DESCRIPTION: The Tintype Tea Towel transforms a kitchen essential into an architectural statement piece. Featuring the collection’s distinctive elongated hexagonal shapes in asymmetric arrangement, this design creates visual depth through the interplay of raised garter stitch and recessed stockinette windows. Part of my Tintype Collection exploring short-row pattern motifs, this tea towel demonstrates how geometric design and thoughtful color pairing can bring sophisticated style to everyday functional objects. The absorbent fiber blend makes it as practical as it is beautiful.

INSPIRATION: This design continues the architectural language of the Tintype Collection, inspired by the striking geometric cut-outs in architect Nader Tehrani’s Newton House (https://www.nadaaa.com/portfolio/newton-house/). The original structure features a minimalist wall of elongated hexagons that frame views of the landscape: each opening creating a unique perspective on the world beyond. I was drawn to the way these apertures play with asymmetry and material texture, principles that translate naturally into textile design where each hexagonal window invites the eye to pause and consider the space it defines.

Tintype: also known as a melanotype or ferrotype, is a photograph created as a direct positive on metal coated with dark enamel. These 19th-century images, introduced by Adolphe Alexandre Martin in 1853, captured subjects with remarkable clarity and tonal variation. The collection takes its name from the construction method: garter stitch rows rise to form architectural “walls” while stockinette short-row shapes sink into the background, creating dimensional depth. These recessed windows function like tintypes themselves: portals through time where shifting solid colors reveal new perspectives with each stitch, focusing our attention on the beauty of the present.

TECHNIQUES: This pattern employs garter and stockinette stitch (knitting and purling) with the double stitch technique for short-row shaping. A continuous i-cord edge provides a polished finish.

DIAGRAMS: Pattern includes written instructions with detailed vector diagrams for both color placement and knitting order progression.

SIZE:
Width: 34 cm (13.3”)
Length: 56cm (22”)

YARN + YARDAGE: Twisp by HiKoo, generously supplied by Skacel Collection https://www.skacelknitting.com/twisp
Fiber Content: 70% Pima Cotton, 20% Bamboo Viscose, 10% Hemp
Weight: Sport; 50g/1.76oz. - 150m/164yds

Total Yardage:
MC: 236m/258yds (1.57 skeins)
CC: 51m/56yds (.34 skeins)

FIBER CONTENT: 70% Pima Cotton, 20% Bamboo Viscose, 10% Hemp