A Low-Pressure Make-along to Support Designers of Color

I love the idea and the spirit behind the BIPOC Make Along, hosted by Desamour Designs.

One of the important things I’ve learned — and I think a lot of other people have learned, too — in the past year is that it’s not enough to say you’re not racist or that you support diversity in the fiber arts community, you need to really show it.

And one way to show it, of course, is through financial support, such as buying a designer’s pattern or a maker’s yarn.

To that end this make-along was designed to encourage people to support BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) designers while also making something great to give as a gift or to keep for yourself. And of course you can use a free pattern as well.

The make-along officially runs from Sept. 2 to Nov. 4 and is meant to be casual and stress-free as well as a supportive environment for making new friends in the fiber community around the world.

Of course there will be prizes, too, for people who share their progress online. Click the link above for all the details.

I’m thinking hard about a My Boy Lollipop, which has been on my mind all summer. If you join in, I’d love to know what you’re knitting!

[Photo via Desamour Designs.]

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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