I really wish I had the attention span to knit an enormous rectangle — it’s one of the most appealing objects I can think of, and there have been some truly beautiful patterns released lately:
TOP: Duoro* by Norah Gaughan is a dramatic splendor of shifting brioche (wrap me up like this, please)
LOWER LEFT: Wallace* by Julie Hoover is a striking composition of knits and purls
LOWER RIGHT: Carrick by Emily Dormier is pure cable mesmerization
BELOW: Niende by Emily Greene is simple brioche perfection
*These patterns have been sent to me by the publisher
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PREVIOUSLY in New Favorites: Turtleneck season
Can you imagine how bored you’d be by the 10th row? And miles to go afterward? But they are stunning.
I have this notion that I could cast on something really repetitive and straightforward — like Niende, where there’s not much of a “where was I” effect — and just knit a few rows here and there, with no expectation of a finish date. And be done with it sometime in my dotage!
I’m already in my dotage and have no time for these gorgeous, but never-ending projects.
I absolutely second this sentiment. Even with a row here and one there whenever time allows, I would get soo frustrated by the daunting task of all the stitches still to be completed. Now that I think of it, it almost makes me mad to think that this is considered a “doable” project -it seems more like a work of art or something of superhuman nature!
Duoro and Carrick went straight into my favorites when they were released!
I figure Carrick is about 2 sweaters worth of knitting, and Duoro three to four? What do you think?
Douro calls for 2055 yds of Shelter, so that sounds like about two sweaters worth (my Sundottir calls for nearly a thousand in the sample size). And the largest size of Carrick calls for 3300, so you’re right on there as well. But now I’ve noticed there are multiple sizes of Carrick!
Duoro is so, so pretty. But over 2000 yards of yarn! That is a lot of knitting, and then a lot of weight to wear.
It’s Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, so the FO wouldn’t be quite as heavy as if it were knit with a worsted-spun yarn of the same gauge, like Madelinetosh. But, yes, I wonder how practical a garment this would be? Would be lovely for around the house, though.
I love my “enormous rectangle”, it gets a lot of wear almost daily until the hottest days in summer.
There are some great rectangles in this Knit Picks collection: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/woodsmoke-cable-collection/patterns
For me these all seem too heavy, the idea of carrying around all that weight… My ideal wrap is one either knit in lace or fingering. Yes, it would take forever, but you don’t need many and when you have one you have it forever. I’ve done a few in fingering, the lace has not happened yet…
I knit this a few years ago which can be widened a little to turn it into a wrap: http://www.shibuiknits.com/patterns-multigrain
So glad to know I have company in my aversion to knitting throw like objects. I thought I was alone in this, surrounded as I am by lap blanket and ruana knitting neighbors. Give me something with sleeves or heels or thumbs any day of the week:-)
I kept my promise to myself and knit Jared Flood’s Guernsey Wrap in worsted weight yarn. Took me forever to knit between other projects but oh my! it feels so good to drape myself with it on a cold day – though not as large as these. Love love love it. Wallace is calling me – but then I love Julia Hoover’s designs. I get cold on winter evenings and love having lap blankets or big scarves to keep me warm.
I knit Aquinnah by Kerry Robb and loved it!
Guernsey Wrap is one of my favorite knits. Have knit it twice – giving first one as a gift right off my shoulders for a friend facing a husband’s stroke & rehab. The second I knit with a Noro Sport weight yarn and wore at my own husband’s funeral. These 2 knits have me hooked on having a great rectangle or triangle to knit in times of distress or grief. During the last months of my husband’s fight with cancer I knit 3 Indigo Sea Shawls progressively bigger and bigger. The last one is almost half a blanket. The soothing repetition of plain garter stitch or Guernsey is comforting to my mind and soul.
The subtlety of Niende is practically mesmerizing. Am seriously considering making a blanket version.
I’d be knitting that one forever, lol.
I knit the Guernsey wrap for my daughter last year. I made it a third bigger than the pattern states. It kind of went on for ever ( it didn’t count as mindless knitting because you have to count but it wasn’t particularly interesting either) but my daughter says every time she wears it someone comments on it so it was worth it and I might knit another one at some stage – but I like your suggestion about just doing a few rows at a time.
That’s another one I always thought would make a beautiful blanket
I recently finished a Fissure wrap (Elizabeth Elliott) in Rifton. Not my usual type of pattern but I have to say I LOVE it – now I’m sort of obsessed with big long rectangles. Especially with the recent and forecast cold snaps. These are all glorious, but I think Carrick is going to be the winner for me. I may even have a few tweedy cones from Harrisville Design in the stash….
I love the idea of it and actually knit one but I don’t use it very often, I think I’m going to re-purpose the yarn.
I want all of them! :)
I knit the Purl worsted seed stitch wrap and it is my most favorite hand knit EVER. But you better believe it was THE MOST BORING knit ever and it took forever to finish because it was just so easy and just so big! It was totally worth it though and I am even so crazy about it that I’m currently working on a second one in different colors. It’s still taking forever though. I’m all about wearing a blanket that masquerades as a fashionable accessory :-P
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