Ultraviolet Knits: Twelve knitting patterns featuring UV-reactive hand-dyed wool (Anchor and Bee, 2020) features 12 original accessory knitting patterns designed with black light-reactive hand-dyed wool-based yarns.
Ultraviolet Knits is inspired by the night’s sky, some from the view from Earth, such as star-gazing from a porch swing, while others pay homage to astronomy. Each of the 12 accessory patterns works well with bold, speckled, and vibrant yarns as well as semi-solid and neutrals, making the designs well suited for using those treasured skeins in your yarn collection. These accessory designs are excellent for travel knitting given their size. For festival-goers or everyday use, these finished objects are ones you’ll want to wear again and again.
Where to buy?
for ebook edition with all 12 patterns
Don’t forget to leave a review on Ultraviolet Knits – GoodReads.
Inspiration
This book includes 12 knitting patterns written to showcase the UV-reactive yarns I’ve chosen to work with. Half of the projects are inspired by enjoying the night’s sky here on Earth, such as star-gazing from a porch swing, while the other patterns pay homage to astronomy.
The idea for this book grew from hearing from a friend about music festivals with ambient black light. Then I wondered if any yarn would glow under black light – and some do! My goal was to create a design that, when knit with this yarn, appears with rich textures as you’d expect, but when the light spectrum changes, the appearance of the design changes as well. Imagine the secret style unveiled when ultraviolet lights go on at the nightclub, rave, or music festival.
I enjoyed the added challenge of designing for yarns that might be speckled, very bright or busy, or even neon. These are often colors which overpower subtle designs or textures. For this reason, the patterns I created are relatively simple but practical, comfortable, and workable for a wide variety of colorways.
This project was a slow, determined, and well planned one… that took three years from idea to book release. Aside from learning about how it takes more than a three-year book project to thwart my determination, I also enjoyed most was choosing yarns from different dyers to go together.
All patterns were tech edited by Michael Harrigan. Photography by Niall Twamley. Martina Leahy styled the outfits for the photoshoot. Georsan Caruth modelled the Aerglo Wrap, Altair Cowl, Firefly Hour Mitts, Phare Hat, and Porch Light Shawl.
Hand Dyers
For this book, I chose independent hand dyers who sell their wool yarn online and ship internationally.
- Bear In Sheep’s Clothing – Phare Hat
- Easy Knits – Aerglo Wrap
- Eve Chambers Textiles – Elara Shawl & Cassiopeia Mini Skein Shawl
- Fibre Art Studio – Rigel Cowl
- GamerCrafting – Firefly Hour Mitts
- Green Elephant Yarn – Porch Light Wrap & Wreath Nebula Mitts
- La Bien Aimee – Firefly Hour Mitts
- Mad Scientist Yarns – Cassiopeia Mini Skein Shawl
- Martin’s Lab – Porch Light Wrap
- Mothy and the Squid – Cassiopeia Mini Skein Shawl & Aerglo Wrap
- My Mama Knits – Cassiopeia Mini Skein Shawl, Altair Cowl, Midnight Waffles Cowl & Porch Light Wrap.
- Olann Grá – Aerglo Wrap
- Qing Fibre – Betelgeuse Shawl
- Textile Garden(buttons)– Rigel Cowl
- The Wool Kitchen – Rigel Mitts
- Uschitita – Firefly Hour Mitts
Patterns
Each works well with bold, speckled, and vibrant yarns as well as semi-solid and neutrals. These accessory designs are excellent for travel knitting. The patterns included in this collection are detailed below:
• Aerglo Wrap (two sizes)
• Altair Cowl
• Betelgeuse Shawl
• Cassiopeia Mini Skein Shawl
• Elara Shawl
• Firefly Hour Mitts
• Midnight Waffles Cowl
• Phare Hat (three sizes)
• Porch Light Wrap
• Rigel Cowl
• Rigel Mitts
• Wreath Nebula Mitts
Aerglo Wrap
This slipped stitch triangle shawl with mock cable spine can be made in two sizes, both of which are knit using three full skeins and three mini skeins. Bold stripes contrast with neutrals for a vibrant effect. Knit with a background created by the two darker neutral skeins, so the UV-reactive yarn colors pop all the more — like a pink sunset against a dark creeping ceiling of stars.
Construction/Shape: Top down triangle with bold stripes. Slipped stitches bring the colors together beautifully. The spine of the shawl is a mock cable, in keeping with the shawl’s overall appreciation of the slipped stitch.
Finished measurements: Small: Height: 55cm. Width: 128cm. Medium: Height: 87cm. Width: 155cm
Yarns used in sample: To knit BOTH sizes, the yarns I used were 1 skein of Olann Grá SPORT (navy), 1 skein Easy Knits TINSEL SOCK (Venom), 1 skein Mothy and the Squid 4-PLY SOCK (That’s Enough Crazy – you can see the yarn here in skein form), PLUS three 20-gram mini skeins: 1 mini skein Orange/Purple Speckle, 1 mini skein Purple/Magenta, 1 mini skein Orange Speckle.
Generally, which yarns work best: 2 skeins of neutral 100g sock weight yarns, 1 skein of vibrant/wild/speckled 100g sock weight yarn, and 3 vibrant/wild/speckled 20g mini skeins. This works really well as a stash busting project, using mini skeins, scraps, and partial balls of yarn.
Notes: Modelled by Georsan. Styled by Martina Leahy. Photo by Niall Twamley.
Altair Cowl
Inspired by Altair, the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila and the twelfth-brightest star in the night sky. Altair rotates rapidly, with the velocity at its equator resulting in a non-spherical shape. That shape is emulated in this seamless cowl design. It looks more complex than it is, making this a great project for anyone who can knit and purl in the round. In designing this, I focused on texture that could handle speckled or busy colorways.
Knit with My Mama Knits PATSY DK.
Betelgeuse Shawl
A single-skein bottom-up triangle shawl is knit flat. Makes the most of a single skein of 4ply/fingering/sock, but can also be continued to create a larger shawl. Named for one of the largest stars visible to the naked eye, Betelgeuse is the ninth-brightest star in the night sky and second-brightest in the constellation of Orion. The star itself is a distinct orange-red, much like this yarn when viewed under black light.
Construction/Shape: Bottom-up triangle shawl is knit flat. Versatile style that can be knit in neutral to go with just about everything, or with a vibrant treasured skein for a statement shawl.
Finished measurements: Height: 70cm. Width: 129cm
Yarns used in sample: It was knit for the book in Qing Fibre SINGLES in Firaja.
Generally, which yarns work best: You can use any skein of 4ply, the subtle eyelet pattern will shine with semi-solids or wild skeins, even self-striping. This works really well as a stash busting project, using mini skeins, scraps, and partial balls of yarn.
Notes: Modelled by Evin. Photo by Niall Twamley.
Cassiopeia Mini Skein Shawl
This shawl is knit on the bias with easy-to-memorize stitches, making for an approachable wrap. But you can use any number or combination you want. The stitch pattern emulates the Cassiopeia constellation after which the pattern is named with subtle W-shaped eyelets.
Construction/Shape: Bias rectangle knit side-to-side.
Finished measurements: Using 320 grams of 4ply/fingering/sock resulted in a voluminous wrap measuring 50cm (l) x 242cm (w) after blocking.
Yarns used in sample: I used 16 20-gram mini skeins (a total of 320 grams total) from Eve Chambers Textiles, Mad Scientist Yarns, Mothy and the Squid, and My Mama Knits.
Generally, which yarns work best: Knit it with eight skeins for Hanukkah, 24 for the Advent season, seven for a one-week shawl challenge – or just use this pattern with leftover scraps of various amounts for a fun, vibrant wrap. This pattern can also be knit with 3 100g skeins in a fade or combination you love. This works really well as a stash busting project, using mini skeins, scraps, and partial balls of yarn. Any colors, any order, have some fun!
Notes: Modelled by Evin. Styled by Martina Leahy. Photo by Niall Twamley.
Elara Shawl
This top-down triangle shawl includes purl stitches, eyelets, and bobbles for a delightful combination of textures. Elara is the eighth-largest moon of Jupiter. This design reflects the moon’s shape through purl stitches, eyelets, and bobbles.
Construction/Shape: Top-down triangle rich in texture.
Yarns used in sample: The shawl is knit with Eve Chambers Textiles SOCK in her Flamingo Moon colorway. Read my Interview with Eve Chambers Textiles, Hand-dyer.
Finished measurements: Once blocked, the shawl measures 69cm (h) x 150cm (w).
Generally, which yarns work best: This design works best with a semi-solid or solid colorway in 4ply/sock/fingering to show off the texture. This pattern will not suit self-striping colorways which would overshadow the textures. This works really well as a stash busting project, using mini skeins, scraps, and partial balls of yarn in a fade or similar color scheme.
Notes: Modelled by Evin. Photo by Niall Twamley.
Firefly Hour Mitts
Our hands have to deal with all the elements and with work, from washing dishes to weeding the garden, but they take on an almost magical softness when we cup them to briefly hold a caught firefly. When I saw La Bien Aimee’s Pop Grunge colorway, it reminded me of those childhood moments of running around the garden at twilight amidst the twinkle of emerging fireflies. The ruffled edge winds like the paths of the insects. The ribbed nature of the knitting and the lack of thumb gusset in this pattern, making make it a quick knit that works for a range of hand sizes.
Knit with La Bien Aimee MERINO DK and Uschitita 4-PLY SINGLES (Pink Ruffle version), GamerCrafting DK SOCK and GamerCrafting 4-PLY (Yellow Ruffle version).
Midnight Waffles Cowl
The Midnight Waffles pattern looks complex, but is a simple combination of slipped, knit, and purl stitches.The cowl design features a provisional cast on that is later joined with the bind-off edge for a continuous pattern and double the insulation. The resulting cowl works equally well as a headband/earwarmer. The name is inspired by my mother’s tradition of taking me out to the all-night diner for waffles when she finished a wallpaper or DIY project on our home. It was one of the early ways she included me in home improvement projects even before I could wield a putty knife or hammer. It was made all the more special that the diner had a sister location which is where my parents went on their first date. Midnight Waffles celebrates the littlewins that make big memories.
Knit with My Mama Knits PATSY DK.
Phare Hat
Inspired by lighthouses perched on the coastline, I named this hat pattern for the French word for lighthouse. With slipped stitches and textures to emulate the beacon of light. The hat pattern has three sizes and can be topped off with a pompom.
Knit with Bear In Sheep’s Clothing hand-dyed Bear Cosy Aran. You can read an interview with Bernie of BISC.
Porch Light Wrap
This fun, sideways asymmetrical triangle shawl grows as you knit it. You can keep going as long as you like – or your skeins allow – making this a flexible pattern. There is a subtle eyelet detail along the edge. The warm illumination of a porch light shares its beam to cast shadows and play with light in the night. Insects flock to its mesmerizing glow.
Construction/Shape: This sideways asymmetrical triangle shawl is knit flat. Started small and grows wider, can be continued as wide as you’d like the final shawl to be.
Finished measurements: Length: 170cm. Width: 4cm (at the starting end) and 133cm (at the widest end) (blocked)
Yarns used in sample: This shawl is started on the narrow end with Martin’s Lab BOUNCY SPORT to balance the weight of the wider end, which is in 4ply/sock/fingering weight. The yarns shift and include My Mama Knits CHOUFUNGA SOCK and Green Elephant BFL SOCK in Rosa.
Generally, which yarns work best: 3 100-gram skeins of sock weight yarn in a fade. Or start with a semi-solid in one color, finish with a semi-solid in another color, and have the centre color be a colourful or speckled yarn with both colors. This works really well as a stash busting project, using mini skeins, scraps, and partial balls of yarn.
Notes: Modelled by Georsan. Styled by Martina Leahy. Photo by Niall Twamley.
Rigel Cowl
Rigel is the brightest star in the constellation of Orion. The star looks blue-white to the naked eye. Knit from the top down, this cowl is soft and a fun way to use special buttons. The stitch pattern is my Colorway Accented Stockinette. Similar to the approach used for the Rigel Mitts, this pattern spotlights small bursts of color, making it ideal for colorways with a dominant color accented by a mini rainbow or speckles.
The cowl is knit with Fibre Art Studio ARAN in And The Winner Is… colorway. You can read an interview I did with Yoriko.
Rigel Mitts
Similar to the approach in the Rigel Cowl, this pattern spotlights small bursts of color, making it ideal for colorways with a dominant color accented by a mini rainbow or speckles.
Knit with The Wool Kitchen BFL DK in Cosmic Girl Dark colorway. You can read my Interview with Wool Kitchen, Hand-dyer.
Wreath Nebula Mitts
There is something so satisfying about quick knits that are also soft and cosy. Using two colors of DK yarn,these mitts are knit at, top down, and seamed up the side, leaving an opening for the thumb. Just weave in the ends and start keeping your hands warm! Like the other two mitt patterns in this collection, the result works for either the right and left hand – which means if you have enough yarn you can make a third as a spare in case one gets lost.
Knit with two colorways of DK. I used Green Elephant DK, Zest (a solid yarn) for the ribbing and Bellyflop (a vibrant multicolored yarn) for the slipped stitch center section. You can read my interview with Fiona of Green Elephant.
Available from…
for individual patternsfor ebook edition with all 12 patterns
Don’t forget to leave a review on Ultraviolet Knits – GoodReads.
Anchor and Bee Publisher (Worldwide, books ship signed)
Ultraviolet Knits by Evin Bail Okeeffe (Anchor and Bee, 2020)