This blogpost is a sampling of our Weekend Inspirations newsletter where I like to shine a light on community members, designers, shops and events that inspire us - all related to the creative yarn world we hold so dear. If you enjoy this post, subscribe to the Knit collage Newsletter here for more stitchspiration sent straight to your inbox!

Hi there and welcome back to another edition of the Weekend Inspirations email! This week it’s all about feather and fan stitches that create waves or zig zag patterns in our knitting. I’m forever in love with these fancy looking, yet so simple to knit, stitches. How about you?!

I recently pulled out my Willow Cardi from storage and fell in love all over again (see above). Then I went down a feather & fan rabbit hole. Apparently it’s a thing we love around here that we keep coming back to! As usual, the community projects are beyond amazing. Fill your cup and be inspired by these radiant makers!

First up, how stunning is ChiWei from One Dog Woof’s finished Willow Cardi? I was so excited to see her rocking it on the hill at Rhinebeck this year. That pop of neon Firefly is my favorite.

Equally amazing are these two versions by Leigh, one of our Creative Knitters members, and Kristen, shared with us by Henny’s Yarn Shop who is running a knitalong for this pattern in March.

Leigh used one of the curated kits we have available on the site but subbed in a grey boucle yarn in place of the polar bear Serenity for a more cool toned affect.

Kristen used her own yarn stash and the result is epic! This pattern works up beautifully with a mix of worsted to Aran weight yarns.

The Willow Wrap is the Willow Cardi's sister pattern and such a pretty one for a night out on the town! Michelle, another Creative Knitter, shared this stunning neutral version she made with us as part of the KAL. It’s similar to the version I made too - that’s all the way at the end of the email!

True to my roots, I love chunky yarns and the Chevron Sunrise Shawl is our answer to a bulkier weight version of the feather & fan stitch. This pattern is perfect for mini skeins and stash diving. Gauge isn’t crucial and you can just have fun. I love the blue gradient version that Laurel Gervitz created and the mixed mini skein version that SunRay Knits shared over on Instagram. This is one of my forever favorites and makes for a great gift too!

Another chevron lace fave is from one of our very first knitalongs, the Garden Party Cardi by Cheryl Kubat. It’s all about the mix of the Spun Cloud with our Wildflower in that lacy zig zag stitch. A huge shout out to Jamie of Knitosophy for sharing the beautiful version on the right with us.

Kelly of BohoKnits shared her mind blowing blue gradient version with us and WOW is it gorgeous! I see pops of Spun Cloud, Dreamland, Daisy Chain and Cast Away in her dreamy  version.

Kelly also made a gorgeous Carpe Diem Cardi, which features an epic chevron sleeve. I had completely forgotten about this beauty and now I’m thinking that I really MUST knit this! And we may need to bring it back for a future KAL because the mix of all the stitches and yarns is speaking to me. I love the mixed yarn and patchwork vibe.

The Glow Girl Cardi that Cheryl on the team designed for us a few years back, is another statement version of the feather and fan stitch in action! How absolutely gorgeous is our friend Jo Wadler’s blue version (pics above!). I love how it feels a little more city / sleek in black and blues.

That’s it for today! I plan to be back with more inspiration every weekend for you if we can keep this momentum going. If you’re enjoying our weekend emails, I’d love to hear from you! If you have a question about any of the links I shared or want to share a fav wavy stitch pattern of your own, hit reply and let me know. Happy making!

Amy