Short-Row Colorwork Knitting: The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide

SHORT-ROW COLORWORK KNITTING

Woolly Wormhead was born in London and now lives in the hills of Montefeltro in central Italy.

They have been widely published, and their patterns are trusted and celebrated by knitters all over the world. Avid fans of Woolly’s patterns affectionately gave them the moniker “The Hat Architect” due to their unusual constructions and approach to techniques used within the designs.

Woolly trained in electronic engineering and then worked in the industry for a number of years before returning to their first love—textiles. From there, Woolly studied textile technology, then fine art and sculptural textiles, before doing their postgrad in education and going on to teaching art and textiles in London for several years. Woolly has pulled from this knowledge to question the structure of the humble knitted fabric and challenge the understanding of construction.

Website: woollywormhead.com Instagram: @woollywormhead

In this first-ever guide to short-row colorwork knitting, renowned knitting designer and instructor Woolly Wormhead demystifies this popular—yet previously underdeveloped—technique. Learn the core concepts of short-row colorwork, delight in its beautiful simplicity, and marvel at the many ways it can be used.

With step-by-step how-to photography, you’ll master key techniques, such as German short-rows, grafting, knitting backwards, and more to ensure ease and success. A stitch dictionary of 50 unique motifs provides a playground of inspiration, and patterns for 10 accessories from Woolly and popular designers from around the world showcase just a sampling of the many ways you can utilize short-row colorwork.

Catapulting short-row colorwork knitting into a full-fledged technique, Woolly Wormhead’s definitive guide uncovers new worlds of colorful possibilities.

GUEST DESIGNERS INCLUDE Paola Albergamo, Caroline Dick,

PRINTED IN CHINA

CVR_Short-Row Colorwork_FinalCX_12_12.indd 1

Šárka Dvořáčková, Carol Feller, Lola Johnson, Justyna Lorkowska, Linnea Ornstein, and Karie Westermann.

SHORT-ROW COLORWORK

KNITTING THE DEFINITIVE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Woolly Wormhead

SHORT-ROW COLORWORK

KNITTING

THE DEFINITIVE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

50 STITCH PATTERNS • 10 PROJECTS

With this first-ever guide to short-row colorwork knitting, Woolly Wormhead takes what they are already known for and develops it into a fullfledged technique that anyone can understand.

In this book, you’ll find:

• Clear explanations of core concepts, such as selecting yarns to maintaining balance within your knitted fabric

Woolly Wormhead

As an Autistic with ADHD, Woolly brings a unique perspective to our stitches, what they can do, and how we can manipulate them. It was a natural next step for them to become an advocate for neurodivergent and mental health care. Alongside their knit designing, teaching, and writing, Woolly often writes and gives talks on the links to and benefits of knitting for folks whose brains are a little bit different.

You’ve seen it, you’ve loved it, and now you can make it your own.

$24.99 US • $32.99 CAN

• Step-by-step photographs for all necessary techniques, from cast-ons to finishing

• How-to instruction for working backwards (instead of turning your work)

• Written and mapped (charted) instructions • 50 motifs that can be used in countless ways • 10 patterns for shawls, Hats, and other

accessories from Woolly and guest designers Carol Feller, Justyna Lorkowska, and more

Crafts & Hobbies • Needlework • Knitting

$24.99 US • $32.99 CAN ISBN: 978-1-970048-14-8

• Guidelines for experienced knitters on how to insert and adapt short-row colorwork motifs into their own designs

Woolly Wormhead 12/12/23 2:55 PM

SHORT-ROW COLORWORK

KNITTING

THE DEFINITIVE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

50 STITCH PATTERNS • 10 PROJECTS Woolly Wormhead

an imprint of Soho Publishing, LLC 19 W 21st St., Suite 601 New York, NY 10010 sixthandspringbooks.com Editor JACOB SEIFERT Creative Director IRENE LEDWITH Technical Editor DEB BRAMHAM Technical Illustrator WOOLLY WORMHEAD Copy Editor KARIE WESTERMANN Photography TOM PATERSON Stylist ANJU GARATTONI Hair and Makeup ANJU GARATTONI All yarn provided by MALABRIGO YARN ____________________ Chief Executive Officer CAROLINE KILMER President ART JOINNIDES Chairman JAY STEIN

Copyright © 2024 by Woolly Wormhead All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage-and-retrieval systems—without written permission of the publisher.

The written instructions, photographs, designs, projects, and patterns are intended for the personal, noncommercial use of the retail purchaser and are under federal copyright laws; they are not to be reproduced in any form for commercial use. Permission is granted to photocopy patterns for the personal use of the retail purchaser.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Woolly Wormhead, author.

Title: Short-row colorwork knitting : the definitive step-by-step guide / Woolly Wormhead.

Description: First edition. | New York, New York : Sixth&Spring Books, [2024] | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2023033026 | ISBN 9781970048148 (paperback) Subjects: LCSH: Knitting—Patterns. | Color in knitting.

Classification: LCC TT825 .W687 2024 | DDC 746.43/2041—dc23/eng/20230724 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023033026 Manufactured in China 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 FIRST EDITION

Acknowledgments Thanks to Tom Paterson, without whom I’d have never been able to write this book. Besides his brilliant photography, his support and patience for my need to question every little thing over the last 19 years has helped me become the person I am today.

I would also like to thank Deb Bramham, my technical editor, for not only getting what I do and how I think, but also in working with me so closely and developing methods that make the best of my work. Thanks, too, to Heather Murray, who worked with me on my Elemental collection, which was the beginning of the journey to my short-row colorwork technique. And also Karie Westermann, not only for her encouragement, but also for her copy editing, which enhances my voice and gives everyone a peek inside my brain.

Thanks to the staff at Soho Publishing and Sixth&Spring Books. In particular, to my editor Jacob Seifert, for his support and confidence in me bringing this book together, and Irene Ledwith, for her patience with bringing my vision to life.

Special thanks go to Malabrigo Yarn, for agreeing to support and sponsor this project. I hope this book and all it entails does your fabulous yarn justice!

Finally, thanks to my Patreon supporters for not only having my back and encouraging me along this journey but also for their valued input! To the thousands of knitters who’ve knit my patterns, marveled at how the Hat comes together, and felt that amazing sense of achievement in learning new skills. To my incredible moderators and their experience, and to Rachy and Sarah for their friendship and support. And to my mum, for teaching me to knit when I was 3 years old.

Dedication This book is dedicated to our kiddo, Aran, my mini-me.

Thank you for your pride in me as an author — I hope I can give you the confidence and encouragement to be whoever you want to be in this world.

Contents About Short-Row Colorwork . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

CORE CONCEPTS

Balancing the Fabric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

About the Motifs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Navigating Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Choosing Yarns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tutorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cast-Ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

German Short-Rows in Garter Stitch . . . .

Grafting Garter Stitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Managing Floats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Working Backward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 12 14 20 22 22 25 28 30 31

MOTIFS

Adjustables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Stackables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Repeatables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

PROJECTS

Damascena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Montes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 Fogrande . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Tidal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Parallelism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Ripplish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Triangulum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Wavelength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Calathea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Streckade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Designing with the Motifs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Abbreviations and Map Key can be found on the inside of the front cover flap.

About Short-Row Colorwork

A short-row, within knitting, simply means a row or round that is intentionally incomplete.

Instead of working all the stitches, we stop at a specific point, turn our knitting, and work our way back. This will leave a jog or gap, but various short-row methods can be used to smooth those transitions and keep our knitting tidy. The different short-row methods available all have the same characteristic — they are rows that are intentionally incomplete. The only real difference between them is in how those transitions are smoothed.

Short-rows most commonly serve one or two purposes. They can provide shaping (like bust darts in a garment), and they can create color patterning (not dissimilar to intarsia or stripes). Short-rows have been used extensively for shaping, but their use for colorwork has generally remained undefined and under-explored. This book aims to fill that gap.

I first started developing my short-row colorwork technique because I was inspired by the amazing effects and color patterns I had seen in flat items such as shawls and scarves. These items had wonderful organic shapes in different colors, creating a completely different approach to color and shape than any other types of colorwork I had seen. They had a fluidity and depth to them, and I wanted to see if I could create similar effects with my Hat patterns. And so I began experimenting.

I first considered Swing Knitting, an organic method of creating color patterns that usually creates so-called short-row pods, or leaf-like shapes.

Yet I found limitations with shaping, especially the type of shaping a Hat requires. Another method I found involved creating individual short-row pieces that would later be joined.

Again, this approach struggled to accommodate shaping outside the short-row forms themselves.

I knew this: if I wanted to create three-dimensional items such as Hats, I could not rely on the short-rows to guide me, as these other methods did. I needed consistent structure and smooth shaping, and existing colorwork techniques that utilized short-rows, as mesmerizing as they were, would not help me achieve that — particularly as I wanted to design and write patterns that would allow knitters to confidently create their own versions. Existing techniques made for beautiful knitting, but they did not function the way I needed.

It became clear that I had to approach short-row colorwork from a completely different direction. I leaned into my knowledge of sculpture, engineering, and construction, and I began to think.

After some time, I realized I had to define the shapes I wanted and make the short-row techniques bend to those shapes. Once I made that switch in thinking, a whole new world of possibilities opened up.

Instead of a free-form approach, which allows the short-rows to define the journey and ultimately the shape, my method of short-row colorwork is a deliberate and intentional manipulation of the fabric itself.

Short-row colorwork patterns do not have to look organic. They can be graphic and angular. They can be 6

repeated or one-off statement motifs.

They can be adjustable stripes and so much more. And, interestingly, short-row colorwork does not have to be worked flat. The patterns can be used in the round and in combination with different shaping methods.

Furthermore, short-row colorwork patterns can be worked with minimal finishing — they do not have to be knitted in pieces to be joined later.

All In the Details

Each of the techniques, motifs, and patterns within this book uses garter stitch and German short-rows. Garter stitch, with its square gauge and dense bouncy fabric, combines perfectly with short-rows to create truly dynamic colorwork. The stretch within garter stitch hides the short-row method well, ensuring a tidy fabric, and the nature of garter stitch itself enhances the depth of the colorwork and motifs.

Of all the ways to work short-rows, the German short-row method is what I have used exclusively throughout this book. While you could use any method you prefer, I strongly encourage you to use German short-rows for the following reasons. The double-legged stitch created by this technique can be treated like any other knit stitch. It can be simply knit across without the need for any extra steps, and for that same reason it is very easily grafted. In all,

it is much easier and quicker to work than any other short-row method.

To keep my edges tidy, I use the crochet cast-on and the standard (“knitwise”) bind-off. The crochet caston is incredibly versatile and can be worked provisionally, permanently, and at the end of a row. It also perfectly mirrors the knitwise bind-off, adding further refinement to your project.

Learn It All

With this book, you will learn the key elements of short-row colorwork,

including how to balance the fabric and choose yarn combinations. I will guide you through navigating the short-row maps and what each part means. I will teach you the key techniques to not only master short-row colorwork but also create beautiful projects of your own.

Fifty short-row colorwork motifs, divided into three groups, are featured in this book. You will learn the differences between the types, how they can be used, and the most suitable projects for 7

each. Finally, ten projects will hone your new skills. These projects, ranging from mitts through Hats to simple scarves and complex shawls, each highlight how the different types of motifs can be used whilst exploring a variety of construction methods.

Once you have mastered the concepts in the following pages and have learned to control the short-rows, you, too, will be able to create stunning knitted items full of movement and color.

CORE CONCEPTS Short-row colorwork is a magical combination of garter stitch, short-rows, and gorgeous yarn. The following pages will teach you this technique’s essential concepts, how to apply it in nearly every situation, and all necessary skills.

Choosing Yarns

When choosing yarns, you need to take two things into consideration: first, the construction of the yarn, and then the color.

As the fabric is entirely made from short-rows, you need a yarn that is strong, durable, and squishy. The yarn must be able to stand up to intentional manipulation, which is why I recommend multi-ply yarns. Everything in this book has been worked with Malabrigo yarn. All of the swatches in the stitch dictionary are worked in Arroyo, a longtime favorite of mine.

All the designs are worked in one or more of Malabrigo’s most popular bases: Sock, Arroyo, and Rios — all of which are multi-plied, strong, machinewashable, and widely available.

Short-row colorwork is unusually forgiving when it comes to color combinations. You still have to think about your color palette, but you do not have to worry about how you carry your yarns and which yarn will dominate the project. Still, ask yourself if you want a high contrast or a tonal sweep. Should the dark color be the foreground motif or the background? Swatching your preferred color combinations is always the best way to decide how to use your yarns, but the stitch dictionary has been designed to aid you.

Short-row colorwork is unusual because the negative space of the stitch pattern is just as important as the positive space. Or, to put it slightly differently, the background

has as much movement and interest as the foreground. This makes sense when you consider how these motifs were designed through the play and relationship between the short-rows: the motif cannot exist without the influence of the background shortrows. This relationship between the negative and the positive spaces allows for great amounts of color-play and creativity.

To provide further food for thought, I have reworked three motifs in two very different color combinations. These show what effects are possible with a thoughtful and deliberate approach to combining colors.

Example 1 shows Anemones (pages 78–79).

The left swatch shows a semi-solid dark background with a variegated foreground. The motif is subtle against the strong background, yet it retains its energy due to the yarn’s color variegation.

The right swatch features a pale and more variegated background. This background shows the balancing short-rows, which the first swatch hides away, and allows the semi-solid motif to pop. The contrast in colorways is also greater.

20

Example 2 shows Treleaf (pages 68–69).

The left swatch features a dark and almost solid yarn against a bright lightly variegated background. Due to their tones, they do not contrast as greatly as the previous example, but the motif still pops.

For the right swatch, I paired yarns that are more similar in both tone and brightness, for a much more subtle effect. The fabric still has energy and movement despite the subtlety, and the leaf forms are more dynamic when compared to the first.

Example 3 shows Shoal (pages 72–73).

Here, you see how dark colors can be used in various ways.

The left swatch uses a semi-solid yarn against a variegated background. The colors do not contrast much, and they are both on the dark side. In normal colorwork design, the lack of contrast would be an issue. With short-row colorwork, both motif and patterning remain crisp.

The right swatch employs two variegated yarns. I placed the marginally lighter color in the foreground and worked the marginally darker yarn as the background. The two variegated yarns play well against each other, and the overall effect is very vibrant.

EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

EXAMPLE 3

21

Tutorials CAST-ONS Crochet Provisional Cast-On

Working hand in hand with grafting, this cast-on allows you to create “false” stitches that are later removed and grafted for a completely seam-free finish.

To do this provisional cast-on, use a crochet hook and some waste yarn. The amount of waste yarn you need depends on your project, but three times the width of the work to be grafted is a good guide. When choosing your waste yarn, use a smooth yarn — a wool yarn may be difficult to remove.

The crochet hook should be the same size as the needles you will use, although one a little larger will help make the chain easier to remove at the end. The same applies to the waste yarn — use one the same gauge, or slightly heavier, than the yarn you will use in your knitting.

Unless a pattern instructs you to, do not work a plain row after a provisional cast-on. Working a plain row can create problems with the graft and cause the pattern to be inconsistent.

1. Using your waste yarn, either make a slipknot and place it onto your crochet hook or wrap your working yarn around the hook and bring the yarn tail over to anchor it.

2. Holding the hook in front of the needle, take the working yarn behind the needle. With the hook, catch the working yarn at the front.

3. Pull the yarn through the stitch on the hook.

4. Take the yarn between the hook and needle and then around to the back of the needle, ready to create the next stitch.

5. Repeat from the in step 2 until you have the required number of stitches.

*

6. Once you have the right number of stitches on the needle, pull the remaining loop on the crochet hook until it becomes very large. Tie a knot in it and then break your yarn. Your provisional cast-on is now complete, and you are ready to knit.

If you have more stitches than needed, slip the extra stitches off the needle and leave them as a chain.

*

22

Removing the Provisional Cast-On

1. Undo the knot you put in the end of the provisional cast-on. You will unpick the cast-on from this end.

If you have extra chain stitches that haven’t been used in the cast-on, like the example shown here, undo the chain stitches to the first cast-on stitch that was worked.

2. Do not rip out the cast-on! If you have done the cast-on correctly, it will come straight out with only a little encouragement. If you rip it out, you run the risk of snags or dropped stitches.

3. Insert your needle into the first stitch. If it is not quite visible, hold the waste yarn tail and gently lift the caston to reveal the stitch.

4. Gently pull the waste yarn to release the stitch onto your needle. Do not worry if the stitch orientation is wrong.

You can reorient the stitches before grafting.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 to release each stitch, one at a time.

5. When you get to the end, take care with what looks like the last stitch. It is not a stitch; it is actually a loop created when you turned and started the first row. Unless absolutely necessary, do not use this loop in your graft, as it creates a noticeable jog or edge. If you need an extra stitch in a sideways knit Hat, take it from the crown edge of your work.

6. Your released stitches are ready for joining! If you need to reorient them, this is the time to do it. I always go through them all with a spare needle just to make sure they have all been caught properly and there are no splits in the yarn.

23

MOTIFS

Now that you’ve learned all about short-row colorwork, understand its core concepts, and are familiar with its unique characteristics and charm, it’s time to explore the motifs and see the colorplay and movement in action!

STACKABLES

Broadbeam Worked over 24 sts Row 1 (WS): (A) K18, SR Row 2 (RS): (A) Knit to end Row 3: (A) K10, SR Row 4: (A) Knit to end Row 5: (A) K2, SR Row 6: (A) Knit to end Row 7: (A) K6, SR Row 8: (A) Knit to end Row 9: (A) K14, SR Row 10: (A) Knit to end Row 11: (A) K22, SR Row 12: (A) Knit to end Row 13: (A) Knit all sts Row 14: (B) K20, SR Row 15: (B) Knit to end Row 16: (A) K16, SR Row 17: (A) Knit to end Row 18: (B) K12, SR Row 19: (B) Knit to end Row 20: (A) K8, SR Row 21: (A) Knit to end Row 22: (B) K4, SR Row 23: (B) Knit to end Row 24: (A) K2, SR Row 25: (A) Knit to end Row 26: (B) K6, SR Row 27: (B) Knit to end Row 28: (A) K10, SR Row 29: (A) Knit to end Row 30: (B) K14, SR Row 31: (B) Knit to end Row 32: (A) K18, SR Row 33: (A) Knit to end Row 34: (B) K22, SR Row 35: (B) Knit to end Row 36: (A) Knit all sts Row 37: (A) K16, SR Row 38: (A) Knit to end

Row 39: (A) K8, SR Row 40: (A) Knit to end Row 41: (A) K4, SR Row 42: (A) Knit to end Row 43: (A) K12, SR Row 44: (A) Knit to end Row 45: (A) K20, SR Row 46: (A) Knit to end Repeat Rows 1 to 46 until desired length, ending after a Row 46.

50

24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10

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REPEATABLES

Duned Worked in the Round

Worked over a multiple of 14 sts, with a minimum of 2 repeats Rnd 1: (B) *K13, SR, K11, SR, K10, SR, K9, SR, K8, SR, K7, SR, K6, SR, K5, SR, K4, SR, K3, SR, K2, SR, K1, SR, K7; rep from * to end Rnd 2: (B) Purl all sts Remove marker, slip 8 sts, replace marker.

Rnd 3: (A) *K8, SR, K3, SR, K4, SR, K5, SR, K6, SR, K7, SR, K8, SR, K9, SR, K10, SR, K11, SR, K12, SR, K13, SR, K14; rep from * to end Rnd 4: (A) Purl all sts Remove marker, slip 6 sts, replace marker, and repeat Rounds 1 to 4 until desired length, ending after a Round 4.

Worked Flat

Worked over a multiple of 14 sts Row 1 (RS): (B) *K13, SR, K11, SR, K10, SR, K9, SR, K8, SR, K7, SR, K6, SR, K5, SR, K4, SR, K3, SR, K2, SR, K1, SR, K7; rep from * to end Row 2 (WS): (B) Knit all sts Row 3: (A) K2, SR Row 4: (A) Knit to end Row 5: (A) K3, SR Row 6: (A) Knit to end Row 7: (A) K4, SR

Row 8: (A) Knit to end Row 9: (A) K5, SR Row 10: (A) Knit to end Row 11: (A) K6, SR Row 12: (A) Knit to end Row 13: (A) K7, SR Row 14: (A) Knit to end Row 15: (A) K8, *K8, SR, K3, SR, K4, SR, K5, SR, K6, SR, K7, SR, K8, SR, K9, SR, K10, SR, K11, SR, K12, SR, K13, SR, K14; rep from * to last 6 sts, knit to end Row 16: (A) K1, SR Row 17: (A) Knit to end Row 18: (A) K2, SR

92

Row 19: (A) Knit to end Row 20: (A) K3, SR Row 21: (A) Knit to end Row 22: (A) K4, SR Row 23: (A) Knit to end Row 24: (A) K5, SR Row 25: (A) Knit to end Row 26: (A) K6, SR Row 27: (A) Knit to end Row 28: (A) Knit all sts Repeat Rows 1 to 28 until desired length, ending after a Row 28.

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PROJECTS Put your freshly gained skills and knowledge to use with this collection of projects from guest designers and myself.

Ranging from shawls to mitts to Hats, each design explores different ways short-row colorwork can be used. Grab a few skeins of your favorite yarn and explore the possibilities!

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Row 28: (A) S1K, K8, SR Row 29: (A) Knit to last st, P1 Row 30: (A) S1K, K10, SR Row 31: (A) Knit to last st, P1 Row 32: (A) S1K, K12, SR Row 33: (A) Knit to last st, P1 Row 34: (A) S1K, K14, SR Row 35: (A) Knit to last st, P1 Row 36: (A) S1K, knit to last st, P1 Row 37: (B) S1K, K30, SR, K17, SR, K15, SR, K13, SR, K11, SR, K9, SR, K7, SR, K5, SR, K4, SR, K3, SR, K5, SR, K7, SR, K9, SR, K11, SR, K13, SR, K15, SR, K18, SR Row 38: (B) Knit to last st, P1 Row 39: (A) S1K, knit to last st, P1 Row 40: (A) S1K, K15, SR Row 41: (A) Knit to last st, P1 Row 42: (A) S1K, K13, SR Row 43: (A) Knit to last st, P1

Row 44: (A) S1K, K11, SR Row 45: (A) Knit to last st, P1 Row 46: (A) S1K, K9, SR Row 47: (A) Knit to last st, P1 Row 48: (A) S1K, knit to last st, P1 Rows 49 to 50: (B) S1K, knit to last st, P1

SECTION 3

Repeat Section 1.

Panel B

Work as for Panel A, reversing Yarn A and Yarn B.

Remaining Panels

Continue to alternate between Panel A and Panel B until a total of 7 panels have been worked, ending after a Panel A.

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Using standard bind-off method, bind off all sts loosely.

Finishing

Weave in all ends and block to finished measurements.

•

Contributors Paola Albergamo, from Rome, Italy, designs fun and inventive knitwear.

She’s interested in clever, creative ways to achieve colorwork and likes to explore unusual construction methods.

Often combining the two, her designs are never boring!

Caroline Dick is a Tahltan (Indigenous)/Irish Two-Spirit knit designer living on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada. Their work has been widely published in various books and magazines, and they cofounded Radicle Threads magazine.

Carol Feller trained both as a textile artist and a structural engineer. These influences can be seen in her design work which is well-shaped, flattering to wear, and enjoyable to knit. Carol has been widely published and travels the world teaching. She lives in Ireland.

Instagram: @paolaknits

Instagram: @cdickdesigns

Website: stolenstitches.com Instagram: @feller.carol

Deb Bramham is a technical editor in Wales, UK. She has a passion for wrangling numbers and words as well as yarn and sticks. She also owns a small yarn shop, which she packs with as many of her favorite yarns and woolly patterns as she can.

Šárka Dvořáčková graduated with a degree in architecture but initially trained as a textile artist in the Czech Republic. After years of working as an architect, she went back to her beloved fiber arts. Now, she works as a knit designer, tech editor, and translator of knitting patterns.

Website: findmeknitting.co.uk Instagram: @findmeknitting

Instagram: @nostodesign

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Lola Johnson, originally from London, now living in Scotland, is a knit designer, dyer, and founder of Third Vault Yarns. Their work was born from their addiction to knitting and color play, with a steadfast commitment to staying geeky and a general love of sci-fi and fantasy.

Website: thirdvaultyarns.com Instagram: @thirdvaultyarns

Justyna Lorkowska lives in Poland.

Her true passion is designing unique garments, especially seamless ones, with intricate details and beautiful finishing. She has been widely published, including in many popular knitting magazines and numerous knitting books.

Tom Paterson is a photographer and videographer originally from London, now living in Italy. Although his educational background is in photography and media, he's best known amongst those who know him for his want to take things apart to find out how they work.

Website: justynaknits.com Instagram: @letesknits

Website: atomic23photography.com

Linnea Ornstein, based in Sweden, is a lawyer by day and knit designer by night. She is best known for her short-row colorwork shawls inspired by nature. She always tries to give knitters something new to explore in an easy and clear-to-follow way.

Website: linneaornstein.se Instagram: @linneaornsteindesign

Karie Westermann does things with wool and words at her kitchen table in Glasgow, Scotland. An award-winning knitting designer, her work combines Scandinavian cool with Scottish heritage, and she is yet to meet a bold color combination she does not like.

Website: kariebookish.net Instagram: @kariebookish

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GET SOCIAL

I’d love to see what you do with my technique. If you share your Short-Row Colorwork Knitting projects online, please tag me.

If you knit one of the projects from a contributor, please also tag them.

Join the Short-Row Colorwork Knitting community by using the following hashtags: #ShortRowCW #WoollyWormhead For more short-row colorwork tutorials, patterns, and support, please visit my website at woollywormhead.com.

Index A Abbreviations Inside Front Cover Flap About the Motifs 12 Adjustable Motifs 36 Alternating Stripes 37 Anemones 78 Archways 58 B Baccelli 126 Balancing The Fabric 10 Broadbeam 50 Buddlings 76 C Calathea 174 Campanula 85 Cast-Ons Casting On At The End Of A Row 24 Crochet-Cast-On Crochet Provisional Cast-On 22 Chalice 56 Chimenea 54 Choosing Yarns 20 Contributors 190 Cowl Wavelength 172 Crescendo 44 Crest 108 Criss-Cross 120 Crochet Provisional Cast-On How To 22 Removing 23 Cupped 70 Curvlinear 80 D Damascena 144 Dashed 116 Designing With The Motifs 184 Diamonds 96 Displacement 138 Duned 92 E Enclosed 122 F Festival 100 Flames 61

Floating 130 Fogrande 154

Q Quiver 135

G German Short-Rows In Garter Stitch Grafting 26 How To 25 Repairing 27 Working Across Short-Rowed Stitches 26 Grafting Garter Stitch 28 Grandstand 48 Graphene 118

R Radar 46 Reflected 102 Repeatable Motifs 90 Rippled 106 Ripplish 166 Runic 40

H Harvest 64 Hats Fogrande 154 Ripplish 166 Heartbeat 42 I Inverse 90 K Kitely 98 L Leaning Stripes 39 Littoral 104 M Managing Floats 30 Map Key Inside Cover Front Flap Mitts Montes 148 Modulate 128 Montes 148 N Navigating Maps 14 O Opposites 94 Outlined 66

S Scarves Calathea 174 Parallelism 164 Searchlight 52 Shawls Damascena 144 Streckade 178 Tidal 158 Triangulum 168 Shoal 72 Short Stripes 36 Silhouettes 82 Sine Stripes 38 Spearhead 74 Stackable Motifs 40 Staggered 111 Streckade 178 T Tidal 158 Tracklines 132 Treleaf 68 Triangulum 168 Tulipano 88 V Vulcano 114 W Wavelength 172 Working Backward Knitting 31 German Short-Row 32 Selvedges 33

P Parallelism 164 Podscape 124

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SHORT-ROW COLORWORK KNITTING

Woolly Wormhead was born in London and now lives in the hills of Montefeltro in central Italy.

They have been widely published, and their patterns are trusted and celebrated by knitters all over the world. Avid fans of Woolly’s patterns affectionately gave them the moniker “The Hat Architect” due to their unusual constructions and approach to techniques used within the designs.

Woolly trained in electronic engineering and then worked in the industry for a number of years before returning to their first love—textiles. From there, Woolly studied textile technology, then fine art and sculptural textiles, before doing their postgrad in education and going on to teaching art and textiles in London for several years. Woolly has pulled from this knowledge to question the structure of the humble knitted fabric and challenge the understanding of construction.

Website: woollywormhead.com Instagram: @woollywormhead

In this first-ever guide to short-row colorwork knitting, renowned knitting designer and instructor Woolly Wormhead demystifies this popular—yet previously underdeveloped—technique. Learn the core concepts of short-row colorwork, delight in its beautiful simplicity, and marvel at the many ways it can be used.

With step-by-step how-to photography, you’ll master key techniques, such as German short-rows, grafting, knitting backwards, and more to ensure ease and success. A stitch dictionary of 50 unique motifs provides a playground of inspiration, and patterns for 10 accessories from Woolly and popular designers from around the world showcase just a sampling of the many ways you can utilize short-row colorwork.

Catapulting short-row colorwork knitting into a full-fledged technique, Woolly Wormhead’s definitive guide uncovers new worlds of colorful possibilities.

GUEST DESIGNERS INCLUDE Paola Albergamo, Caroline Dick,

PRINTED IN CHINA

CVR_Short-Row Colorwork_FinalCX_12_12.indd 1

Šárka Dvořáčková, Carol Feller, Lola Johnson, Justyna Lorkowska, Linnea Ornstein, and Karie Westermann.

SHORT-ROW COLORWORK

KNITTING THE DEFINITIVE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Woolly Wormhead

SHORT-ROW COLORWORK

KNITTING

THE DEFINITIVE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

50 STITCH PATTERNS • 10 PROJECTS

With this first-ever guide to short-row colorwork knitting, Woolly Wormhead takes what they are already known for and develops it into a fullfledged technique that anyone can understand.

In this book, you’ll find:

• Clear explanations of core concepts, such as selecting yarns to maintaining balance within your knitted fabric

Woolly Wormhead

As an Autistic with ADHD, Woolly brings a unique perspective to our stitches, what they can do, and how we can manipulate them. It was a natural next step for them to become an advocate for neurodivergent and mental health care. Alongside their knit designing, teaching, and writing, Woolly often writes and gives talks on the links to and benefits of knitting for folks whose brains are a little bit different.

You’ve seen it, you’ve loved it, and now you can make it your own.

$24.99 US • $32.99 CAN

• Step-by-step photographs for all necessary techniques, from cast-ons to finishing

• How-to instruction for working backwards (instead of turning your work)

• Written and mapped (charted) instructions • 50 motifs that can be used in countless ways • 10 patterns for shawls, Hats, and other

accessories from Woolly and guest designers Carol Feller, Justyna Lorkowska, and more

Crafts & Hobbies • Needlework • Knitting

$24.99 US • $32.99 CAN ISBN: 978-1-970048-14-8

• Guidelines for experienced knitters on how to insert and adapt short-row colorwork motifs into their own designs

Woolly Wormhead 12/12/23 2:55 PM