The Old Woman of the Sea

About the pattern

This is a pattern I was asked to write for my mother to knit. She lives by the sea, and loves all the colours of the sea. She picked a yarn that looks just like the colour of a shallow, sandy bay in a certain kind of weather. She asked for cables, a tree of life and lots of moss stitch in the top half, and a different texture in the bottom half. She also thought a raglan with a little saddle would be nice. She likes her jumpers nice and loose so she can wear layers underneath.

The tree of life motif is found in many cultures with many variations, but this knit and purl version is often found in fishing Ganseys from coastal communities around the British Isles. The cable is a simple 3-strand plait. The motifs are separated by a vertical line of twisted knit stitches.

Knitted from the bottom up in the round. Lower body and sleeves worked separately then joined in the round to form the raglan yoke, short rows form the saddles and there is a choice of neck finishes.