If you’ve visited Ravelry, your LYS or the bookstore lately, you may have noticed a fabulous collection of knitwear patterns that just hit the shelves. New American Knits, designed by our very own Amy Christoffers, is a compilation of 20 classic knits, all inspired by great American artists. With pullovers, cardies and a variety of accessories, there’s ample opportunity to experiment with lace, cables, and colorwork. Plus, each pattern is a mini art history lesson that’s actually interesting (okay, I know art history is interesting, just not with the professors I had in college or the 8 am start time)!
Here are just a few of my favorites…do you recognize any of the artistic influences behind these designs?
(photos by Joe Hancock, courtesy of Interweave)
Of course, the best pattern in this book has to be the Parrish Mitts, knit in Berroco Ultra Alpaca. So maybe I’m biased, but these mitts are more than just great yarn.
A tribute to Maxfield Parrish, the painter and illustrator known for his saturated hues – burnt umber and ultramarine blue in particular, this design features allover colorwork with two different charts. The highlight is a floral motif inspired by the Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Art that also influenced Parrish’s early work. This section is surrounded by a simple, checkerboard background, creating a stylish and modern look that’s doubly warm! The mitts are knit in the round from the bottom up and only require one skein each of the Mahogany Mix & Blueberry Mix colorways.
Want to win a kit to knit your own Parrish Mitts?
(Say that five times fast!)
How to Enter: Tell us in the comments below…which two shades of Ultra Alpaca would you knit the Parrish Mitts in?
Details: All entries must be received by 11:59 PM EST on Tuesday, July 15. One winner will be picked at random and announced on the blog next Wednesday, July 16. You must be 18 years old and a resident of the U.S. or Canada to win.
Azure mix and moonshadow.
I would love to knit the Parrish Mitts in Prune Mix and Beet Root <3
Charcoal Mix and Emerald Mix. 🙂
Oh man…I have to pick two…well two at a time I guess. OK can’t use wool…so I’d have to pick one of the non-wool yarns and I’d go for a bright red and black for the first pair.
I like Turquoise Mix with Garnet Mix
Light Gray and Redwood Mix!
I would make them in Cardinal and Navy. Thanks!
I would love to knit the mitts in Admiral Mix and Cyclamen. The Admiral Mix is my favorite colorway and the Cyclamen looks like it would be a nice contrast.
I think the designer got it right the first time so I’d use Mahogany Mix & Blueberry Mix
I think Cerulean mix and Chianti would make a stunning combo for the Parrish mitts.
Boysenberry Mix and Seedling Mix, of course.
Brown Rice and Mahogany Mix.
sallt & pepper and melon mix
Turquoise Mix & Slate
Seedling mix and turquoise mix
Cerulean Mix and Peat
Love the colors 🙂
eggplant and barley
I’d go Admiral Mix and Emerald!
Eggplant & Light Gray
Charcoal and emerald!
Blueberry and turquoise…..so hard to hoose all are so beautiful
Emerald mix and Dijon lovely
Garnet Mix and Azure Mix would do it.
Looking for a new project.
Admiral blue and Masa… Can’t help it, I’m a Univ of Mich alum. Go Blue!
Duncan and Tiger’s Eye Mix
Denim and dungaree
Love your yarns, I hope I win.
Classic black & off-white.
Grapefruit mix and slate!
Redwood Mix and Couscous
garnet mix and eggplant
garnet and eggp[lant
Mahogany Mix & Blueberry Mix
Briny Deep and Orchid
I would knit mine in Admiral Mix and Winter White…in honor of my children in the Navy.
Concord Grape &
62112
Eggplant
62105
Cyclamen and Rose Spice
Garnet mix and couscous. Love this yarn! A tried and true fave.
Prune Mix and Lavender Mix.
I absolutely LOVE Zephyr and Candy Floss Mix!
Garnet and Rice
Dungaree mix and Tangelo.
Briny Deep and Charcoal
Eggplant and Beetroot!
Probably light grey and prune mix. There are so many that go great together.
eggplant and tigers eye mix
Eggplant and Green Bean
charcoal mix and winter white
Masa and Light Grey
Blueberry mix & mahogany mix (big Maxfield Parrish fan)
Lobster and lichen mix!
Cerulean Mix and Peat Mix
So tough to choose! I would go a little wild and choose eggplant and orchid.
Peat mix and Twinkle mix
Lobster Mix and Beet Root
Charcoal Mix and Emerald Mix.
Orchid and Briny Deep
Zephyr and Turquoise Mix
I know you said two but all these combos popped out to me:
Brown Rice and Couscous or Brown Rice and Melon Mix or Garnet Mix and Admiral Mix or Dijon and Tiger’s Eye
Charcoal and Rose Spice would be a fun combo.
Pastel Pink and Lunar Mix.
Charcoal and admiral mix would be beautiful
Eggplant and lichen mix.
wahoomerryf on Ravelry
Cerulean and Berry Pie Mix
Carribbean Mix and viola
Duncan and peat mix?
Grapefruit and Zephyr
Royal and Pitch Black–my sister would like that combination!
I think I might pick eggplant and green bean. Thanks for the chance to win. I am so excited for this book!
Royal blue and masa.
Would love to see a light blue with the charcoal..Would be just amazing to knit anything with this wool.
Chianti and Salt. & Pepper
Slate and briny deep. Love the original colors.
Melon and garnet mix
I would use the two colors in the picture. That brown gold color is just perfect and the blue isn’t bad either.
I would make the mitts in Eggplant and Concord Grape. 🙂
Barley and Zephyr
pitch black and salt & pepper
I would knit the parrish mitts in admiral mix and masa! stunning colour not for the faint of heart!
I would knit my mitts in royal and winter white.
Redwood mix and Tigers Eye mix. That was a tough choice.
Emerald and grapefruit mix – but there are so many great colors it is hard to decide!
green bean and Tangelo
I like the original colors Amy chose!
Grapefruit Mix (Love, Love, and so unique) and Slate. Then I would give them to my mother for everything she has done for me.
Slate & Concord Grape for me !
Garnet mix and navy
I love the charcoal and emerald mix!!!!
Orchid and greenbean! Adorable!
Cerulean Blue and Light Gray
I can see the Parrish Mitts knit in Briny Deep & Candied Yam Mix!
Turquoise mix and Royal, two beautiful colors
Admiral Mix and Garnet Mix
Pea Soup Mix & Brown Rice.
So many beautiful colors! But I’d have to choose Peat Mix and Oceanic Mix. Just gorgeous!
Has to be Eggplant and Masa
Eggplant and winter white. What a great prize package. Thanks so much.
I love the colors they’re knit in! Beautiful mitts…thanks for the opportunity to win the book!
Aarrghhhh So many combo choices….decided on redwood mix and steel cut oats.
I would use Emerald Mix and Masa.
Light Grey and Chianti
I would love to knit the Parrish Mitts in Winter White & Briny Deep, please. 🙂
Eggplant and pink berry mix to match my dark purple winter coat
potting soil & kaffir
Eggplant and lavender mix
Charcoal mix & Kaffir mix :o)
Garnet Mix and Dark Chocolate
I like Garnet Mix and Ruby Mix — I think they’d play off each other and make the pattern glow.
I agree, the original colorway is perfect but I’d like to try Dark Chocolate and Turquoise Mix
I’m pretty conservative- I would go with blueberry mix and couscous.
Eggplant and Concord Grape 🙂
Eggplant and Zephyr to match a sweater I’m making!
such wonderful colours …if I had to choose 2 they would be forest mix & moonshadow.
I like Garnet and Slate
Duncan and Zephyr.
Eggplant and rose spice
Like half the world, I’m a Harry Potter lover and a self-sorted Ravenclaw. I would do the Parrish Mitts in Slate and Royal to cheer on my house!
Orchid and Emerald
Dungaree Mix and Barley
Blueberry Mix and Pink Berry Mix
Barley and Beet Root
I think I would use Beet Root and Candy Floss
Lavender Mix and Salt & Pepper
Cyclamen and Winter White would be beautiful.
I really like the original suggested colors, especially now that I know the backstory!
I really like the original Mahogany Mix and Blueberry Mix, especially now that I know the backstory!
What a hard choice. Admiral mix and Charcoal mix
I’d have to pick Lunar and Dijon.
Lunar and Dijon
I think eggplant and green bean would mKe fun mittens.
I would choose Admiral Mix and Grove Mix, two colors that show up frequently in his paintings.
I think I’d try Melon Mix and Grapefruit Mix. So bright and cheerful!
Garnet Mix with Candied Yam. I seem to be stuck on opulent colors of late.
Dijon and Slate
Peat Mix & Candied Yam Mix would be wonderful together – love fall!
And this book is SO wonderfully full of great stuff!
I like the original colors best, but my daughter would love them in Peat and Lichen.
Royal and Grapefruit mix.
Peat Mix and Tiger’s Eye
Cerulean Mix and Barley.
Moonshadow and grapefruit mix
Lobster Mix (because I like the name) and Chianti (because I like the wine!)
Briny Deep and Green Bean but it’s hard there is so many good color combos
Cerulean Mix and Duncan seem to echo Parrish as well as the original colours.
I would like to try the Briny Deep and Slate, so cool and calming!
Kim Reid
Forest mix & moonshadow
I think I’d use Slate and Pastel Pink. I’m excited to look at this book. I’ve been reading great things about it!
I would use Garnet Mix for the main color and light grey for the pattern to make it stand out against the deep rich shades of garnet.
Blueberry mix and Barley for me!
hmmmm … eggplant and barley mix
Melon Mix & Garnet Mix!
Indigo mix and moonshadow.. It is such a hard worth all of these beautiful colors.
It took me ;forever to decide…there are such great colors, but I finally decided on…
Orchid and Charcoal mix….yum!
It took me forever to decide because there are such great colors…..
Orchid and Charcoal mix.
I would go with Winter White and Slate
Blueberry Mix and Steel Cut Oats
I would knit them in light gray and beet root. I love the gray-purple combination, and they will go with almost everything!
Forest mix and lichen mix looks like a good combo
I would use Tupelo and Charcoal Mix!!
Eggplant and Pinkberry
I think that the colorways used in the design are beautiful together, and do honor Parrish’s work. Those would be my choice as well…Mahogany Mix and Blueberry Mix….such a gorgeous blue!
gray and garnet would be my pick.
I would like to make mittens for my daughter using alpaca prune mix and orchid….. I live to create lasting memories for them.
Peat mix and boysenverry
Peat mix and boysenberry
Forest Mix and Pea Soup!
Turquoise Mix and Duncan. So many great colors!
Turquoise Mix and Duncan!
Cardinal and Steel Cut Oats
dark chocolate and ruby mix.
So hard to choose! Dark Chocolate and Orchid combo is my first choice.
I’d pick Forest Mix and Masa
Slate and Admiral are my color choices.
I would use steel cut oats and winter white.
Orchid and Briny deep… but so many great combinations to choose from
I’d knit them in redwood mix and winter white.
Caribbean mix and eggplant
So hard to pick! Admiral Mix and Rose Spice
Grove Mix with Oceanic Mix
I’d use the same colors……my favorite shades of both!!
Eggplant and Grove Mix
So many beautiful colors. I would choose charcoal mix with winter white.
So many beautiful colors, but I would choose Navy and Redwood Mix.
Turquoise mix with Briny Deep. So pretty
Grove mix and Ruby mix.
Tonight I’m feeling Steel Cut Oats and Redwood Mix for these gorgeous mitts. I must be thinking autumnal thoughts!
Chocolate and tangerine.
Salt & Pepper with Cardinal
Slate & Cyclamen
I like the original colors from the pattern. Trying to incorporate more rich colorways into my life and step away from the neutrals☺️
Maghoney n blueberry mixes
Oooh! I would want the original colors of mahogany mix and blueberry mix!
I like winter white and pea soup mix
Pink berry mix and root beer
Indigo mix and winter white would be my choice.
I’d choose Eggplant and Masa!
Seedling Mix and Barley!
I’m thinking Dark Chocolate and Couscous (the colours, not the flavours).
Indigo Mix and Couscous for sure though I do love the original choice.
Lavender mix and blueberry mix!!!
so many possibilities – but I think I’d try Ocean mix and Seedling mix first.