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“E kore e wheko, he mea iri ki runga ki te wheenako, e kore e wheko.”
The yearning for something cannot be easily extinguished. – Māori Proverb

My yearning to connect back to my cultural heritage prompted the design of the Karekare pullover. I based the colorwork on a traditional geometric wave motif found in Māori weaving. Karekare is Te Reo Māori for wave, though it can also mean “choppy or rough waters.”

Over the years, I’ve had my share of rough waters to navigate. Today I continue to struggle with questions of identity: who am I? Where do I come from? Can I belong somewhere? Despite the fear of rejection and not being enough, I decided to not let the waters extinguish my desire to share my story as a bi-racial, multicultural WoC trying to find where she fits in in the world.

Do you seek a sense of belonging? Are you caught between two spaces where you don’t quite fit? Knitting connects us to our past, our present, ourselves. Exploration through this ancient craft serves to anchor us as we battle stormy seas and feed the fire of our passions.

This pullover is worked bottom-up, in the round, with some short row shaping around the neck for a better fit across the shoulders. The original was knitted in a DK baby alpaca for a soothing warmth on cool evenings.

Use the code TPoF-PoTW-karabw at checkout on Ravelry to receive 60% off the pattern this weekend, exclusively for Indie Untangled subscribers!

Hihiko, Māori for speed and swiftness, perfectly embodies this hat, a quick and breezy knit that can be completed in a day or two. The Hihiko hat features an intricate Japanese lace paneling that shapes into a star formation at the crown.

One of the amazing things about intricate lace patterns, especially in hats, is how they shorten the knitting process. Maybe it’s because they engage our minds, eyes, and fingers at the same time, demanding that we fully dive into the process of knitting. Even when away from the project, it tempts our hands with a call of “one more row.”

Knit up the Hihiko hat using a skein of sport-weight yarn in a solid color to emphasize the lush pattern of the lace.

Use the code TPoF-PoTW-Hisbie at checkout on Ravelry to receive 60% off the pattern this weekend, exclusively for Indie Untangled subscribers!