The Kindness of Ravens
On Sale
CAD15.00
CA$15.00
"cruel birds — ravens — but wise. and creatures should be loved for their wisdom if they cannot be loved for kindness." – hannah kent
The name for this design came up in a conversation with a friend about corvids (a frequent topic of discussion if you happen to be friends with me). My friend commented on how it felt perfectly acceptable to refer to a group of crows as a murder, but the fact that the collective noun for ravens was an "unkindness" felt very not okay. After giving it some thought, I realized that — for me, at least — it was because we use the word “murder” rather loosely in North American discourse: “I’m going to murder my cat,” for example, is an oddly lighthearted, sometimes even loving expression. But to call someone unkind is personal, even cruel. Ravens, like crows, have wide-ranging symbolic associations: most often, they're associated with ill omen, death, and loss. But they're just as often linked with prophecy and insight, acting as messengers between the realms of living and dead.
For a detailed overview of the pattern construction, schematics, materials, and test knitter photos, check out the TKOR pattern page. For materials and size charts, see the TKOR schematics.
My sample is knit out of Emily C Gillies Corriedale Sock, in the colourways Velvet Underground, Terabithia, and Nimbus. All photography is by Emily Gillies.
Note: The base price of this pattern is a higher price point to reflect the amount of time, effort and energy that went into creating it. To purchase the pattern at a more accessible price point, use one of the following codes:
The name for this design came up in a conversation with a friend about corvids (a frequent topic of discussion if you happen to be friends with me). My friend commented on how it felt perfectly acceptable to refer to a group of crows as a murder, but the fact that the collective noun for ravens was an "unkindness" felt very not okay. After giving it some thought, I realized that — for me, at least — it was because we use the word “murder” rather loosely in North American discourse: “I’m going to murder my cat,” for example, is an oddly lighthearted, sometimes even loving expression. But to call someone unkind is personal, even cruel. Ravens, like crows, have wide-ranging symbolic associations: most often, they're associated with ill omen, death, and loss. But they're just as often linked with prophecy and insight, acting as messengers between the realms of living and dead.
For a detailed overview of the pattern construction, schematics, materials, and test knitter photos, check out the TKOR pattern page. For materials and size charts, see the TKOR schematics.
My sample is knit out of Emily C Gillies Corriedale Sock, in the colourways Velvet Underground, Terabithia, and Nimbus. All photography is by Emily Gillies.
Note: The base price of this pattern is a higher price point to reflect the amount of time, effort and energy that went into creating it. To purchase the pattern at a more accessible price point, use one of the following codes:
- DISYARNING20 - 20% off ($12)
- DISYARNING40 - 40% off ($9)
- DISYARNING50 - 50% off ($7.50)
