Highland Knits

I recently received a copy of Highland Knits: Knitwear Inspired by the Outlander Series and immediately fell for the natural simplicity of the designs.

I was particularly taken with the Rent Collection Shawl pattern. Its simple triangular shape and garter stitch fabric belie its interesting construction.

At first glance, one might think this shawl begins at the top center and is worked outward with increases at the edges and middle and with basic stripes at the end. However, upon closer inspection, you'll see the garter stitch ridges are actually perpendicular to that. With the shawl worked from tip to tip, the intarsia method is employed to create the colorful stripes along the edge. And short-rows at the half-way point cause the shawl to "bend" in the middle and develop its triangular shape.

I was able to use up some stash yarn for this project - an ongoing goal of mine. The majority is a soft, luscious camel yarn of unknown brand, which was given to me by a friend. The navy stripe, with subtle hints of purple and aqua in the right light, is Berroco Peruvia, given to me by a different friend. And the lime green is Patons Classic Wool I picked up at Michaels years ago. Sadly, it's already far too warm this spring to wear such a shawl outdoors. For now, it will keep me cozy at my desk and await its public debut when autumn arrives.

If you're interested in obtaining your own copy of this book, you can get 20% off through the end of April by purchasing it through the Interweave Store using the code OUTLANDER20. You can also download the Sassenach Cowl pattern absolutely FREE from Amazon right now.