirt of a pullover” and then revealed it has pockets! Need more convincing? It’s worked at a looser-than-normal guage for Léttlopi, meaning it’s lightweight and comfortable enough for indoor wear. Oh, and there are mix and match stranded motifs to choose from, so you can make a sweater that’s totally you. For what more could you ask?
Photo © Elysa Weitala.
One of the great things about Field Guides is they often features patterns that build on each other. The Destination Scarf is a great example. This circularly knit scarf is beautiful in its own right, but you can also use it as a chance to try out colours and motifs before casting on the Destination Pullover. A giant gauge swatch, one that will keep your neck nice and toasty!
Photo © Elysa Weitala.
The Trinket Mittens and Jaunty Hat give you two more chances to experiment with colour and motif to make one-of-a-kind accessories that will stand the test of time.
Photos © Elysa Weitala.
Last but certainly not least is the Daytripper Cardigan, a cardigan interpretation of Mary Jane’s perennially popular Stopover Sweater. Like the Destination Pullover, this is knit at a looser-than-traditional for Léttlopi gauge, making it friendly for indoor wear. If you’ve never steeked, I think this could be the project to get you to try.
Photo © Elysa Weitala.
I’ve been working on my own version of the Destination Scarf … I think it’s just about time to start throwing in some colour!
You can also spy one of the particularly thoughtful touches in this newest Field Guide — a separately printed card with all six stranded motifs used in the book to save you flipping between patterns and charts! Making the choose-your-own-adventure element of these patterns that much more enjoyable. The folks at MDK do know how to spoil us!
I’m lucky to have a bit of a stash of Léttlopi to draw on for my scarf. If you’re in the UK and looking for some, it seems that supplies of it are a bit limited at the moment, but the last time we checked the lovely Meadow Yarn had a selection of colours in stock, as do Northern Yarn.
And you can find Field Guide No. 17 (along with several other excellent Field Guide titles) now in the online shop! Happy exploring!