Support BIPOC Designers with a #RhineBIPOCSweater

There has been a lot of talk in the knitting community this year about diversity and the need to acknowledge, promote and support designers and knitters of color and others from traditionally marginalized communities.

All that talk is good, but it means very little without action.

Which is why I love the #RhineBIPOCSweater project. Rhinebeck is one of the biggest events of the knitting year, and the Rhinebeck sweater is an important garment for anyone attending the festival because it’s what you choose to show off to your fellow knitters.

So the dyer behind Lady Dye Yarns and Jasmin from Knitmore Girls came up with the idea to promote a Rhinebeck sweater knitalong and crochetalong that encourages people to make designs from BIPOC designers and using yarn from BIPOC makers. There’s a list of potential projects (not all sweaters) on Ravelry, curated by the Black Squirrel aided by the work Jeanette Sloan has done to highlight BIPOC makers.

Lady Dye has also posted about BIPOC indie dyers to make shopping for yarn easier. The colors in the above picture are the suggested colors for the project.

Even if you’re not going to Rhinebeck (I’ve never been; it’s a long way from here and it always falls around my husband’s birthday) this is a fantastic idea. We can say we support BIPOC makers all day long but until we are giving them our financial support it doesn’t mean anything. Check out the list; you’re sure to find something you want to make.

[Photo: Lady Dye Yarns via Instagram.]

Next Pattern:

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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Have you read?

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