This time we're checking in with Bristol Ivy about her cabled pullover from Issue 25, Hyphae.
With so many cables this might be the most time-intensive project in this issue, but with a closer look you'll see that Bristol has incorporated ribbed sections for a clean silhouette and easier shaping. There's no doubt that this design was made possible with a lot of careful calculating!
amirisu: What was your inspiration for this design?
Bristol: I think there is something so special about allover cables on a sweater—it’s simultaneously so classic and tailored, and also secretly like your favorite comfy sweatshirt. I also love that cables are such a great place to play with scale. Hyphae uses the same cable structure in its two different stitch patterns, but does so at two different sizes and frequencies. It’s simple to work, but the repeating motifs add up to a beautiful whole. I also know that working cables during neck and armhole shaping can be a lot to keep up with, so I wanted to transition to rib both for that ease of working and for clean, bulk-free shoulders. And who doesn’t love a good shawl collar?
amirisu: What, if any, challenges did you encounter during the design process?
Bristol: The gauge shift between the allover cables and the rib led to some very interesting math! I always want to ensure that I have lots of sizes so that my sweaters fit as many knitters as possible. But with a large pattern repeat like I have here and such a big gauge difference between those two stitch patterns, it took a lot of finessing to (hopefully!) make a pattern that would work for everyone.
amirisu: If you were to knit this design in another color, what would it be?
Bristol: A deep, mossy, olive-y bottle green. I would never take it off!
amirisu: How did you start your knitting journey?
Bristol: My mom taught me to knit when I was little, but I really took it up with a passion when I was about 17. There is something about the combination of repetitive, meditative action, and endless possibility that suits my personality to a T. I started working without patterns from the beginning, and published my first pattern 12(!) years ago in 2010. Since then, knitting has continued to be such an amazing source of inspiration. It’s such a perfect combination of right brain creativity and left brain logic, and I love getting to push the boundaries on both.
amirisu: Do you have a favorite museum or work of art? Please tell us a little about it.
Bristol: A few years ago I got to see a Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit that showcased both her handmade clothing and her paintings. I’ve loved her work forever, but getting to see the confluence of a delicate brushstroke next to a hand-sewn pin tuck brought me to tears. So often textile and needle work is denigrated as “just” women’s work, and seeing it in this context among other pieces of fine art was a true joy.
Thank you, Bristol!