gennaker reborn
Autumn is just around the corner, and we’ve got our eyes on warmer, cozier knits for the chillier season ahead. Cool cotton and linen knits have taken a back seat to warmer fibers and denser fabrics; yet, here in New England, we’re still experiencing warmer days marked by cooler evenings, so finding that perfect fiber to work with during this transitional season becomes even more important. Enter Wren, our DK weight wool-cotton blend, with its signature tweedy texture and cozy softness. Equal parts rugged and elegant, Wren combines cooling cotton with warming wool for a unique, versatile yarn that’s perfect for transitional weather.
As the newest member to our Quince family of yarns, Wren has been knit up in just a handful of patterns to date; however, if you take a look at our designs with comparable gauges you’ll quickly find that your options open up. This was the case when we revisited Pam Allen’s Gennaker pullover, originally knit with our worsted weight organic cotton Whimbrel.
Gennaker by Pam Allen was originally knit with organic cotton Whimbrel (shown here in Sail, Windlass, and Starboard).
Gennaker is a long-sleeve striped pullover, worked in our sweet worsted weight organic cotton Whimbrel. The classic stripe pattern worked throughout the body is switched up at the sleeve cuffs for an interesting detail. The piece is knitted in the round from the neck down with round-yoke shaping and a slight A-line shape in the body. A few short rows raise the neck slightly. Sleeves are worked from underarm to cuff.
Originally knit in organic cotton Whimbrel (which has a suggested gauge of 4.5 sts / inch on size US 7 [4.5 mm] needles), Gennaker is worked at a finer gauge, just over 5 sts / inch, and can easily be knit in Wren (which has a suggested gauge of 4.75 sts / inch on size US 7 [4.5 mm] needles). After knitting up a couple swatches in Wren, it’s clear that re-knitting this fan favorite with a new yarn makes for a fresh take on a classic design. Not only does Wren make for a cozier, three-season pullover, it showcases a fresh palette of tweedy goodness.
Still not sure which colorways to cast on the Wren version of Gennaker? Take a look at these beautiful swatches! Our first “cool” swatch is knit in three colorways: Pedernales, Frio, and Salado.
The “cool” Gennaker swatch is knit in three Wren colorways: Pedernales, Frio, and Salado.
For a “warmer” palette, we opted to knit with Nueces, Barton, and Salado.
The “warm” Gennaker swatch is knit in three Wren colorways: Nueces, Barton, and Salado.
Of course, with thirteen Wren colorways to choose from, there are many more combinations you can dream up for a Gennaker pullover that’s just to your liking. For even more patterns to explore in Wren, we think you’ll enjoy browsing our selection of patterns designed in Whimbrel.
We hope you enjoyed this post on reknitting in Wren, and look forward to hearing what you plan to knit in the comments below! Want to swatch accurately for patterns worked in the round (like Gennaker), but not sure where to start? Check out our tutorial, Techniques: Speed Swatching for Colorwork.
