Equitus Cowl Test Knit
Thank you for your interest! The test is now full, and testers will be emailed by the end of Saturday, 8/22/20. Sign up here to hear when the pattern is released and find out about future tests!
Equitus was designed to show off a pretty single skein of fingering yarn, and its geometric motif can handle just about any type of colorway you want to throw at it. Its lace arrows pick up momentum as you knit, growing closer together with each passing round, and spaced decreases pull the top in just enough to lay nicely.
But Equitus was designed as more than that; read on to learn more, or skip to About the Pattern for the practical stuff.
Equitus gets its name from "equity," a concept I've spent plenty of time exploring through my MPA program. This multifaceted idea boils down to a question of fairness: not just "does the system work well?" but "for whom does the system work well?" The answer is almost never "everyone."
In his book How to Be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi writes, "Racial inequity is when two or more racial groups are not standing on approximately equal footing." Laws, rules, guidelines, best practices—in a word, policies—can be racist (causing or perpetuating racial inequity) or antiracist (causing or perpetuating racial equity). "There is no such thing as a non racist or race-neutral policy."
The vast gap between white and Black America stems from the long-entrenched policies that have instituted racial inequity and allowed it to continue. That gap exists across the board, from health to education, wealth to opportunity to physical safety, and more. To address it, we must focus on equity before we emphasize equality. We cannot all begin at the same starting line until the systemic barriers to all groups have been remedied.
To that end, all the proceeds from the Equitus Cowl are donated to organizations fighting for racial equity (like these).
About the Pattern:
DIMENSIONS:
Top Circumference: 28” [71 cm]
Bottom Circumference: 37” [94 cm]
Height: 14.5” [37 cm]
Measurements taken after firm blocking. Minor modifications are most likely fine, but please check with me first.
YARN:
I used Lady Dye Yarns CashMerino (80% Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon; 400 yd / 366 m per 100 g / 3.53 oz skein), 1 skein, in Jubilee.
You are welcome to substitute another fingering weight yarn with similar yardage. I recommend natural fibers (wools, silk, etc.) over acrylics because of significant blocking differences with lace.
YARDAGE:
Approximately 391 yd / 358 m of fingering weight yarn. Total includes a 15% buffer.
MODIFICATION OPTIONS:
You are welcome to make the cowl narrower or wider and/or longer, as long as some testers knit according to the pattern. The pattern will help you figure out these modifications, and obviously they will affect your yardage usage. If you follow a modification, I will ask you to track yardage carefully and note any changes on your Ravelry project page for future knitters to follow, if desired.
NEEDLES:
US 4 [3.5 mm] 16” [40 cm] or 24" [60 cm] circular needles for working in the round, or size needed to obtain gauge
NOTIONS:
1 unique stitch marker (to indicate start of round), 9 additional markers (optional, to mark pattern repeats), tapestry needle
GAUGE:
One 18-stitch repeat of Rnds 19-30 = 3.7" [9.5 cm] wide and 1.5" [4 cm] high after blocking. Gauge is not crucial but will affect yardage used and final dimensions.
TECHNIQUES REQUIRED:
Single and double decreases, yarn overs, knitting in the round. Information about relevant stitches and techniques is included with the pattern, so if you’re comfortable with most what's listed here and are willing to learn the rest, you are welcome to apply.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Instructions are fully written and charted. Pattern has been professionally tech edited.
About the Test:
TESTER SELECTION:
I’m looking for at least 10 testers. I may accept more. If there are more interested testers than I can accommodate, I'll make selections based on past projects (including photography, notes, ratings, etc.) as well as creating a good mix of yarn choice, experience, and instruction preference among testers. You can read more about how I select testers here.
TEST TIMELINE:
Testing call posted: Friday, August 21, 2020
Testers selected and notified by: Saturday, August 22, 2020 (by end of day EDT)
Test deadline: Sunday, October 4, 2020
EXPECTATIONS:
To successfully complete this test knit, I ask that you:
Track the yardage you use.
Let me know any time you have any doubt about something in the pattern, you find a mistake (actual or suspected), an instruction seems unclear, etc. If you’re wondering about it, other knitters will be, too, and I want to clear up the confusion!
Finish your project by the deadline noted above, including blocking and photographing.
Fill out a survey about the test knit to be sent by PM after your project is finished and completed before the deadline.
Create a complete project page (including gauge, needles, yarn used, and photos of the finished piece) and link it to the pattern page when the pattern is released. (Don’t worry, I’ll earburn you in this thread to let you know!)
Bonus: If you are willing to share photos on social media (both in progress and of your FO), all the better!
COMMUNICATION:
We will primarily communicate via Slack. This is a shift from my usual Ravelry-based process, prompted by unresolved accessibility issues some users have encountered with Ravelry’s new design. Since it is important to me that my tests be open to all, I have (at least temporarily) moved my base of operations from Ravelry to other platforms.
Slack is a free communication tool. There is a web-based version and a mobile app, both of which are fairly straightforward. I’ve created a help page explaining relevant features here, and I’ll do my best to support testers in getting up and running. This test will be the first I’ve run in this new way, so we will be testing the process as well as the pattern!
Testers are welcome to chat alongside pattern talk. You can also always contact me by email or via Slack DM if the information is private (such as a personal reason for why a project will be delayed). Check-ins at regular intervals are not required, but if I haven’t heard from you in a while, I may tag or email you to see how things are going. In general, I would rather hear from you with lots of questions than hear nothing at all.
PRIVACY:
This is a public test, so please feel free to share WIP and FO photos on social media and Ravelry as you go. If you tag @remadebyhand on Instagram, I’m sure to see them. I will most likely share some of them as well.
COMPENSATION:
Knitters who complete the test—meaning fulfill all expectations listed above—will receive:
A copy of the final pattern once released (on Ravelry or another platform)
The option to gift a copy of the final pattern to a friend (on Ravelry or another platform)
A code for another self-published pattern of choice from my Ravelry store, good for one year (I am working on a non-Ravelry workaround for this one, but there will be an alternative)
Credit (by Ravelry username or other preferred identifier) in the final version of the pattern
Good juju for future tests
…and, of course, a huge heap of my gratitude!
TO APPLY: If, after reading the information above, you’re interested and feel you would be a good fit for this test knit, please apply by filling out the form linked below. I will email testers by the end of the day on Saturday, August 22, 2020 (I’m in the U.S., Eastern time zone). Be sure to check your spam, junk, promotions, etc. folders. If you haven’t heard from me by then, I promise it’s nothing personal, and I hope to see you again in another test soon.
I can’t wait to potentially work with you. Thanks so much for your interest!