Letters
Wandering Cables: So Fun
Dear Kay,
I’m almost done with the Rio Calina Cowl by Cat Bordhi.
It has been a calming way to spend time thinking about this wholly original teacher and designer.
(Clara Parkes’s remembrance of Cat is superb, if you haven’t had a chance to read it.)
Some designers work in traditional shapes and silhouettes. Some are tweakers. And then there’s Cat Bordhi.
Who refused to do much of anything the way anybody else had ever done it.
This Rio Calina Cowl pattern was one of Cat’s parting gifts to us all. For me, it has been a special source of calm during the past week.
I am a longtime fan of randomly placed cables. One of our sock patterns from way back when, the Stephen Colbert Socks, uses random cables.
I made a sweater that pretty much traces the course of my life using random cables. (Pro tip: include the swerves that life throws at you.)
Random cables are a true delight.
Once you start randomly knitting cables, they start telling you what to do next. It’s kind of amazing.
The knitting here is a simple rectangle.
But, typical for Cat, the construction joins the edges with a clever twist, making this cowl something much more interesting.
Once I wash and block this, I’ll stitch the edges A to A and B to B, just as she says, and shake my head once again at the surprise of how this turns out.
The yarn here is Jill Draper’s Mohonk Light, which I doubled to get worsted weight gauge. The color is Jill’s amazing Spinach. Two skeins needed to make this, held double.
If you have not yet tried random cables, give it a go. Superfun. And Cat’s pattern makes it even more scrumptrelescent.
Love,
Ann
What does this say about our times? When I finish knitting the Dissent Cowl, celebrating RBG, I plan to knit this lovely cowl to honor Cat. I dare not ask what’s next.
I’m starting the Dissent Toque for our LYS’s Dissent-A-Long. Is there a knit cowl pattern? Only one I’ve seen is crochet.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dissent-cowl-knit
Here it is. I don’t crochet but I almost like that one better
Or maybe adding bobbles on this knit pattern.
Enjoy.
So many projects to get up and running.
I agree – what else? I dare not ask…
I’m not a cabler (yet) but I am into stripes. I definitely embrace and encourage letting the cables (and stripes) tell you where they need to go. Sometimes funky, usually delightful, and always able to be unknit! Thanks for the pattern and the posts about Cat this morning. May she rest in deep peace.
I first started one on a trip with Cat to Cholula, Mexico For Dia de los Muertos. When I finished, I held it up, and saw two images that were somehow knit into it via the random cables: the peaked walkways that run under the pyramid in town, and the Virgin of Guadalupe, with her tilted head, minus the radiant beams around her. Cat saw them, too. I will miss her forever.
Cat was, and is, an inspiration. This is on my needles now. Your piece is stunning, Ann.
My Stephen Colbert socks are in my sock drawer right now. I still remember how much I loved making them!
I’m working on one now, with some hand spun Romadale. Such a delightful pattern! The first few cable rows I was way overthinking placement, but now I’m just doing without thinking, which is much more fun. Six cables in a row? Two? Front cross? Back cross? They do just seem to flow out….
I too am knitting one, after the pattern was sent out just before her death. I’m very curious to see how yours turns out, Ann. Please do post a picture after you have sewn the two ends together. The color of yours is gorgeous.
I started one of these with Cat a few years ago and haven’t finished it. It is still on my needles. I will find it and finish it in honor of Cat. I will miss her inspiration and kindness.
PLEASE. . . .tell me where I can purchase this knitting pattern! The one with the green meandering cables.
It’s free on Ravelry
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rio-calina-cowl#:~:text=A%20spontaneously%20joyful%20knit%2C%20the,more%20complex%20than%20it%20is.
When I click on the link in Ravelry pattern, I get a letter from Cat and a link that goes to link-not-found. I’m so disappointed!
Try this: https://catbordhi.com/wp-content/uploads/Rio-Calina-Cowl-1.3-1.pdf
Thanks for sharing this – I’ve already downloaded the pattern and ordered the yarn (from you, of course, although had to go to Amazon to get the book with the Stephen Colbert socks pattern!). She was a singular voice, and special lady, and a wonderful teacher. She’ll be missed.
When I first saw this pattern my head went right to the memory of that sweater, Ann.
Thanks so much for sharing this, especially the photos. I am about to start mine, and now I will proceed, trusting the cables to show me the way.
Cat was still fighting when I finished my Rio Calina Cowl along with a group in a small KAL. Now, as I wear it thoughts of her spirit will be in my head. Her sock book is what got me convinced that sock knitting wasn’t so crazy after all. That led to a sock yarn obsession which I’m sure needs no defense here. She will be missed.
Last night there was a message that we have now lost Annie Modesitt as well after her battle.
i absolutely cannot figure out how to seam this. A-B edge…is there a twist? i need a visual.
Janet…you have company.
I cut out the paper strip and labeled the edges- I can only see one way for the letters to match up.
And it doesn’t really match the second sketch. Sigh.
(Keep in mind this is the woman that figured out the Mobieus cowl.)
I wondered how Cat’s brilliant mind would take this basic strip folding beyond the obvious….
THEN…..
I noticed she mentioned how BOTH sides of the piece will have lovely cables:
(when you cable p,k,k,p on the p,k,k,p stitch section as instructed, TA-DA! *reversible cables*).
Hmmmm. A clue!
I went back to matching the A to A and B to B, (reminding myself this is a cowl, not an Ikea bookcase.)
Your piece now has the front facing you:
a triangular point pointing upwards &
a triangular point pointing downwards.
The back of the piece is a single strip (the middle third) of the piece.
FOLD the top point towards the bottom point. (This is why you knit p,k,k,p cables…you are looking at the “wrong side” of that point. But you can’t tell because…they’re reversible!!)
You now have the “skewed points” matching the photograph!!
Hope this helps everyone!
Janet,
Thank you so much for your response to Susan. Susan expressed exactly what I’ve been experiencing. When I saw her comment, I was relieved that I was not only me having this challenge. And the next comment was from you, coming to the rescue! :-). Thank you and happy knitting!
Oops, I’m all confused. I meant to address my comment to Susan (but also reference Janet). I’ll attribute my mistake to the twisted cables in my mind as I make my way through the Rio Calina. 🙂
I’ve now got the Cat Calinas Cowl on my needles. Cabling is going fine. I have a question about the feel of the fabric being created. I’m using double strands of Jill Draper’s Mohonk Light. It looks gorgeous but I’m concerned it is a little stiff. I’m knotting on size 6 to get the gauge. Could someone post the width of your rectangle? Thank you!