Projects
The Marlogram Is Here!
Greetings, knitter friends. This week Ann and I have the pleasure—and the blessed relief—of showing you each of the projects Cecelia Campochiaro has invented—and unvented—for MDK Field Guide No. 19: Marls.
Waiting to cast on the Marlogram Scarf/Cowl has been a test of my mettle. (I didn’t pass the test.) The Marlogram has two elements I love: a repetitive textured pattern plus open-ended color play. Oh—and a third element: I really want it around my neck, as soon as possible.
Without further ado, cast your eyes on the wonder that is the Marlogram Scarf/Cowl.
Working marls with a slow-shifting gradient yarn makes colors shift even more. Who knows how they will combine? That’s the fun.
When both skeins are the same colorway, you get lovely matching moments.
We brought in a brand-new yarn for this one: Freia Ombré Merino Lace, the latest creation of Tina Whitmore, one of the yarn world’s great colorists. Knitting up Tina’s artful color shifts is one of our favorite things—it’s hypnotic. Now, with the Marlogram, we get to combine two strands of ever-shifting laceweight. It’s a whole new level of color play.
The Marlogram can be a scarf or a cowl, depending on whether you join the two ends when the knitting is done, as shown here. The pattern keeps your options open with a provisional cast on.
If you’re thinking, “This project reminds me of something,” there’s a reason for that! The Parallelogram Scarf in Field Guide No. 5 is so dearly beloved that we asked Cecelia to apply the magic of marling to a similar format, using a similar style of yarn. Like the mighty Parallelogram, the Marlogram combines a sequence knitting pattern plus painterly color changes. Two strands of laceweight makes a deliciously frothy fabric.
Welcome to the world, Marlogram Scarf/Cowl—we are thrilled to see you.
I like the way the pattern leaves the option for either a scarf or a cowl, and that the decision for which does not have to be made right away. To me, that is pure genius in its simplicity.
Once I got past the provisional crochet cast on of 140 stitches it was smooth sailing. I’m making one with Dusk and Vintage, and this past weekend I bought Chinook and Aurora to make a second one. The colors are amazing.
I am so on it. Waiting for my colors: Squid Ink and Point Reyes.
That should be beautiful!
While on vacation in July, I purchased two marked-down cakes of Freia Ombre Lace (the merino/nylon version that preceded the current merino lace), with no idea what to make and no intention of using them together. The colorways are Valentine (bright pink to white) and Espresso (pale brown to deep brown). I was delighted when I saw the Marlogram pattern and cast on pretty much immediately. It turns out these colors look awesome together, and this is the perfect pattern for them! I’m traveling by plane next weekend (alone! without my small children!), so I’m looking forward to getting several uninterrupted hours of meditative scarf knitting. Since the stitch pattern is so easy to memorize, and no need to change yarns along the way, it’s a great one for traveling.
I ordered 2 skeins of Woodsman to make my marlogram. Whoever packed my order gave me two cakes with the center flipped. Thank you!! I am not a center pull gal. I am all set to start!!
A question….does it matter whether you pull one skein from the middle and the other from outside when marIng. I have always wondered because of the way the way the fibers lay.
As a relatively new knitter, it the stitch difficult to work?