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Sisters Not Twins ~ Crochet and Knit Patterns Designed Together
- Sönna Schuttner
- Nov 17, 2021
- 9 min read
Updated: Jan 15
Knitting and crochet are often treated as rivals, but the Sisters Not Twins Project invites a different story. We encounter the arts of crochet and knitting discussed in competition with one another, as if one must be chosen over the other. The patterns in the Sisters Not Twins Project were created to firmly (and beautifully) refuse that narrative. Britt of KnotBadBritt and I (Sönna of Wool & Wyrd) were drawn together to explore what happens when we place these two fiber arts side by side — not as rivals, but as companions. The Sisters Not Twins Project is a growing collection of matching knit and crochet patterns, each designed as a sister set: one knit pattern, one crochet pattern, distinct in craft yet intentionally aligned in spirit, construction, and inspiration. In this post, I’ll be highlighting the sister pattern pairs that make up the project, sharing how each knit and crochet design relates to the other and where you can explore or purchase each pattern individually or as a bundle.
🧶 This post was crafted by me, a real human. The voice, story, and creative choices are entirely my own and not AI-generated. And I just might choose to use an em dash—I won't let go of them because Open AI likes them ;)
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✦About the Sisters Not Twins Project: Crochet and Knit Patterns, Designed Side by Side
The Sisters Not Twins Project began when Brittany and I were invited to design patterns for our local yarn shop, Acorn Street Shop for an LYS tour. As often happens in design work, we were given a clear set of parameters: the finished piece needed to be a shawl, with specific yarn weight, fiber content, yardage, and a defined target skill level. As we talked through those constraints and where each of us felt pulled creatively, we noticed how much overlap there was in our inspiration. We began wondering whether we could make our designs look alike.
At first, it seemed simple. And then we ran headlong into the realities of stitch size, fabric density, and the fundamental differences between knitting and crochet. Along the way, we heard the familiar warnings—that the crafts were too different, that knitters wouldn’t be interested in crochet projects, that crocheters wanted a completely different end result. We chose not to listen. Instead, we leaned into the challenge, curious about what might be possible if we trusted both our crafts and each other.
In choosing curiosity over convention, the Sisters Not Twins Project took shape.
I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort where we overlap ~Ani DiFranco
At its heart, this project explores knitting and crochet patterns side by side from the perspective of their shared roots in the fiber arts. This requires us as makers to honor the truth that knitting and crochet are not interchangeable crafts, but distinct practices with their own rhythms and strengths. Our goal is to co-create patterns that feel deeply related by leaning in on the qualities that make them distinctly their own. Translating design elements, texture, drape, and wearability from one craft to the other requires us to learn each other’s languages, limits, and strengths. It demands clear communication, mutual respect, and an almost comical amount of swatching. It is joyful work. It is challenging work. And it has changed the way we see our own crafts.
The search for similarities between knitting and crochet, and the practice of treating their differences as creative assets rather than obstacles, has made Sisters Not Twins unlike any design work we had done before. This project pushes us beyond our comfort zones while grounding us more firmly in our individual practices. Supported by one another and by our shared commitment to thoughtful creation, we grow more fluent, more curious, and more capable. By finding pleasure in the beauty of our differences, we are freed to revel in the joy of what we share.
✦ The Crochet and Knit Patterns at the Heart of the Project
Freia and Fenna — The First Two Sisters
Freia and Fenna were the first sister patterns in the Sisters Not Twins Project, designed together for the local yarn shop tour that sparked it all. Their names mean peace, yet both are rooted in the archetype of the warrior goddess—women who move through the world with honor, conviction, and quiet strength. Confident in their femininity and steady in their choices, Freia and Fenna set the tone for the project: distinct in craft, aligned in spirit, and deeply grounded in shared intention.
Pi Squared Sisters
The Pi Squared sisters celebrate the visual beauty of a simple mathematical idea made wearable. Designed as part of a knit-along with Lion Brand Yarn, these sister shawls use the pi method of construction—working in rounds with only five increase rows total. The result is an easy, meditative make that lets you enjoy stitching without constant counting. You can still find both patterns for free on our blogs, or choose a downloadable PDF version if you prefer. Pi Squared was designed with Lion Brand Shawl In A Ball, which has been discontinued BUT if you are interested in supporting my fiber practice by shopping my affiliate links, you could pick up a skein of Lion Brand Ferris Wheel to knit or crochet your own version! 🥰
✦Autumn Waves Wrap
Autumn arrives in waves, each shift asking us to adjust—first in small ways, then completely. The Autumn Waves patterns grew from that feeling and challenged us to translate a shared sense of movement into fabric. Working with a mohair and silk blend, we set out to create an airy, lace-like texture that felt light and drapey without becoming full of holes. This goal brought us face to face with the differences in fabric density between knitting and crochet, asking each pattern to find its own path toward the same visual rhythm. The result is a pair of sister designs that echo one another while honoring the nature of their craft.
For a hand dyed luxury, explore Bad Sheep Yarn's Suri Silk Base or Aloft Super Kid Mohair Yarn from Knit Picks. These silky mohair blend leans in on the airy texture of the Autumn Waves Wraps while creating a soft, continuous fabric that flows effortlessly across the stitches.
✦Trifle Cowl
The Trifle Cowl was originally designed in collaboration with Bad Sheep Yarn for their 2023 Advent Box — a joyful swirl of color and texture that knitters immediately fell in love with. Exploring how we could use texture to highlight similar color interactions became our guiding focus in this sister set. We wanted a design that would shine whether worked as a scrappy mix of leftover yarn from other projects or as a carefully curated set of mini skeins. For those drawn to a coordinated palette, Bad Sheep Yarn offers kits for both the crochet and knit Trifle sisters. 😘
✦ The Prism Path Shawl
The Prism Path sister shawls pushed us to think creatively about yarn use, asking us to balance twelve mini skeins with a single full skein of fingering weight yarn across two very different crafts. Navigating the dramatic difference in yarn consumption between knitting and crochet became central to the design, while both patterns share a distinctive construction built around a center diamond with sweeping wings. Working through these constraints taught us a great deal about planning for color, structure, and flexibility across crafts.
The Prism Path Shawl is also available as a crochet and knit pattern bundle and as kits from Bad Sheep Yarn.
✦ Dustwoven Shawl
The Dustwoven Shawls were inspired by the human experience of traveling into the darkness and back out again in the depth of winter. From the beginning, we knew we needed to prioritize an angular quality in the fabric—one that, when combined with fading stripes, would create a strong sense of direction. Creating a final pattern for 24 colors, 4 colors, or a single color required a great deal of design math, but it allowed us to illustrate the truth of the many paths that can lead to the same destination.
When designing patterns that share qualities, we’ve found the easiest way to make them “match” is to give them the same shape, even when the construction differs. The differing qualities of knitting and crochet required us to let go of preconceived ideas about shape and stop forcing the sister designs into identical measurements. In doing so, we found our way to a pair of shawls that honor their inspiration by sharing an angular, fading structure while remaining true to their craft.
The Dustwoven sister patterns are offered as a bundled set and also has coordinating kits available through Bad Sheep Yarn.
✦ Up Next in the Sisters Not Twins Project
As we look ahead, there are already many sister patterns waiting in the wings. Some begin as simple what if conversations. Others grow out of challenges we encountered in earlier designs—questions we weren’t ready to answer at the time but couldn’t quite set aside. Each upcoming pattern carries the influence of what came before, shaped by lessons learned through swatching, recalculating, revising, and (oh so often) starting over entirely. Then swatching more. Growth, after all, rarely happens in a straight line. I am as curious as I am excited to see where this project will lead. If you’re curious too, you’re welcome to join the Wool & Wyrd newsletter and follow the journey along with us.
✦ The Final Thread
Sisters Not Twins began as a refusal to choose between crafts, and it continues as an invitation to hold knitting and crochet side by side—distinct, related, and stronger together. Rooted in the same fiber traditions, our crafts are united by far more than what separates them, and it is in honoring those differences that we find our strongest threads of connection.
And I am deeply grateful to Bad Sheep Yarn for their ongoing support and belief in the Sisters Not Twins Project. 🥰
✨Do you come to this project as a knitter, a crocheter, or both—and what do you love borrowing from the other craft? Share in the comments!
Your support with stars, comments and Kofi's keeps the Wool & Wyrd Blog going without those pesky adds and motivate me to keep creating! Thank you! ✨
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Thank you for describing this lovely process!😍
Love all the Sister’s patterns and this blog is so lovely explaining all that’s behind them! Sonna, you are delightful!