The Topkapi Scarf is finished and the pattern is now available. The pattern includes detailed instructions on two different double-knitting techniques. The pattern itself is charted.
The pattern is a geometric designed based on the design found on some Turkish tiles. And the name, as I mentioned, is from the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. I was lucky enough to visit the Topkapi Palace a few years ago, and I was simply amazed at the decor. So many of the rooms were completely covered in tiles – from the rooms in the sultan’s living quarters, to the baths, and some of the religious kiosks. The Turkish and Islamic tiles are a great source of inspiration, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I look in this direction again for future designs. It’s such a rich culture in colours and patterns and texture.
It’s been quick knitting on my part – double-knitting only gets faster and faster, I think. I ended up using about 200 g of fingering weight wool (100 g of each colour). Since Wollmeise 100% Sockenwolle comes in 150 g skeins, I still had quite a bit left-over, so I could have made the scarf significantly longer. The length is adjustable in the pattern, and the scarf is about 18 cm wide.
Double-knitting is really addictive. I really enjoyed knitting the StarLight shawl, and I’ve been planning a new double=knitting project ever since I finished that one. So this past weekend I cast on for this scarf on the left. The design is a stylized design, inspired by some of the patterns on Turkish tiles. And that of course reminds me of the fabulous Topkapi palace in Istanbul, which has more amazing tiles than just about anywhere else that I have visited. Topkapi palace was the home of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years, and it’s clear that nothing but the best was good enough when decorating the palace.
So without further ado, let me introduce the Topkapi scarf. Once again, I’m using Wollmeise 100% Sockenwolle – mainly because if the strong colours. The blue is called Neptune, and the red is a Versuchskaninchen (i.e. a guinea pig colour, not one of the “official” ones).
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