There are many ways of incorporating stripes into your knitting. Wide even stripes can produce a calming design as shown in the photo of the Rare Earth Cushions featured above on the left, while varying the stripe pattern through the knitted piece can bring vibrancy and interest, as in the companion Rare Earth Rug on the right. And of course, there are many variations of striped patterning you can use in your knitted design work, such as the graphic thick-and-thin striping of the Petersfield Scarf shown here. The varying patterning and the contrast in stripe thickness gives a modern edge to a classic scarf. However, one pattern which never fails to please is the striped design resulting from a "Fibonacci" sequence. This is a Mathematical sequence where the previous two numbers are added together to give the next number, so:
Fibonacci sequences give very interesting results and reflect patterns we see in nature. We can see Fibonacci sequences in the growth pattern of a shell, the number of petals on a flower or even the leaf structure of a tree! The diagram above, for example, shows how a mollusc shell grows and develops. In fact, quite often the sequence comes so naturally when you are designing with stripes that you don't even know that you are working with it – it just somehow feels 'right'! You can see an example of a Fibonacci stripe in the BYOB – Bring Your Own Bag above. I worked this bag as a variation of the standard BYOB pattern using Seed Stitch throughout instead of the usual flexible mesh panel that you can see in the bag underneath. I had been making quite a number of bags for family and friends and had lots of small quantities of yarn left over. The dyelots varied enormously, yet when this bag was finished you really couldn't see that there were any shade differences in the yarns, so it was a good use of all the little bits and pieces. So for this bag, I just used the 5 - 8 - 13 part of the Fibonacci sequence:
I found myself really drawn to this bag when it was finished and it has become my shopping bag of choice in recent times. It certainly has been the one most commented upon when I am out and about and I am sure that can be attributed, at least in part, to the attractiveness of the Fibonacci patterning. I hope you enjoy exploring the use of this sequence in your knitting work. For information about any of the patterns featured here or our Reversible Knitting Stitches book, please click the Patterns tab above. For more blogposts & knitting notes please see the index list on the right of this page ---->
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Blogposts & Knitting NotesNotes, hints and tips you can use for all your knitting projects.
Click any of the links below for more information: Index
Click here for a full blogpost index Quick links:
Knitting Techniques: 1: Joining in Yarns 2: Using doubled yarns – Seeing Double Series 3: Working Yarn-Overs 4: Hand-Dyeing Yarns 5: Blending colours 6: Reversible colours Scarves: 1: How long shall I make this scarf? 2: How much yarn do I need for a scarf? 3: The Four-Way Wrap 4: Using reversible stitches for scarves 5: Mœbius Scarves 6: Lengthwise Scarves Bags: 1: Bags of Bags! 2: Fibonacci stripes 3: Market Bag Knit-along 4: Adding a Fabric Liner Useful size guides: 1. Blanket sizes 2. Rug sizes 3: Cushion ideas & sizes Other fun posts: 1. Filling a hot water bottle 2. No time to knit a scarf 3. Second-Sock Syndrome Blogpost Index: here. Archive listing: see below More InformationPlease contact me if you have any queries.
For more informaation about our Reversible Knitting Stitches book, please click here.
Archives2024:
◌ Reversible Colours ◌ A new website and a new scarf ◌ Knitting a lengthwise scarf 2021: ... Seeing Double Series: ◌ #1: Knitting with two ends of yarn ◌ #2: Using two ends of yarn for added warmth ◌ #3: It's good to have options ◌ #4: Blending colours with doubled yarns ◌ #5: Mixing it up ◌ #6: Mix n' Match sets ◌ #7: Tips and techniques for working with doubled yarns 2019: ◌ Slip those stitches! ◌ Are you using the right needle? ◌ Straightening crinkly yarn ◌ Add a twist to your knitting ◌ How much yarn do I need for a scarf? 2018: ◌ Sorting the Second-Sock Syndrome 2016: ... Colour Futures Series: ◌ #1: Without the ocean ◌ #2: The future of colour ◌ #3: Tranquility, Strength & Optimism ◌ #4: In the pink ◌ #5: The future looks bright ◌ Reversible Knitting Stitches – A different kind of stitch book ◌ Let's (half) twist again 2015: ◌ A cushion for every season ◌ How long can you wait? ◌ How to fill a hot water bottle ◌ A rug for every room ◌ So it begins ◌ No time to knit him a scarf ◌ A new knot for your tie 2014: ... Summer Knitting Series: ◌ #1: Summer knitting starts here ◌ #2: Dyeing in the kitchen ◌ #3: Why stop at one? ◌ #4: The murmur of a cool stream ◌ #5: Yarn Overs I have known ◌ #6: Planning ahead ◌ #7: Blanket coverage 2013: ... Market Bag Knit-along: ◌ #1: Pre-washing yarns ◌ #2: Yarns & Gauge ◌ #3: Provisional Cast-Ons ◌ #4: Stitches & Selvedges ◌ #5: Picking up stitches ◌ #6: The Two-row SSK ◌ #7: Handles & Finishing ◌ #8: Adding a fabric lining to your bag ◌ How long shall I make this scarf? ◌ At the end of a row ◌ The Four-Way Wrap 2012: ◌ Either way up – Using reversible stitches for scarves ◌ Reversible stripes 2009: ◌ Spiralling away 2008: ◌ 16 years of blogposts! ◌ Bags of Bags! ◌ Fibonacci stripes |