Getting Stitched on the Farm: A Hat Design - An Andean Inspired Ch'ulla

Thursday, January 23, 2020

A Hat Design - An Andean Inspired Ch'ulla

Let's start at the beginning of The World Knits Collection. In 1991, one of the most inspiring knitting books was released - Cynthia Gravelle Lecount's Andean Folk Knitting. Although I have never traveled to the Andes, I did purchase a lot of yarn from the commercial spinners in Peru. This book was mostly in black and white with a few photos in color of the author's collection of knits. It took her over a decade to write and is full of her own illustrations, B/W photos and some knitting patterns and lots of charts and history. It is a treasure and is out of print and goes for a good $ now used. My first copy fell apart so below is my newer copy. There is much history and explanation about the knits of Peru with some technique thrown in too. I was in love with the book. Too bad it isn't being published now because I can't imagine the color that would be on its pages.

Andean style hats with ear flaps were quite popular on ski slopes and college campuses. When I began the World Knits Collection, I knew I had to develop one of these hats at a friendly knitterly gauge of 6 stitches per inch. This pattern is what I came up with. It is sized for kids and adults and features an easy to knit ear flap.

Available on my website here

and on Ravelry here

Cynthia has just had another book published called The Textile Traveler's Guide to Peru and Bolivia.

She also has a new name - Cynthia LeCount Samake. The Textile Traveler's Guide to Bolivia and Peru is gorgeous - full color and besides a guide to travel there are lots of photos and stories of textiles. It is published by Thrums Books (a newish publisher of books by the former owner of Interweave Press). Cynthia runs textile tours all over the world with her company Behind The Scenes Adventures and you can check them out here.

Here is a lovely video of people knitting and sheep in Peru. What a feast for the senses.