ConnieLene – KnitDesigner

I was fortunate back in 2006 and that does seem ever so long ago now. I was contacted by Barbara from “Travelling Together Inc” to see if there was a way that the Vogue Knitters Tour could visit my studio as part of their visit to New Zealand in 2007.

The outcome was that my exhibition “Colour Play”, held at Randolph Street Gallery at the Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design was attended by the VK Knitters tour group.

And Nicky Epstein was knitting / designer expert on the tour and I happened to own the book “Knitting On the Edge” and thought that Nicky might sign it for me, but in all the excitement and drama of setting up the exhibition the book was left behind.

Now here I am living in the Netherlands, and I booked my first ever knit design workshop as part of the Handwerkbeurs (Craft Show), being held in Rotterdam, and I have purchased another book by Nicky since arriving here (my Knitting on the Edge is in NZ) “Knitting on Top of the World” and I thought I would bring it with me to Rotterdam. And you guessed it – in the excitement and drama of getting myself to Rotterdam.

Walk to train and catch the correct train – that part was easy.
Walk to Metro – not so easy as I do not know Rotterdam, and in and around the station is a huge building site and it was seriously raining.
Catch Metro – not so easy working out where to go, finding the correct metro platform and watching and listening so I would get off the metro at the correct station.
Walk to bus , Catch bus, Find the way to the auditorium, started badly – a 3 level metro station with access on 2 levels to the 2 separate bus stations – became very easy as I met two knitters who were heading in the same direction and they were happy for me to tag along all the way to the auditorium.

Brilliant. And then what did I find out – One the knitters who saved my skin and got me to the auditorium on time was Miriam the World fastest knitter

Oh yes – and I forgot to pack the book.

So I just had to buy the new book “Enchanting Collection” review of Enchanting Collection on Diamond Yarn Blog and yes Nicky has signed it for me.

Does any of this matter at all? Have I ever knitted a Nicky Epstein design? And the answer is NO to both questions – but it is like collecting art – it is eye candy seeing the beautiful knits, interesting designs, the new Aslan Trends yarns and colours, and then there are the edges and of course as I have now attended a knitting / designing workshop I have been taught knit tricks, encouraged towards those edgings and seen Nickts work up close and touched the beautiful yarns, as well as viewing an impromptu fashion parade of her gorgeous knits. The knitters were the models and it was fun watching.

from the VK Archives – Vogue Tour 2007 of Australia and New Zealand

When in the Netherlands and planning your travel using various types of public transport use the 9292 site as a door-to-door journey planner in English. The results include the walk from your accommodation to the station, platform numbers, time to walk between one form of transport and another etc. It just didn’t tell me that the Metro station at Rotterdam was 3 floors, and which door to go out, and on which level to catch the correct bus. But without it I would not have made it to Rotterdam Handwerkneurs workshop with Nicky Epstein.

This sleeveless jacket pattern will be a doddle in English but a real challenge for me in Danish as my written Danish is very very average, and then my Norwegian is, well it is really nonexistant. That is I do not really know any Norwegian. I will be bribing the requesters for the help I need with the testing and checking of the pattern.

Fortunately I know one very well (my Danish cousin) and the other I am getting to know (lovely Trine from Norway). I hope they read this – which is why I have written the words down – they will need to be my testers.

But of course I am digressing – the real purpose of this post is to tell you that I will also create the pattern for lighter weight yarns as well, as the style is classic and interesting, as you can see in the version below with long fitted sleeves and shaped peplum and without the shawl collar.

I think this jacket will work well in a double knitting (8 ply / worsted weight yarn), making it a great in between seasons jacket.

I am not committing to writing the pattern in any other languages however. I shall get the sleeveless one completed in the three languages and then see how well I survived the process and then decide.

Both versions of this jacket were included in the Colour Play exhibition held in the Randolph St Gallery, at Whitecliffe School of Fine Arts and Design campus in 2007. A Vogue Knitters Tour Group from USA hosted by Nicky Epstein and Carla Scott attended the opening.

Peplum