April Quickies: Depth Perception

April is one of those tricky months where the calendar states things such as he first day of Spring, and yet, you find yourself celebrating several snow days. Or there are the days where it is sunny, then snowing, then raining, then clear, and then freezing, just to keep you on your toes. Then there is the matter of what to wear that gets extremely complicated because really, what would be appropriate for this weather that seems to change its mind every hour on the hour? This month’s first quickies pattern, Depth Perception, would be an excellent choice as it is extremely versatile, very chic and super cozy.

Depth Perception is designed by Lindsay Lewchuk of Knit Eco Chic. Her designs are engineered with intentional details to create enjoyable WIPs and stunning FOs, Knit Eco Chic provides knitting patterns with an eco-focus. Lindsay Lewchuk crafts each design inthe beautiful mountains of North Carolina with memories of Puddles, her Great Dane, lending a paw. Inspired by God’s creation outside her window, expect the unexpected with her fresh take on structure and stitches.

Depth Perception is knit in 2 skeins of Verano, and the sample is shown in Mixed Berries and Landscape. It features a stunning slipped stitch cable pattern, that is offered in both a written and charted version. Lindsay shared a bit about her design process with us on the blog today!

1: What is your favorite part of your Quickies design and why?

I love the shape! When the Quickies call goes out, I know that Malabrigo will be inundated with small accessories (cowls, mitts, hats) because those are the easiest to design in the given yarn requirement. This year I was determined to see if I could get a non-cowl/ non-hat design to work within the yarn requirements. A half donut shaped capelet worked out beautifully and wears great both with and without a shawl pin!

(Side note: I was thrilled so see something unique in a submission! It always piques my interest when a designer submits a proposal that is out of the box!)

2: What should knitters pay attention to when working this pattern? Do you have any tips or tricks that will make knitting this pattern easier?

Depth Perception is geared toward adventurous knitters with the multiple stitch slipped cables. In an effort to keep the knitting uninterrupted from constant reference to the abbreviations, the design includes a new syntax. Check out the blog “Cheat Sheet” for a breakdown of how to read the abbreviations and you’ll see they contain everything you need to know to work the cable. Of course, the glossary is there for back up, but after a few rows my test knitters were pleased with how easy they were to read and follow. Since it is worked flat, the cables are only worked on the right side, leaving the wrong side rows as resting rows… at least as far as cabling goes.

3: What do you think knitters will enjoy the most about this project?

That sense of approaching an Everest, knitter style, and conquering with just 2 skeins of yarn and a few hours of enjoyable knitting!

4: What does your design process look like?

The design process was rather involved for Depth Perception! Breaking my normal, I knit my sample from the shorthand I wrote for myself to make sure it worked. Then halfway through my knitting wrote out the pattern as it would be presented. This set off a snowball effect of examining the philosophical foundations of my chosen syntax. I went through several syntax changes dithering about the best approach. Once the syntax was settled, I finished knitting my sample from the pattern. As the time for tech editing approached so did an 11th hour realization that my dyslexia had run amuck with the order of my letters, which made for a few stressful days with this design. Thankfully, with the support of my fellow indie designers, an understanding TE who waited while I straightened out all my letters, and a successful test knitting process, Depth Perception is now consistently written and a joy for the knitter to work.

5: Was there any particular inspiration you had when creating this piece?

A desire to see how far I could stretch the slipped stitch cables I’ve been working on over the last few years. I think subconsciously, too, God’s creation of waterfalls also impacted the cable design and flow of how they are placed over the span of the capelet.

6: What is your favorite color in Malabrigo’s catalog?

Currently I’m enjoying Alpaca Metal on the Verano base. It is so fresh and cool, an ideal color for summer! On its own the subtle tonal effects of the neutral pops. Paired with another of Malabrigo’s colors, such as Arachania, it is light and airy.

7: What beverage are you most likely to have by your side while designing?

Still keeping first place for a few times running, organic hot chocolate; but licorice peppermint tea is gaining momentum.