Strata and Line
A Study in Stripes by Leah B. Thibault and Bristol Ivy
Ever since Leah and I met in 2008, when she arrived at our local knitting group working on the same sweater that I had just finished, we’ve joked that we’re the same person. This included us both making the decision to start publishing our own patterns in 2010, and, though we’ve taken different paths and have different styles, to the inevitable: a collaboration. I don’t even remember what started me on the path to stripes, but I couldn’t have asked for a better companion on this adventure! This collection is a glimpse into both of our design aesthetics and styles, tied together with a color scheme inspired by the Maine coastline and a selection of yarns from companies and dyers on the East Coast. For my own patterns in the collection, Stripanan, Strake, and Stria, I was inspired by modern, wearable shapes combined with soft neutrals and muddied blues and greens. I’ve also included a previously published pattern, the Earl Grey Mitts, rewritten in a new yarn to match. Each project is simple to knit, but with great visual impact and wardrobe appeal. I can’t wait to see where our simple stripes take you!
-Bristol
It was Bristol who came up with the stripe idea and I was just happy to come along for the ride. And while we did knit the same pattern once upon a time (Forecast by Stefanie Japel), Bristol and I have developed fairly different personal design aesthetics. While I think it would be pretty easy for most people to figure out who designed what, we made it even easier by giving all of Bristol’s patterns in this collection “S” names and all mine “L” names. When it came to Lamina, Longitude, and Latitude, I wanted to look at stripes in something less traditional than an all-over stripe, leading to the lined curves and insets that add flair to otherwise simple garments. I also enjoyed playing with color, from a range of seaglass-hued blues on a collar, to a cheery yellow on a sleeve, to high contrast blue and white on a bonnet. All of this leading to a trio of patterns I hope are enjoyable to knit, wearable, and a little bit fun (there are pom-poms after all)!
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-Leah
Strata and Line About the Collection Lamina Stripanan Latitude Strake Longitude Earl Grey Mitts Stria About the Authors
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Lamina
n. A thin plate, sheet, or layer.
A saddle shoulder, cowl neck pullover by Leah B. Thibault The Woolen Rabbit Grace in Myrtle and Straw 6
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Stripanan
Proto-Germanic root of “stripe”. An asymmetrical sideways shawl with lace edging by Bristol Ivy Brooklyn Tweed Loft in Foothills and Pumpernickel 9
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Latitude
n. the angular distance of a place north or south of the Earth’s equator. A top-down round yoke sweater coat with striped collar and cuffs by Leah B. Thibault Quince & Co. Puffin in Bird’s Egg, Frost, Delft, and Glacier
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Strake
n. Nautical: a single continuous line of planking or metal plating extending on a vessel’s hull from stem to stern.
A drop-shouldered dolman pullover with garter edging by Bristol Ivy Quince & Co. Lark in Kittywake and Lichen
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Longitude
n. the angular distance on the Earth’s surface, measured east or west.
A short row bonnet with i-cord edging and pom-poms by Leah B. Thibault Berroco Blackstone Tweed in Narragansett and Clover Honey
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Earl Grey Mitts
Reverse stockinette mitts with gusseted thumbs and wrist shaping by Bristol Ivy Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Pumpernickel and Stormcloud
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Stria
n. A linear mark, slight ridge, or groove on a surface, often one of a number of similar parallel features.
A convertible cardigan with an unusual construction, pockets, and i-cord edging by Bristol Ivy The Fibre Company Acadia in Driftwood and Bog
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Bristol Ivy is a knitting designer and fiber artist from Portland, Maine. Previous work includes publications with Brooklyn Tweed, Quince & Co., Twist Collective, and Knitty. You can follow her adventures at her blog at blackbirdturning.blogspot.com, on Ravelry and Twitter as BristolIvy, or in her Ravelry group, Bristol Ivy Designs. Based in Southern Maine, Leah picked up knitting needles in the winter of 2005 and hasn’t put them down since. She has previously designed patterns for Knitscene, Twist Collective, and Quince & Co., in addition to self-publishing several patterns at www.mscleaver. com. You can also find her on Twitter as @Ms_Cleaver or on Ravelry as mscleaver. She also spins, sews, weaves, embroiders, and bakes a delicious pie. Sincere thanks to the following companies for their generous yarn support: Berroco (www.berroco.com) Brooklyn Tweed (www.brooklyntweed.net) Kelbourne Woolens (www.kelbournewoolens.com) Quince & Co. (www.quinceandco.com) The Woolen Rabbit (www.thewoolenrabbit.com)
Designs, Photography, and Tech Editing by Bristol Ivy and Leah B. Thibault Proofing by Dawn Catanzaro Modeled by Rebecca Scammon Shot on location in Buxton, Maine, on a very chilly, very early December morning 34