Alhambra by Woolly Hooligan

Alhambra

Knitting
November 2022
any fingering
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
32 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches
in charted
US 3 - 3.25 mm
1000 - 2000 yards (914 - 1829 m)
37.5, (39.75, 42, 44.25, 46.5, 48.75, 51, 53.25) in, or approx. 95, (101, 107, 112, 118, 124, 129.5, 135) cm
English
This pattern is available for $8.00 USD
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Pattern is available at 30 % off at woollyhooligan.com
and at 20 % off in my Ravelry store.

Thank you for supporting my passion.

Inspiration:
Seeing the Alhambra palace in Grenada, Spain was a dream. An actual fantasy tearing up my
eyes with beauty and awe. Usually, I am taken by the fiber first, then an idea stews over in my
head, this time it was different. Overwhelmed by stimulating beauty, I had this idea plant a
seed.

Alhambra is very geometric, yet its walls are carved out into this busy, repetitive pattern. Long
time ago, the carvings would have been filled with colour. Those carvings faded with time
leaving shades of grey. Those grays tell a story of a stunning world. At first, you think …” That’s
too bad, maybe restoring them to their formal glory would be nice?” but then it hits… the idea
of time and endurance created something more wonderful. Shades of grey, are amazing, the
longer you look the more you see. The more you look the more you relate your life. Complexity
of thought and relationships are ALL the shades of grey, maybe with a twist of orange and blue
thrown in?
This is my representation of those thoughts in fiber.
For me, every knit, is therapeutic and reflective in nature. I hope the same for you.

Sizes:
1, (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
Smallest size outside the brackets, consecutive sizes inside the parentheses.
Bust (finished blocked garment): 37.5, (39.75, 42, 44.25, 46.5, 48.75, 51, 53.25) in, or approx.
95, (101, 107, 112, 118, 124, 129.5, 135) cm
Meant to fit with ease in bust, slightly flared in waist and fitted (no ease) in arms.
Shown in pictures on a model with 36 in (91cm) bust. Model wearing size 3, with ease of 6
inches.
Smallest size outside the brackets, consecutive sizes inside the parentheses.

Gauge:
It is common for stranded colorwork to be tighter than plain St st. It is recommended to
swatch both in charted colorwork pattern and St st. Use appropriate needles to match gauge on
both sections.
Swatching the stranded motif use chart B. Chart B is used for swatching purposes only. Tip: CO
2 x chart repeat and work chart 2 times for accurate swatch.
Please take time to achieve gauge, adjust needle size as needed.
32 sts/ 36 rows in 4 in/10cm blocked swatch stranded colorwork motif
28 sts/ 36 rows in 4 in/10cm blocked swatch in stockinette stitch.
Needles used for both swatches: 3.25 mm

Yardage:
MC (main colour): Any fingering for main body approx. 1000, (1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500,
1600, 1700, 1800) m
CC (contrast colour): Any fingering, DK, homespun or commercially produced approx. 250, (300,
350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600) m.
Yarn used in sample:
MC: Mongolian cashmere, colour 07, lace weight, 400g. Was held double to achieve fingering
weight thus double the yardage is required.
See link:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001907987893.html?spm...
02wLyiwt
CC: I used home hand spun, sport/fingering, 18 wpi, double ply. Super wash merino fiber. It is
hand spun, I am not a pro therefore some thinner and thicker portions exist.
To add the unexpected twist of orange and blue, I carded my own blend.
Main fiber was naturally dyed using acorn extract with iron mordant to achieve the gray
approx. 50 %
Undyed natural colour 40 %
Additional fiber was dyed using lichen and blue acid dyes. Approx. 5% each colour.

Notions:
• Size 3.25 mm 16-inch (40cm) circulars needles with interchangeable cord lengths,
increase cable length as sts increase,
• Stitch marker to denote BOR, additional st markers optional to denote each chart
repeat,
• Darning needle,
• Blocking materials.

Skills required:
• Stranded knitting from chart,
• Use of Norwegian thimble recommended, not necessary,
• Twisted bicoloured stitches,
• Increases, decreases, left/right,
• Looser CO, backwards loop CO, BO in pattern.

Notes about construction:
Knitted stranded, from top to bottom, in the round, in one piece. Utilizing bicoloured twisted
stitches. Pullover is designed as cropped (easily modified) with fitted sleeves. There is no body
shaping (aside from gauge change) and sleeves are tapered.