ConnieLene – KnitDesigner

I know I have been a bit quiet over the past 18 months or so. I am still knitting at odd times and have now set up a Craftsy Pattern Store. There are 3 patterns there so far – my Kiwi Cape, The Capelet of many Colours and the Connie Cowl. Hope you will take a look. It is free to join Craftsy and it does offer many opportunities for learning new skills, finding patterns and selling your patterns.

Curiously “Peplum” has two distinct and almost separate definitions. Its early origins are Greek, and peplum was simply the word for tunic. The peplum, a term dating back to the 19th century, is also a short overskirt that is usually attached to a fitted jacket. My jacket is certainly a fitted jacket with a short skirt.

Is this the jacket you would like the pattern for? It has pointed sections over the hand and at the back of the peplum skirt. There is no collar and is very fitting in 12ply mohair. The mohair was black with sections of rich blues and is no longer available.

Jacket Pattern Brewing for rather a long time.

or one of these designs below?

Sleeveless with 2 button fastening and lapel collar, the peplum does not have a pointed section at the back.

Sleeveless again with pin fastening, no collar, but includes lapel flap. (not sure if that describes it or not – the lapel does not continue around the back of the neck). The skirt or peplum is much fuller and longer and without the pointed section.

The Katrine Cowl is knitted in the round on circular needles. The stitch pattern is “Barley Sugar”, why that name? I don’t know. The yarn is Rowan Colourscape again. I do love the colours in the Colourscape range and because the cowl is a tube it can be worn with the mauve next to the face instead of the turquoise which makes this a versatile piece in a wardrobe.

We have been chasing our tails for a while here in Miranda. Best Beloveds mother passed away in early August followed soon after by a brother and then a sister. A couple of friends now have serious illnesses; cancer and heart and we are just plodding along.

The good news is our granddaughter was born nearly 5 weeks ago. She has lifted our spirits.

In all of those life changing events I had forgotten all about my orange capelet created using Fibonacci spaced increases. I added photos onto Facebook at the end of July and I didn’t go on and create a post.

In the beginning was this wee wing

Fibonacci You Scare me – blog post

Front view of Fibonacci Sequence Capelet – can’t wait to work further on this and add colour and stitch possibilities.

Another view of my Fibonacci Sequence Capelet. I am ready to start another now writing what I do as I go possibly in variegated yarn rather than using intarsia technique.

Fibonacci Capelet version 1 back view. Just off the needles and shows there is potential for creating a new capelet using the Fibonacci Sequence.

Could be quite a sexy sultry piece – so have to go on, find some suitably sexy yarn that will show this shape and the body well and then write complete notes that could end in a pattern. Trouble is I like knitting, playing with colour and shape and exploring ideas. Sadly I don’t like writing patterns. But I will.

Yes I will.

I guess that might well be the same for other people as well.

But in between the dramas of life as part of a large family, life on a wee bit of land, the water watching, the driftwood and shell gathering, the planting, sewing, and weeding of our large garden, the bonfires on the beach and BBQ there as well, the prevention of possum attacks, the feather pulling (plucking) of 10 Peacocks, Peahens and turkeys after some crazy youngsters went out shooting in the night. The farmers are pleased to reduce the numbers of large birds wandering over their hills, but the plucking – now that was a big job and we have many feathers to work with on projects next year.

As I was saying – in between I have managed a wee bit of knitting as you can see.

The Cot blanket and the Mohini scarf are presents – not Christmas presents though. The Neck Warmer/Cowl is on the needles now and is just because I need to be knitting.

I am hoping grandson will help with the tree if Best Beloved has remembered to purchase it today. Baking of Scandinavian biscuits will be done on Thursday now with my daughter and grandson. That is something we haven’t managed to do together in years. It was a tradition that we baked together and her friends would join in, always a great day. Maybe grandson will bring a friend to bake with us if we are better organised next year.

So we still have presents to buy, a tree and house to decorate, baking to do, and so on. But as always we will make it, somehow.

There is always a tinge of sadness and a bringing back of memories of people and Christmases past at this time of the year. This year is the first Christmas for Best Beloved and I without any parents as sadly Best Beloveds mother passed away aged 89 in August. It is amazing how that changes one.