In the recently published book Textured Knits, the extraordinary talent of designer Paula Pereira finds its way to our shelves by the hands of Laine Publishing. You can find a review here.
But months before the book, Paula Pereira launched Lopo, a sweater design that combines tradition, creativity, and yarn business heritage in an exquisite yet uncomplicated pattern.
Lopo Sweater just makes our hands and heart sing. The designer says that, when visiting the almost centennial yarn and haberdashery shop Lopo Xavier in Portugal, her eye was caught by the “delicate small curtains in a beautiful fabric called Chita de Alcobaça” that decorated one of the rooms. The curtains reminded her of the upholstery of her grandmother’s favorite chairs.
This fabric motif took Paula Pereira on a trip down memory lane to create a texture in Trianon, one of Lopo Xavier’s own house yarns. The double-held yarn creates a playful effect in alternating sequences of stitches when only one strand is in use. The result: a geometric pattern of cables winding downwards from neck to arms and hips, like tiny flowers neatly arranged. There must be a place in heaven for these oh-so-simple textures.
Lopo offers a pleasant challenge in case you are a comfortable beginner knitter—even an advanced knitter. Its difficulty level is best described as that blissful zone where simple stitches combine to make up a striking pattern. While this sweater does require some of your focus and attention, that’s a plus when knitting mindfulness is just what you need.
But hold our hand for a second as we take a shortcut into the history of the fabric that sparked the designer’s inspiration. Curious about it? The Portuguese “chita” is an adaptation or imitation of a kind of printed fabric that originated in Golconda, Hyderabad, and found its way to Europe through trading routes five centuries ago. Other variations are known as chintz in English. The heritage fabric influenced hybrid designs in other places of the globe, such as the ones that inspired the pattern of Lopo.
Speaking of which, let us return to this sweater. How may these geometric flowers bloom? The fabric looks great knitted in the designer’s choice, Trianon by Lopo Xavier, a 100% wool yarn made in Portugal that is also suited for jacquard, lace, and socks. It’s been on my needles, and I can tell it’s a pleasure to knit with it (you can find Trianon online here and here). As an alternative, try out any light-fingering wool yarn, preferably a non-superwash, that is able to hold the cables in their perfect shape. Just make sure to follow the gauge.
A great design and yarn are enough to make me love a sweater from the start. But knowing about the creative inspiration, and diving into a piece of history, makes it extra unique.
Would you have thought Lopo was inspired by a traditional cotton fabric design? As a designer or an intrepid knitter who ventures into their own patterns, what are your sources of inspiration? They might be so instinctive that they often go unnoticed.
