“To Those who Appreciate Wistaria and Sunshine.” So begins the
advertisement that sets in motion Elizabeth von Arnim’ s lovely 1922
novel “The Enchanted April.” On reading it, two Englishwomen are
motivated to rent a mediaeval Italian castle for the month of April,
during which time they rediscover love and happiness.
This is one of my favorite novels ever ever ever. I reread it periodically (most recently a couple weeks ago) and I highly recommend it. You can buy a printed copy or download the ebook for free from Project Gutenberg. The 1991 movie wasn't bad either, but like any movie it can't capture the full depth and essence of the book.
I originally thought Wistaria was a misspelling of Wisteria, but as it turns out, they're both legitimate spellings for the beautiful purple flowers.
So of course when there's something inspiring to me, I have to turn it into a knitted object. I give you: The Wistaria and Sunshine fichu / shawlette. It's knit from the top down and combines two leaf-centric Japanese stitch patterns for a botanical effect. It grows on each right-side row to create a wide crescent shape, and the hem scallops form automatically at bind-off. That natural curve sits comfortably on the shoulders for a little bit of extra warmth and glamour when ever you want it. The lace pattern is provided in both charted and written form.
Wistaria and Sunshine
$6.95 from Ravelry or Patternfish.
This is one of my favorite novels ever ever ever. I reread it periodically (most recently a couple weeks ago) and I highly recommend it. You can buy a printed copy or download the ebook for free from Project Gutenberg. The 1991 movie wasn't bad either, but like any movie it can't capture the full depth and essence of the book.
I originally thought Wistaria was a misspelling of Wisteria, but as it turns out, they're both legitimate spellings for the beautiful purple flowers.So of course when there's something inspiring to me, I have to turn it into a knitted object. I give you: The Wistaria and Sunshine fichu / shawlette. It's knit from the top down and combines two leaf-centric Japanese stitch patterns for a botanical effect. It grows on each right-side row to create a wide crescent shape, and the hem scallops form automatically at bind-off. That natural curve sits comfortably on the shoulders for a little bit of extra warmth and glamour when ever you want it. The lace pattern is provided in both charted and written form.
Wistaria and Sunshine
$6.95 from Ravelry or Patternfish.
