It Started with a Sketch: Torran

This time, it started with a book.

The name for this design was inspired by S.K. Tremayne’s psychological thriller Ice Twins. In the novel, the main couple move to a fictional island in the Scottish Hebrides called Eilean Torran, or Thunder Island. It’s a lonely and stormy place, and it put me right in the mood for designing a sweater that’s great to wear at the seaside.

I wanted a design element that would bring to mind stormy seas and rolling waves. Softly emerging and disappearing cables on a stockinette background were the perfect choice. And the stormy weather inspired the color for the sample sweater as well.

The wide cable panels were the focal point of the design, and I wanted the rest of the sweater to have simple, clean lines: raglan sleeves and gentle A-lined shaping. Because of the cable panels at underarms, increases and decreases for the waist shaping are placed unconventionally at front and back darts.

For the yarn, I chose a merino/linen blend, Manos del Uruguay Milo in the colorway Indigo. This is a great choice for cool summer evenings or windy days at the seaside. Merino is soft and smooth while linen gives the yarn a great drape and an interesting texture. And the single-ply structure is ideal for a flowy, A-lined pullover.

Torran is knitted in one piece from the top down. Short-row shaping is used to create a rounded neckline. Decreases and increases are placed at front and back darts to create a gently flowing shape that is flattering for a wide variety of body shapes and sizes. The pattern is written with both metric and US terminology. Both written and charted instructions are given for the cable panels. The pattern includes a photo tutorial for German short rows.

The pattern for Torran is now available on Ravelry. I'd love to see what you make so share your projects with the hashtags #talviknits and #torranpullover.

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