While in Ohio, I made a stop at my favorite local yarn shop, The Yarnologist.  Misty had posted on Facebook about Doodle Decks and I wanted to check them out.

I love to knit stranded colorwork.  It is fun to watch patterns take shape as I mix in colors and follow a chart.  Following a chart takes some concentration because each row is different.  But I also stay more interested in what I am knitting because it changes so much.  I mostly knit hats when I am doing colorwork because it doesn’t take too long and most people like hats.  They have been a necessity in Ohio during this very cold winter!

Jamie Lomax, founder of Pacific Knit Company came up with the idea of interchangeable stranded colorwork motifs.  Each motif is based on 12 or 24 stitches and can be used in any pattern that has a multiple of those numbers.  They can also be adapted to fit any pattern.  By mixing up the motifs, a knitter can create a project that is unique and specially designed for the recipient.  Jamie says that mixing the designs allows a person to feel like they are doodling with yarn.

Jamie sells her doodle patterns in Doodle Decks.  These are packs of motif cards with a common theme.  Seasonal Doodle Decks have 51 cards, each with a design adapted for a particular season.  Expansion packs have different themes and have 24 cards.  For instance, the Winter seasonal deck has snowflakes, pine trees, and snowmen.  A knitter could add the Holiday and Arctic expansion decks and create a wide variety of seasonal motifs.

As I looked over the variety of Doodle Decks, I had a hard time picking out which one to try first.  I finally selected the Arctic expansion pack as a fun addition to a winter hat.  I look forward to trying them out and perhaps adding more Doodle Decks to my knitting.

Jamie also has a book, “The Doodle Knit Directory,” that has a collection of 200 Doodles.  She has a Doodle of the Month Club subscription where you can get six new Doodles sent directly to your email every month.  That sounds like fun!

I love this idea of interchangeable motifs for stranded colorwork knitting.  Years ago I had a book similar to this that I used for Christmas stockings.  The cards allow me to lay out a design row by row and then add to it if I want.  I can see the Doodle Decks as a way to make personalized projects for people that I love.