ConnieLene – KnitDesigner

I have spoken at times of the cloak that I created back in 1992 – very nearly 20 years ago. This cloak has been in exhibitions, it has been tried on by many people, it has been photographed on many people. Sadly it is showing its age.

I am attending the knit retreat “Knitting in Nature beginning tomorrow, and I am taking my “Island” The Great New Zealand cloak with me to show to the other knitters there. Why? Well I am teaching a workshop on Intarsia Knitting and this is one of the best examples I still own of my intarsia creations. I hope that seeing it will still inspire someone of the group to try freeform intarsia knitting after they complete the workshop.

In late 1992 or early 1993 the cloak was in an exhibition at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. The judges there decided that it was not suitable to be sold due to the fragile nature of the creation. I think 20 years of display and wearing is not bad for a creation of a fragile nature, using around 90 or so different yarns from wool, mohair to linen and a variety of fancy fibres. I actually think it has done rather well. And I am so glad it was not listed for sale as my family and I have loved it and worn it, as well as exhibited it.

I think “Knitting in Nature” may well be its last journey because it is rather thin and frail in some sections now, and we will store it away gently on our return to New Zealand and hope that we can still bring it from time to time and say “we remember this piece very well” and put it away again.

I am feeling rather sad that this piece that has been such a big part of my life is not going to be worn again BUT that does mean that it is time for another creation.

Crikey it has taken me a bit of time to do this little write up. Shame on me really because within the digital pages of Entangled is an article about moi – and I don’t think I have really told anyone yet. Why is that – well I have been dealing with computer issues for some months, and I am sure that I have told you that. Of course now I have my fully featured, fully functional, but without all my data laptop back I have months of stuff to catch up on and as we are moving countries soon this may be my last real post for 2 or 3 months, maybe.

But this is really about the new on-line magazine from New Zealand “Entangled”. The brain child of Genny Stevens et al, of Crafternoon tea with Grannyg fame

You can review Entangled via the link below:

Click on “Inside” in centre of the screen, then on “Preview this article” followed by another click on the magazine cover of Entangled to reach the screen which has characters along the bottom including arrows. Click on the arrow pointing to the right to turn the pages and enjoy.

There is no cost for turning the pages digitally through this, the preview FREE offering of Entangled to view the delights of a glorious glossy full of ideas and information, inspiration and opportunity to delight and create. Go on have a look. Turn that digital page and you will see Knit graffiti underlined on the next page – and if you do nothing else here do click on Knit Graffiti and it will take you to an article about, you guessed it – Knit Graffiti (stuff done by two oldies in the Netherlands – you may even know or recognise us, maybe). Then please do page through the rest of Entangled as there are many many delights therein.

You may remember that GrannyG interviewed me about 9 or 10 months ago Grannyg and moi talking across the world and there are many other interesting interviews and odd writings on Crafternoon Tea with Grannyg

Entangled Magazine is only available digitally, Issue 1 is out now and it looks great, Issue 2 will contain a story of a Sydney yarn crawl which beats a pub crawl any day. Although wine and gossip after the yarn crawl will surely have followed.

You can become entangled with “Entangled Magazine” on twitter @entangledmag and if you like, you can like “Entangled Magazine” on Facebook.

Just in case you thought it – No they didn’t bribe me and cross my palms with silver. I do think this is a great addition to the craft, art, yarn, fibre world wide arsenal of information and it is beautiful as well. You can’t get better than that.

Thank you Grannyg

apart from a print copy, maybe. I was a librarian after-all, and we fear the digital world, or we used to.

I know I have forms to fill, stuff to plan etc. because we are relocating to New Zealand soon. But some mornings just require something else.

This morning I found a lovely summery yarn in my stash. Linie 238 Bagno. It is a 55% cotton and 45% Rayon variegated yarn with thick and thin sections in gorgeous colours evocative of the summer we are now longing for. link to Online-yarns.de product information

So while that Best Beloved worked on his forms for a new passport and those details needed for the relocation company I knitted a little moebius scarflette – using the lovely Cat Bordhi’s magic cast on and then did increases using the hyperbolic plane method. After the first row I knitted 5 rows with an increase every five stitches and ended up with a little something to wear around the neck – not too big, not too small, just right to add some colour over something light and summery.

It was a pleasure to knit, ever so easy. Knit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and increase; knit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and increase till I was back at my stitch marker and cast off. Almost knitting a haiku. Needle size was 6.5mm.

Now I have to get back to that “To-do List” for our journeys ahead.

Bring on that summer, you hear!

I am playing with Fibonacci sequence for increases and am not sure just what the outcome will be – but the yarn looks great. I am knitting with New Zealand Touch Yarns mohair. I hope the result will be like the sea in motion, but will have to wait and see.

I love knitting skirts and this one was delivered to Angelica in Switzerland last week and has already travelled to Prague to be photographed.

The yarn is Bombay from Katia and is lovely to work with and the colours are gorgeous. This pattern will become available – probably after we return to New Zealand as there is too much to manage right now. It will available in 3 lengths.

Bombay is 100% Mercerized Cotton.
100 grs. – 3 oz 1/2 | 230 mts. – 251 yds.
Size of needles: 3 – 3 1/2 USA 4 – 5
Number of shades: 12